Ben graduated with honors from Claremont McKenna College in 2017 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). At CMC, Ben worked as a Research Assistant at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government where he led a number of fiscal analysis projects, as well as for SOURCE, a student-run nonprofit consulting organization. In 2014, Ben traveled to Rwanda where he lived in a rural village and co-founded a crop storage and distribution enterprise—a transformative experience that inspired him to return to the continent and continue exploring how market-based solutions can be used to alleviate poverty. The following summer, Ben worked for Asia Pacific Investment Partners, an investment group in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia where he worked on a variety of projects. Most recently, Ben spent the summer as a Talent Consulting Intern at Mercer where he honed his analytical and quantitative skills. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, Ben enjoys all things outdoors, particularly skiing, rock climbing, and hiking. He is incredibly honored for this opportunity in Malawi and looks forward to working towards enhancing the business environment in the region and also exploring the continent with other Fellows!

Ayesha graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Economics and Mathematics. She grew up in Singapore, where she was exposed to all kinds of development work from a young age. Her active involvement in NGO work cultivated an interest in economic development, which she pursued in her formal studies of economics and math. She spent a semester abroad at CIDE in Mexico City, where she studied healthcare and broader development economics. She has maintained internships throughout her time in college, working in a variety of market-oriented capacities. As part of her internship at the Smithsonian Institution’s endowment, she routinely performed quantitative and qualities analyses to assess the relative success and risk of the organization’s portfolio. Her internship at KKR continued that exposure to market analysis, allowing her to analyze and explore the different strategies of the hedge funds that her team was invested in. She later worked at the investment bank Lazard Frères & Co., a global advisory firm that focuses on mergers and acquisitions. Her time at Lazard was similarly rooted in financial and industry analysis. She is excited to apply the lessons she has learned through her academic studies and professional experiences to the Lwala community!

Atlee Chait graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in International Studies focused on International Security, Norms, and Cooperation. She most recently worked as the Monitoring and Evaluation Associate for DC’s Children’s Law Center, dedicated to strengthening the existing and supporting the development and implementation of new monitoring and evaluation processes. Prior to that, Atlee completed a contract with National Geographic supporting the National Geographic Bee, worked in Sub Saharan Africa Intelligence while living in Tel Aviv, Israel, and served as a Design, Monitoring & Evaluation Intern with Search for Common Ground, a peacebuilding and conflict resolution organization, where she learned to evaluate the effectiveness of peacebuilding programs overseas. Atlee is so excited to be working with Village Enterprise in their mission of utilizing entrepreneurship as a means to ending extreme poverty in rural Africa. She looks forward to living in Uganda, exploring the continent, making new friends, and gaining a deeper understanding of M&E, income generation, and the designing and implementing of development programs.

Arielle Ford graduated from The George Washington University with high honors in 2014 where she received a BA in Sociology. After graduating, she joined CityBridge Education, an organization vested in the creation and redesign of DC public schools that lead with intentional equity. At CityBridge, Arielle worked with teachers and school leaders to bring innovative educational practices to local classrooms and schools. She also facilitated conversations around race and identity with educators, emphasizing the intersection of human centered design and equity. Her commitment to equity work began long before college as she witnessed how disparities in public education adversely impacted the life trajectories of her childhood friends. During her undergraduate years, she was heavily involved with the Multicultural Student Services Center, working to illuminate the stories and needs of students of color on campus, in addition to serving as the Student Association Director of Diversity and Multi-Religious Affairs. She also served as a campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America, where she worked arduously to increase the number of black, Latino, and LGBTQ applicants. Arielle is excited to continue her commitment to educational equity with Equal Education in Johannesburg, South Africa where she will work with students, teachers, and parents striving for equality in South African education.

Anny, a native of Bogotá, Colombia, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts with majors in Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies. A passionate reproductive health advocate, Anny was selected as a Reproductive Rights Activist Service Corp fellow, in 2015 and interned for Ibis Reproductive Health researching the intersection of maternal and child health and abortion access. At UMass she organized and led a service-learning initiative focused on indigenous women’s empowerment and safe stoves for improved indoor air quality in Guatemala. After this trip, she became the Education Coordinator for the Beacon Voyages for Service program at UMass, overseeing the social justice-based education for the program at large. Anny is also a former executive board member of Colombia Vive, a Boston-based human rights organization. Following graduation, she joined Timmy Global Health as their Medical Programs Coordinator in the Dominican Republic (DR). In this role she oversaw a community health promotion program and led regular medical service trips to several communities straddling the Haiti-DR border. Anny hopes to continue learning and advocating in the area of global public health and to dedicate her career to advance health as a human right across geographical borders.

Anthea graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s in Public Policy. She is originally from Singapore but has spent almost a third of her life studying, working, and living in the United States. Her first encounter with international development was during her time at Georgetown where she learned how data could be used to understand more about people, policy, and what works. After graduation, she joined Burness Communications, a public-interest communications firm specializing in spreading the news about social causes ranging from public health to environmental conservation. But with a data itch that wouldn’t quit, she then went on to work as a Senior Analyst for a data consulting firm, helping non-profit organizations and the US EPA to better visualize their data and extract meaningful insights. Outside of work, she volunteered at the National Aquarium as a diver where she fed the fish and waved at visitors. Anthea is excited for her move to Sierra Leone where she will work with the WARC Group as a monitoring and evaluation fellow, using data to measure the impact on improving the lives of farmers. During her time in Freetown, she hopes to learn to love dancing and okra, while picking up a bit of Krio in between.

Alumni Update:

Nina is currently serving as a Special Projects Officer at the Akilah Institute, a Kigali-based higher education campus and online school for women in East Africa. In the fall of 2021, she will begin her studies as a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Social Policy candidate at the Brown School in Washington University, St. Louis. 

Fellow Bio:

Nina graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in English and Arts Administration. At UVA, she worked primarily in the arts community as a producer of student theater, co-chair of the Student Council Arts Committee, and as an Arts Mentor to local elementary-aged students. Her thesis focused on the representation of death in children’s literature, which she supplemented with a self-published children’s novella. After graduation, Nina moved to Memphis, TN, where she has spent the past two years. There, she worked as an assistant fifth-grade English teacher at a Title I public school and implemented mental health procedures to support her students suffering from trauma and anxiety. She additionally worked as an Urban Fellow for the City of Memphis to foster summer literacy among youth. Currently, Nina is finishing up a service year at The Well, a pediatric wellness center, where she teaches nutrition, movement, and mindfulness to children. For fun, she dabbles as a lounge singer, attempts to cook, and loves to explore the Delta region. Nina is excited to pursue her interest in the intersections of educational and health equity at More Than Me and can’t wait to meet her wonderful new students.

Alumni Update:

Currently, she is working as a consultant for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for West and Central Africa. Her work focuses on a regional research project to assess recruitment and protection mechanisms for migrant workers from the region abroad, primarily in the ECOWAS and Gulf Cooperation Country regions.

Fellow Bio:

Anna graduated in May 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Global Liberal Studies (concentrating on Politics, Rights, and Development) and double minoring in French, and Public Policy and Management. Anna has worked for several nonprofit organizations throughout her academic career, from Girl Rising, a documentary campaign to promote girl’s education, to Human Rights Foundation, an organization which supports political dissidents in countries with authoritarian governments. Her interest in development work in Africa was strengthened last summer, which she spent in Dakar, Senegal, interning and conducting research for her thesis on female migration and its’ impact on social and economic development. Anna returned to Senegal for a month last January to finish her research, and was awarded the best thesis overall in NYU’s Global Liberal Studies class of 2017. In her free time, Anna loves to read and hike, she is an avid backpacker, adventurer, and “Couchsurfer”. Lastly, she can’t wait for the fellowship to explore Benin, continue her research, make new friends and practice her French!

Andrew graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Mathematics and Economics, minoring in Computer Science and Financial Economics. At Vanderbilt, Andrew was involved in the school’s business fraternity (Alpha Kappa Psi), serving as a mentor to the new members, and The Afterschool Program, tutoring low-income students. He has significant exposure to finance through internships across varying sectors. Andrew has worked in mezzanine lending (high-risk debt), private equity investing, and impact investing (using investments to help the environment and society). During these internships, he learned various financial modeling tools and gained a strong understanding of the ways companies grow. In addition, he spent a summer working for a healthcare startup, looking to change the way the American Healthcare system works. Through his academic and professional experiences, Andrew is very well prepared to make an impact on his organization through quantitative and qualitative work. 

Amanda graduated from Georgetown University in 2017 with a degree in International Health.  While at Georgetown, Amanda volunteered as an Emergency Medical Technician and ambulance driver in Washington DC. She held a number of internships during her academic career including at HIPS, a harm-reduction NGO that works with high risk populations for HIV prevention and health promotion. She also interned in the Social and Behavior Change Communication department at FHI360, a nonprofit human development organization. Amanda was able to pursue her passion for public health while doing research abroad at the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health, where she focused on social resilience programs for at-risk youth. She conducted evaluations of a social resilience program implemented in schools and helped deliver youth empowerment programs in several schools across Western Australia. Originally from France, Amanda has lived in Colorado for the past 10 years. She loves the outdoors, good food and coffee. She looks forward to exploring Togo and working with Hope Through Health!