Alumni Update:

Yash now works as Deputy Country Director at One Acre Fund’s Malawi program. He spends most of his time fiddling with their back-end systems (logistics, client services) and operations strategy to ensure improved client experience. He lives in (and continues to love!) Zomba, Malawi.

Fellow Bio:

Yash is originally from Mumbai, India. For some crazy reason, he decided to leave the warm coastal locales of Mumbai and ended up in frigid Ithaca, studying Natural Resources at Cornell University. While at Cornell, he was part of the Big Red Raas team (a western Indian dance form) and a founding member of Cornell Tarana, a South Asian a capella group. Yash studied abroad in Kenya and Tanzania in fall 2011, where he wrestled (read as “observed from a safe distance”) with elephants, hunted (with cameras) lions and conducted (backbreaking) research on land use change on the northern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. As an avid birdwatcher, Yash hopes to add a couple hundred more central and southern African bird species to his bird list while in Zambia, in addition to learning the local language, listening to psychedelic Zambian rock from the 70s, driving a safari vehicle at least once (I don’t speed, no worries) and engaging with the world of corporate responsibility and sustainability.

Stefanie is an Anthropology major from Connecticut, with certificates in African Studies and Dance. She has spent the past three summers traveling and working in Morocco, Spain, Tanzania, and Kenya. In Kuria West District, Kenya, she implemented a magnet theater program to tackle risky health behaviors in the community. Last summer, Stefanie interned at the Mpala Research Center as a Conservation Club teacher, where she designed and implemented lesson plans, experiments, and field activities for seven primary schools in the Laikipia region. In her free time, Stefanie enjoys choreographing, dancing, and drawing. She looks forward to returning to the Mpala Research Center and the neighboring schools, improving her Swahili, and maybe finally seeing an aardwolf.

Sophia graduated with a Communication Studies major, International Studies minor, and Civic Engagement certificate. At Northwestern, she participated in various service and human rights-oriented student groups such as the fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, Northwestern University’s Conference on Human Rights, Amnesty International, and NU Bahá’í club, and served as a volunteer shift leader for Campus Kitchens. She was a member of both the Indian fusion dance team Mirch Masala and club rugby. Outside of school, she served as a volunteer at the Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, and interned for non-profits like WorldChicago, the Baha’i Office of Public of Affairs in D.C., and IDEAS Association in Paris. Her interests include drawing and painting, cultural and interfaith activities, belly-dance, and travel. Inspired by her study abroad experiences in Madagascar and Paris, she hopes to continue seeking out new adventures and to pursue a career in international development. She is looking forward to learning as much as possible from all the new people she will come across through living and working in Johannesburg next year.

Alumni Update:

Sarah currently works as a Senior Project Manager at Dimagi, focusing on digital health engagement and strategy throughout West Africa. After three wonderful years working for Dimagi in Senegal, she has spent the past three+ years working at their HQ in Cambridge, MA.

Fellow Bio:

Sarah graduated with a double major in History and Political Science and a minor in French. Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, Sarah has spent the year since graduation working in Washington, DC at Americans for Peace Now. While at Vanderbilt, she studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal, and served as Secretary-General for the 2011 Vanderbilt University Model United Nations Conference. Sarah has completed internships with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and the Institute of International Education. During her year in Cotonou, Sarah looks forward to riding zémidjans, sharing stories with friends at home and abroad, and learning more about food security in Benin through the World Food Programme.

Alumni Update:

Sarah is now working in the Sustainability Department of Olam International. Her work focuses on making a positive impact for people and communities in their food and agricultural supply chains across Africa. She is based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire and is often on the road supporting their operations in various countries on the continent.

Fellow Bio:

Sarah graduated with a major in International Affairs, concentrating in International Development, and a minor in Sociocultural Anthropology. During her time at GW, Sarah served as President of Students Helping Honduras and was an active member of Delta Phi Epsilon, a Professional Foreign Service Sorority. She studied abroad in both Uganda and France, and spent time as an intern with Le Conseil de l’Europe, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and with Population Services International, an international public health and social marketing NGO. While in Malawi next year, Sarah looks forward to rededicating herself to international service and learning more about humanitarian aid. She also is very excited to learn some Chichewa, explore the arts scene in Lilongwe and connect with the people and culture in The Warm Heart of Africa.

Alumni Update:

After completing her PiAf fellowship in 2014, Sarah stayed on the African continent for another 4 years working in the social enterprise sector, and she had the opportunity to live in Burundi, Rwanda, Ghana, and Senegal. Two years ago she relocated to Boston and is currently managing the Implementation Team for the education technology startup, Ellevation, which develops software and instructional strategies to help school districts better support their English Language Learners.

Fellow Bio:

Sarah is originally from Massachusetts but spent part of her childhood in France. She graduated in 2013 with a degree in Public Policy Studies and a certificate in Child Policy Research. While at Duke she helped run Duke Basketball’s undergraduate operations, captained the Women’s Club Soccer team, and served as Vice President of the Public Policy Majors Union. She combined her interests in sports and international development by researching the expansion of sports based youth development programs in African countries. Sarah then spent a summer in Lusaka, Zambia working with the NGO Sport In Action, coaching, teaching and conducting research on HIV/AIDS education. She also studied abroad in Florence, Italy and interned in Washington D.C. doing education policy research. Sarah is very excited to go back to Zambia and looks forward to exploring many other countries!

Alumni Update:

Sarah took a few months off after her fellowship ended in September to see family at home in the States and travel in South America and Europe. She then started at Vera Solutions (a social impact consulting company) in Mumbai; she’s happily enjoying working there alongside PiAf alum Josh Wunderlich.

Fellow Bio:

Sarah studied International Relations and African studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Though she grew up in the suburbs of New York City, while at Penn she came to appreciate Philadelphia and became heavily involved with the Philly-based NGO Power Up Gambia. Additionally as an undergrad she spent a summer and semester abroad in Botswana working on HIV/AIDS and TB studies with the Botswana-UPenn partnership, and a summer in DC interning for Save the Children. While in Tanzania, Sarah hopes to become more involved with HIV/AIDS programming while putting the Swahili she has studied for two years to good use!

Alumni Update:

Ryan currently works as a Program Officer with FHI 360.

Fellow Bio:

Ryan is from Holland, Pennsylvania and graduated with a degree in Anthropology. Interested in the intersections between public health, culture and food, Ryan conducted senior thesis research on neighborhood food access in Baltimore city and worked for a year as a research assistant at the Center for a Livable Future. At Hopkins, he participated in the Baltimore Collegetown Leadershape Program and organized food justice volunteer initiatives through the Center for Social Concern. Abroad, Ryan interned for a summer with the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health and Population Services International in Kigali, Rwanda, spent a semester studying abroad across Kenya, and pursued an independent study of the street food industry in Kisumu, Kenya. Ryan looks forward to picking up some Wolof, traveling through West Africa and exploring Senegalese culture this upcoming year.

Riley is from Roxbury, Connecticut, and graduated with a degree in Anthropology from Davidson College. She has a strong interest in international studies and has spent significant time studying abroad in Spain, Nepal, and Tanzania. Her studies focused on the Spanish language, the Tibetan education system in exile, and on conflict resolution and international development in Africa. While at Davidson she was a fellow in the Chidsey Leadership Development Program, a member of the Women’s Leadership Committee, and served as a tutor to first and second grade students at an after-school program. Over the summer she worked at the International Institute of Los Angeles in the Child Development Division to help provide free childcare to immigrants, refugees, and families of low socioeconomic status. Riley is looking forward to exploring the Botswana culture through the local community and learning from the students.

Alumni Update:

Phoebe is continuing to work with One Acre Fund, but has recently moved back to the US after 6 years living in East and Southern Africa. Her new role will be supporting One Acre Fund’s smaller countries of operation on program strategy. She also recently got married to a man she met during her fellowship year!

Fellow Bio:

Phoebe is from Nashville, Tennessee and graduated with a degree in English and American Literature with a minor in global health. At Middlebury, Phoebe held leadership positions in GlobeMed at Middlebury, a non-profit that partners colleges and grassroots organizations, and in the student initiative Friends of John Graham Homeless Shelter. An avid traveler, she spent a summer interning at Africa 2000 Network in Uganda, a semester studying abroad at the University of Otago in New Zealand, and a summer interning at Partners In Health in Boston. In her free time, Phoebe loves rock climbing, reading, and running. While in Botswana next year, Phoebe looks forward to learning to teach, picking up some Setswana and adventuring through Southern Africa.