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Technical Staff

Freedom from Hunger’s program services, including product development and technical assistance and training with implementing organizations, are provided by a team of experienced and dedicated technical staff. Their expertise extends across multiple sectors that address chronic hunger and poverty, including microfinance, microenterpise development, health and nutrition, and adult learning. Biographies of our technical staff are below.



William F.G. Aquéréburu, Technical Advisor, Training, for Avançons joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. He is a microfinance specialist with 15 years of experience in business management and project development assistance. Mr. Aquéréburu works to build the capacity of Freedom from Hunger partners in providing high-quality financial and education services to their clients. He assesses partners’ staff training needs, jointly develops training materials that respond to their needs and helps to coordinate training activities on health, business and personal finance. Mr. Aquéréburu has collaborated with HGA Conseil in project development and management, feasibility studies, capacity-building, auditing and training. He also has experience conducting strategic analyses, project surveying and development, and evaluations. Mr. Aquéréburu worked with the DANIDA Assistance Program in Benin and as a consultant for the World Bank and other international organizations. As a consultant for Group Development, a French NGO, Mr. Aquéréburu was in charge of technical and financial evaluation of microenterprises established in rural and urban areas of Ghana. He participated in the establishment of 30 Financial Service Associations funded by IFAD in Benin. He also participated in discussions on gender with the NGO Censudi in Bolgatanga (Ghana). Mr. Aquéréburu has written four sets of course materials for public and private firms’ personnel. He has a DESS in International Trade and Transport from Sorbonne University, a graduate degree in law and a diploma in Political Sciences from the Institute of Political Studies in France. He possesses good speaking and writing skills in French, English and Spanish. Back to top


Salvador R. Baldizón, Health Protection Specialist, joined Freedom from Hunger in June 2006. Dr. Baldizón has over 20 years of experience in international development as senior manager, technical advisor and consultant for multisectorial community-development programs including basic health care, nutrition, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, food security, agriculture, income generation and humanitarian assistance in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Dr. Baldizón has practical experience in project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as in monetization and staff coaching and mentoring. He currently assists the Microfinance and Health Project (MAHP) in the development and testing of health protection products, services, linkages and consumer education that meet the needs and demands of the rural poor and the microfinance institutions (MFI) that serve them. In collaboration with the MAHP Director, he supports the efforts of field-based managers, research specialists and MFI staff involved in the development of health service innovations in five countries. He will be involved in the development of sustainable, scalable models of health protection services offered by MFIs and will provide training and technical assistance on health protection-related topics as well as in the area of risk pooling mechanisms for addressing health needs. He is a native of Guatemala and started his career as a physician serving the needs of Mayan descendants in the rural highlands of his country. He then moved into public health in order to focus on health promotion and disease prevention while working for the Institute of Nutrition for Central America and Panama (INCAP) where he developed health training modules for community volunteers and health staff. While working in Peru, he helped found a local NGO (PRISMA) which is currently providing health and microfinance services. In Ethiopia, working for CARE International, he introduced many innovations into a food-security program to increase options for the very poor, reduce the workload of women, adopt arid land agriculture techniques, start rural savings opportunities and empower participants to lead their development efforts. After the tsunami of December 2004, he spent 15 months in Indonesia leading the emergency response program for Northwest Medical Teams International. He has an M.D. from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, an M.PH. from Harvard and an M.A. in Applied Communication Research from Stanford. Dr. Baldizón speaks fluent Spanish and English. Back to top


Alay Kumar Barah, Reach India’s Chief Executive Officer, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005. Mr. Barah has 18 years of experience in the areas of livelihood, microfinance operations, relief and rehabilitation for disaster-affected communities, project management, planning and coordination, and resource mobilization. He currently heads, coordinates and manages the activities of the Reach India team. For Reach India, Mr. Barah is developing and growing a network of low-cost, high-quality service centers for self-help promoting institutions. He fundraises to support the growth of the service center network. Mr. Barah also provides microfinance and education-related technical assistance and training directly to self-help promoting institutions. He will recruit, train, coach and support a team of high-performing managers. Mr. Barah markets services to potential donors, client institutions and strategic partners; and works closely with Reach Global to identify funding sources and write and present funding proposals. Mr. Barah is a native of Assam, India and has worked for CAPART in New Delhi, Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi, Guwahati, Assam, and as a consultant. Mr. Barah has in-depth knowledge of the rural and urban milieu and economics with functional hands-on experience in conceptualizing, designing and developing livelihood enhancement projects and strategies for community and societal development. Prior to joining Reach India, he worked with American India Foundation (AIF) as the Director of Livelihood Programs where he helped prepare a strategy of livelihood and rehabilitation programs for tsunami-affected areas in India. Mr. Barah has a degree in Social Work from the College of Social Work of Osmania University, Hyderabad, India. He has a Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in Urban and Rural Community Development from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Barah is fluent in English, Hindi, Assamese and Bengali. Back to top


Marc Bavois, Technical Advisor, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2000. He has three years of experience in international development since adding technical responsibilities to an initially administrative position. Mr. Bavois currently provides support to members of the Program team, with a particular focus on the Asia region, and prepares the key financial report on partner activities. He has participated in curriculum development, conducted field trainings with a number of partners, and is helping strengthen the MIS for Freedom from Hunger's West African credit union partners. He most recently completed a five-month on-site assignment with FOCCAS Uganda, focusing on operational systems, performance management and linkage banking opportunities. Previously, he coordinated travel and translated for the organization. Mr. Bavois holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and in economics from the University of California at Davis, and has attended Southern New Hampshire University's Microenterprise Development Institute and the School of Applied Microfinance. He is a native French and English speaker, has moderate proficiency in German and speaks some Spanish. Back to top

Luis García Bedregal, Technical Advisor, Microfinance, joined Freedom from Hunger in September 2006. Mr. García Bedregal has 12 years of professional experience in microfinance, especially in the areas of management and technical assistance, and has served an array of microfinance institutions in Peru and Latin America. He currently provides technical assistance to Freedom from Hunger’s partner organizations in Latin America and supports the implementation of Credit with Education within IMF’s in Peru. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, he collaborated with FONDESURCO, a local microfinance institution, and led the development and implementation of the organization’s efforts to offer financial services in rural areas in the southern regions of Peru. He was also Microfinance Project Coordinator for Catholic Relief Services-Peru, through which he was able to help a number of organizations, including Cáritas del Perú, Asociación Civil Entre Todos from Argentina, Enlace–Servicios Financieros from El Salvador, among others. He provided technical assistance in financial planning, management and monitoring of microfinance programs. Mr. García Bedregal has a B.A. in Economics from Universidad Católica Santa María de Arequipa-Perú, and has completed Postgraduate studies in Finance at Escuela Superior de Administración de Negocios (ESAN). He is currently completing a Masters in Social Management at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. He was also President of the Association of Economists from the city of Arequipa, Peru for two consecutive terms. He has a fair grasp of written English. Back to top

Pedro Calderón, Microfinance Advisor, joined FFH Alcance, A. C. (Alcance) in January 2006. He has 11 years of experience in microfinance, mainly in auditing, management, funding, microcredit methodologies (primarily for village banks) accounting, business planning and special projects design. As a Microfinance Advisor, Mr. Calderón leads the development of training programs to support MFIs in Mexico through innovative tools and services delivered by Alcance, a Freedom from Hunger initiative in Mexico. He is currently working on the development of electronic tools that will support the systematic analysis and integration of PRA market research data. Mr. Calderón has 18 years of experience providing advisory and management services. His expertise involves funds negotiation and management, applied to both grants and loans, and microcredit product design. He has conducted a number of trainings and workshops in Mexico, Central America, Venezuela and Brazil. Mr. Calderón has a B. A. in Business Administration from Escuela Superior de Comercio y Administración del Instituto Politécnico Nacional and a degree from Universidad de Cuautitlán Izcalli, S. C., Mexico. He has a professional certification from Centro de Estudios Fiscales y Administrativos, S. C. He has participated in over 70 training events and continuing education training workshops on different subjects relevant to his expertise. He also mastered several accounting and financial planning and management applications. Mr. Calderón is an active member of the Mexican Association of Internal Auditors (IMAI). He is a native Spanish speaker with basic competency in English.   Back to top

Abhijit De, Reach India’s Information Technology Officer, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Mr. De has 8 years of experience working in the corporate and development sector, specializing in computer hardware maintenance, troubleshooting, computer network design and implantation and both LAN and WAN security. As Reach India’s IT Officer, Mr. De is responsible for managing various portals and service providers, including the entire computer system of the various Reach India Centers. Mr. De’s other duties include supporting the procurement process for the Reach India network and providing technical support to users. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Mr. De worked as a System Administrator at GTZ Health Sector Support Programme with additional responsibilities of monitoring and evaluation, and with the Authorised Service Provider of HP/Compaq. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Sciences from the University of Calcutta, a diploma in Computer and Communication Technology from Aptech Computer Education, a certificate in Computing from Indira Gandhi National Open University and has also completed a short course on Health Management Information System (HMIS) from Mahidol University, Bangkok. He speaks Bengali, English and Hindi.   Back to top


Boubacar Diallo, Technical Advisor, Microfinance, for Avançons joined Freedom from Hunger in 2001. He has eight years of experience in microfinance. Mr. Diallo provides technical assistance in internal controls, supervision systems, and financial analysis in Mali and the West Africa sub-region. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger as a permanent staff member, Mr. Diallo was a consultant in which capacity he carried out feasibility studies, evaluations, and socio-economic studies. As a consultant for Freedom from Hunger, he worked on the analysis of the staffing of the Credit with Education department at the Kafo Jiginew network in Mali; the poverty assessment of Credit with Education clients in comparison with standard clients of the credit union networks of Nyèsigiso and Kafo Jiginew; and the financial impact assessment of Credit with Education on the financial performance of the Malian implementing partners. Mr. Diallo was part of the team in charge of the process of capacity building of the Malian Ministry of Finance in strategic management. He also worked as a researcher with the University of Mali (Faculty of Economics and Law) and the Centre d’Analyse et de Formulation des Politiques de Développement, and conducted some research on the relationship between microfinance and food security. He holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, a Masters in Economics from Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Mali and a Master in Microfinance from the State University of Bergamo in Italy. Mr. Diallo speaks fluent French and proficient English. Back to top


Soumitra Dutta, Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) Regional Manager, Asia, joined Freedom from Hunger in November 2006 and brings 17 years of community health experience. Dr. Dutta oversees Freedom from Hunger’s MAHP initiative in Asia, assisting microfinance institutions in India and the Philippines to develop and offer innovative health protection services that improve the health and financial stability of both clients and the institutions themselves. Previously, Dr. Dutta was the Regional Manager for CARE India in Kolkata. His responsibilities included managing district teams across the state of West Bengal, including their planning, budgeting and supervision. Dr. Dutta served as a liaison with state government and district officials (Departments of Social Welfare, Health & Family Welfare and Panchayat & Rural Development) as well as with international development agencies (INGOs) and national level NGOs. He also served as a liaison with Panchayat & Rural Development department to initiate Community Health Care Management Initiative (CHCMI) for CARE-assisted districts and selected blocks. In addition to his 10 years with CARE India, Dr. Dutta has worked for the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association, Kolkata and the Child-in-Need Institution, West Bengal. He managed all training programs of the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association and was involved in training design, module development and facilitating sessions on health management and community health. He managed the main health clinic and outreach clinics as a doctor at the Child-in-Need Institution. Dr. Dutta has an MBBS from Calcutta University, a post-graduate diploma in Health Management from the Indian Institute of Health Management and Research in Jaipur, and a MPhil in Hospital and Health Systems Management and PhD in Health Management from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences in Pilani. Dr. Dutta speaks English, Hindi and Bangla. Back to top


María del Rocío Egremy, Training Specialist, joined FFH Alcance, A.C. (Alcance) in 2005. She brings 14 years of training expertise in Mexico and occasionally in Ecuador. At present, Ms. Egremy leads training workshops on adult education, curriculum design and development, and adaptation and presentation of training materials on technical matters relevant to the institutions Alcance serves in Mexico. Previously, Ms. Egremy was involved in the implementation of education programs on sexual health for organizations focused on helping children living in the streets, workers and people at risk. Ms. Egremy is an expert in sexual reproductive health and in designing and conducting training programs for young and adult participants on subjects such as gender, self-esteem, leadership and money management. Ms. Egremy also has five years of experience implementing programs to promote and deliver sexual health care services, mainly with community-based programs in Mexico. She has participated in the development of education materials on sexual health for youth, and training materials on financial management for the poor, leadership, business management and women's health. She has also been involved in the microfinance industry by promoting the integrated-services approach and has delivered microfinance training on an array of subjects to women helped by SIEMBRA, a microfinance organization in Mexico, and to housekeepers. Moreover, she has participated in the design of a number of field-agent training manuals for credit programs. Ms. Egremy has a B.A. in Psychology from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México, and three professional certifications: Certification in Education for Children Living in the Streets, Universidad Iberoamericana; Certification in Anthropology of Violence among Children, CONACULTA-INAH; Certification in Conflict Resolution, POP Centre Portland University, Oregon and K’inal Antisetik. Ms. Egremy is a native Spanish speaker with basic competency in French. Back to top


Laura Fleischer Proaño, Technical Associate, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005 and has three years of international development experience. Ms. Fleischer Proaño provides technical and programmatic support to the Program Services Team. She supports the Latin America Team, the Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) initiative and the Knowledge Management Team. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, she provided research and technical support to senators and communities in the impoverished region of Appalachian Ohio. Ms. Fleischer Proaño served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where she managed community banks and trained microentrepreneurs. She has also conducted research in Brazil on Brazilian microcredit programs. She holds a Master of Arts from Ohio University in International Development and Women’s Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in Business and International Studies. Ms. Fleischer Proaño speaks fluent Spanish and English and is proficient in Portuguese. Back to top


Edouine François, Technical Advisor, Courseware and Training, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2003. He is a training expert with ten years of experience in development. He also has extensive experience in enterprise development and microfinance. Mr. François currently provides technical assistance to partners in West Africa and Haiti, especially in the areas of capacity building, training systems, and design and adaptation of education modules. He conducts Training of Trainers for staff of West African partners on various education modules related to business management, health and self-confidence. He works with new partners to help them launch Credit with Education, Community-Based Distribution or Savings-Led group programs. He also provides support to develop technical assistance tools such as supervision guides, incentive systems guides, and internal control guides. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Mr. François was Assistant Manager and Training Consultant for CAFEM (Centre d’Appui et de Formation en Management) in Haiti, where many local and international NGOs benefited from his service. Previously, he was a Junior Consultant for UNDP. Mr. François holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the Institute for Business Administration and International Studies in Haiti, and has completed coursework in psychology from Haiti State University. He speaks fluent French and Creole, and is proficient in English and Spanish. Back to top


Sue Glassford, Training Specialist, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Ms. Glassford has ten years of international experience in managing and supporting the skill development of trainers. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, she designed and implemented workshops in PLA, trainer of trainers and various aspects of institutional strengthening in south east Europe, south and southeast Asia and the Middle East. As the Training Specialist for Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Glassford is responsible for leading the development of trainers of trainers in Asia, Africa and Latin America to deliver an array of products and services proven to improve the well-being of poor women and their families. Ms. Glassford has a B.A. in Mass Communications from Carleton University in Canada and a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Training and Development from Surrey University in the United Kingdom. Back to top


Bobbi L. Gray, Research and Evaluation Specialist, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2004. She has approximately three and a half years of international development experience. She leads the research and evaluation efforts for Freedom from Hunger and works closely with our partners to determine solutions for assessing and measuring the impacts of Credit with Education and other program interventions, including feedback of this information to stakeholders for decision-making. She is also specifically looking at how to help partners develop robust social performance management systems whereby organizations put their social mission into practice. Ms. Gray helps oversee the ongoing project to develop, test and document the food-security scaling for use by our partner organizations to assess poverty levels of their clients and changes in poverty over time. She works with partners to determine the necessary adaptations needed to prepare the food-security survey for the local context and trains office and field staff in Lot Quality Assurance Sampling so that the implementation of the food-security survey is time-efficient, cost-effective, and ensures that organizations have a mechanism for organization-wide decision-making. Ms. Gray has experience in education policy research, curriculum design and teaching, and evaluation. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Spanish from Texas Tech University, and speaks both languages. Back to top

Lisa Kuhn Fraioli, Senior Technical Advisor, Microfinance, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005. She is a microfinance specialist with seven years of experience providing training, technical assistance, and research services to microfinance institutions and networks around the world. As leader of Freedom from Hunger’s initiatives in Latin America, Ms. Kuhn Fraioli provides technical assistance to Freedom from Hunger’s partner organizations in Latin America, including the development of new products, services, support systems and materials related to Credit with Education. A primary focus of her work is the development and launch Freedom from Hunger’s capacity-building initiative Alcance in Mexico. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, she worked as a Micro-Lending Manager at Opportunity International specializing in assessing and improving the impacts of microfinance products and services on women. She worked closely with Opportunity’s partners providing full-service product development for new loan and education products. She has also worked as a policy assistant for FINCA International, a research assistant for the Microcredit Summit Campaign Secretariat and a research assistant for Georgetown University’s Mexico Project. Ms. Kuhn Fraioli has a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Relations and Romance Languages from DePauw University. She has also studied at the University of Chile and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She speaks fluent English and Spanish, and she reads and understands French. Back to top


Julie Helmus, Administrative Assistant, Program Services, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Ms. Helmus provides administrative support to Program Services, particularly the Latin American Team, the Product Team, the Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) initiative, and the Reach initiative. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Helmus worked as an interpreter and cultural mediator at a wild animal rescue center in the Costa Rican rainforest. While completing her undergraduate studies, she worked as a private tutor, newspaper editor, event director, ropes-course instructor and CALPIRG intern. Ms. Helmus has studied abroad at the University of Sussex, England and the University of Costa Rica, where she was exposed to microcredit programs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Global Studies. Ms. Helmus learned Spanish as a child by attending the Davis Spanish Immersion program. She speaks fluent English and Spanish and has a fair grasp of French. Back to top


Leslie Ann Kwan, Support Officer, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005 to help set up the Reach India office. Ms. Kwan brings more than 20 years of experience working for corporate and international NGOs as a Personnel, HR and Administrative professional. As Reach India’s Support Officer, Ms. Kwan is responsible for providing all administrative and financial support to the Reach India initiative. Her responsibilities include managing procurement of goods and services, ensuring quality and functionality, coordinating logistics, and providing assistance to the Service Center Managers to set up their office infrastructure and HR administration. She also assists the CEO and Reach India team with records and budgets. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Kwan worked as Special Assistant to the Country Representative (CR) of Catholic Relief Services, India Program. As Special Assistant to the CR, she provided program and administrative support. Ms. Kwan’s major responsibilities included providing strategic management support, documenting senior management meetings compiling feedback from partners and staff, and coordinating communication and correspondence with a variety of external donors and partners, including USAID, Caritas, CBCI, CHAI, ISI, U.N. and non-governmental organizations. Ms. Kwan helped to ensure the effective and timely flow of information and draft quality program brochures, reports and other documents on behalf of the CR. She has acquired all her knowledge and expertise through in-house trainings, working in both corporate and international non-governmental organizations. Ms. Kwan is fluent in English and understands Hindi and Bengali. Back to top


Christian Loupéda, Senior Technical Advisor, Microfinance, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2000. Mr. Loupéda has 20 years of experience in microfinance (financial services methodologies, new product development, various self-help group methodologies, financial analysis, institutional transformation) and private-sector capacity-building (financial and non-financial services, privatization strategy and public-sector restructuring), much of it in West Africa. Mr. Loupéda has practical experience in economic and social development, notably in West Africa. He currently heads and coordinates the activities of the Africa team and those of Freedom from Hunger’s Avançons Office. He manages relationships with and provides technical assistance to West African credit union networks, especially in the areas of product institutional integration, management systems, and financial and institutional viability. He also provides technical assistance to Freedom from Hunger’s partners in Haiti. Mr. Loupéda works on the design and test of management systems and tools related to Credit with Education integration by the partners and also focuses on issues related to quality and integrated service-delivery strategies to the poor. Mr. Loupéda also works on technical assistance provision mechanisms to better respond in an efficient manner to Freedom from Hunger partners’ needs. He is a native of Benin and started his career in development by working at the Banque Internationale pour l’Afrique Occidentale in Paris in 1987. Mr. Loupéda has worked as a research assistant at the International Food Policy Research Institute, project manager at Catholic Relief Services, and operations officer at the World Bank. Mr. Loupéda is a certified service provider for MicroSave Africa market research tools. He has a Master’s degree in Economics from the Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and a degree of advanced studies in Development Economics from the Université de Paris II-Assas. Mr. Loupéda speaks fluent French, English, and Fon, a Beninese dialect, and has a fair grasp of written Spanish. Back to top


Daniel Ekow Mensah, Social Franchise Manager, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Mr. Mensah has over 15 years experience in health care management and 6 years of experience in microfinance. He is currently playing a leading role in the design and development of a social franchise for essential health care and protection products, which combines microfinance and consumer education to achieve sustainable family food security in underserved areas of Ghana. He has expertise in healthcare provider network development, financing and management. He managed the development process and the launch of the CAREshop franchise in Ghana, West Africa. CAREshop is an essential medicine franchise with over 300 franchised medicine sales outlets in rural and underserved areas of Ghana. He assisted Quality Health Partners, Ghana, in designing and carrying out a market-demand study for franchising reproductive and child health services in Ghana. Most recently, he was the Senior Manager of a private health insurance company responsible for operations, customer service, claims processing and enrollment to the Insurance scheme. He also has previous work experience with an international pharmaceutical manufacturing company for which he served as country representative and was responsible for all activities pertaining to marketing and finance in Ghana. He developed strategies on product entry into the Ghanaian market and initiated their launch; organized symposia and group discussions among opinion leaders and decision-makers; managed a sales team and successfully met all end-of-year sales targets. Mr. Mensah also has a wealth of experience in the establishment and management of the community pharmacy business. He is an active member of the credit union movement in Ghana. He currently serves as regional chapter chairman and member of the national board of directors of the Ghana Cooperative Credit Unions Association. He contributed to the development of a strategic plan for the establishment and management of the Ghana Healthcare Employees Credit Union. Daniel has an M.B.A. degree in finance from the University of Ghana and a B. Pharm (Hons.) degree from the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Back to top


Sara Naab, Knowledge Manager, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Ms. Naab has five years of experience in Information Communication Technology (ICT) for development, e-learning and design of information and knowledge-sharing systems, with extensive field work in Latin America and West Africa. She currently heads and coordinates the knowledge-management initiatives at Freedom from Hunger. She is a native of Michigan and started her career in development through developing series of computer training centers and distance education programs in Haiti. Ms. Naab has worked on a number of large knowledge-sharing initiatives, including a collaborative food-aid information management system and a digital library for the chemical terrorism unit of the Michigan department of public health. She has also served as a research assistant for the Center for Research on Electronic Work at the University of Michigan. She has a Master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Michigan with an emphasis on community informatics, e-learning and knowledge management. Ms. Naab speaks French, English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Back to top


Kimberly Peeren, Technical Associate, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Ms. Peeren provides support to the Program Services Team, particularly the Africa Team. Most recently, she worked with community-based organizations in eastern Uganda developing sustainable health and educational programs in rural villages. While completing her graduate studies in community health sciences, Ms. Peeren was involved in public health research projects at the California Family Health Council, RAND and the Ventura County specialty clinic. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from University of California at Los Angeles, a Master’s degree in Humanities from San Francisco State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Integrative Biology and Religious Studies from University of California at Berkeley. Ms. Peeren speaks fluent French and English. Back to top


María Elvira Perdomo, Technical Advisor, Financial Education, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. She is a training specialist with five years of experience in financial education and microfinance in Latin America, Africa and the United States. Ms. Perdomo, a native of Colombia, is responsible for conducting training of trainers for the Financial Education for the Poor Project, and training partners in Freedom from Hunger’s education modules (business topics) and Credit with Education products. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Perdomo was the Financial Education Director at Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, a community-development credit union providing services to the Latino community in New York City, and a consultant at the United Nations Capital Development Fund and Oxfam America. Ms. Perdomo has a Master’s degree in International Affairs with a concentration in Economic Development from Columbia University, an International Affairs Certificate from L’Institute d’Etudes Politiques de Paris-Science Po, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Public Administration from Universidad Externado de Colombia. She is a native Spanish speaker and is fluent in English, French and Italian. Back to top


Rossana M. Ramírez, Technical Advisor, Financial Education, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005. She is a training specialist with seven years of experience in community development, financial literacy and needs assessments. Ms. Ramírez, a native of Mexico, is responsible for conducting training of trainers for the Financial Education for the Poor Project. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Ramírez conducted trainings in financial management and business development as well as implemented community assessments in poor communities. Ms. Ramírez has experience with grant writing, program management, and qualitative and quantitative analysis. Ms. Ramírez has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, a Master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and French from Rice University. She speaks fluent Spanish and English, and is conversant in Portuguese and French. Back to top


Myka Reinsch, Director, Microfinance and Health Protection, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2004. She brings over ten years of experience in international community and economic development. Ms. Reinsch leads Freedom from Hunger’s worldwide initiative to help microfinance institutions develop and offer innovative health protection services that improve the health and financial stability of both clients and the institutions themselves. In her previous role as Senior Technical Advisor, Microfinance, Ms. Reinsch provided direct technical assistance and training to credit unions throughout West Africa, including Nyèsigiso and Kondo Jigima in Mali, PAMECAS in Senegal, FECECAM in Benin and FUCEC in Togo, and to the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) in the Philippines, in areas such as business planning, new product development, operational capacity-building, supervision and performance monitoring. Prior to joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Reinsch provided technical assistance to entrepreneurs and microfinance institutions in Kenya, Senegal, Zambia and Thailand, helped supply development financing to impoverished communities in the United States, and wrote case studies on microfinance innovations around the world. She has consulted to international development clients such as the World Bank/CGAP, Chemonics International, Action for Enterprise, and Associates in Rural Development (ARD). Ms. Reinsch has served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where she collaborated with rural women to create a weaving cooperative and with small farmers to build village water systems and increase sustainable agricultural practices. Ms. Reinsch holds an MBA in Business Economics and Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Linguistics from Vassar College. She speaks fluent French and Thai and proficient Wolof (a Senegalese language). Back to top

Malika Singh, Training Specialist, joined Reach India in 2005. Ms. Singh has worked in India on issues of livelihood promotion, gender and governance. As Reach India’s Training Specialist, Ms. Singh is responsible for recruiting and developing a strong cadre of trainers to deliver consistent and quality services that meet the institutional needs of self-help promoting institutions and life skills and knowledge needs of self-help group members. Before joining Freedom from Hunger, Ms. Singh managed the Civic Leadership and Governance Program (Rural) at Unnati. She led activities to strengthen rural governance, including direct trainings, satellite trainings, etc., for panchayat members (elected representatives of local councils). She also ran an acclaimed infotainment (informative entertainment) program on the radio and a series of educational picture stories. Ms. Singh worked with FWWB (Friends of Women’s World Banking) as Program Manager of the capacity building program. She led the development and delivery of training programs. Ms. Singh has also worked with Oxfam, East India office to identify and support development initiatives. She started work with PRADAN to enhance the livelihood of the rural poor. In addition, Ms. Singh has been a consultant to various organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in Rural Management from IRMA (Institute of Rural Management, Anand) and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics from the University of Calcutta. She speaks Hindi, English and Bengali. Back to top

Subir Singha, Reach India’s Finance Manager, joined Freedom from Hunger in January 2007. Mr. Singha has more than 16 years of experience in financial and strategic planning, auditing and compliance, budget development, FCRA and tax management and self-help group accounting.  As Reach India’s Finance Manager, Mr. Singha is responsible for managing all financial systems, policies, procedures, and maintaining records related to bookkeeping, expenses and funds. He is also responsible for providing accounting support to the various Reach India Centers.  Prior to working with Freedom from Hunger, Mr. Singha worked as an Office Manager for the Regional Resource Center under India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and as the Coordinator of Finance and Accounts for the grant writing organization Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi at Guwahati, Assam.  Mr. Singha holds a Bachelor’s in Commerce from Burdwan University, West Bengal and a Master’s in Commerce (Accountancy) from Guwahati University, Assam. He speaks English, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese.   Back to top


Ramesh Sinha, Reach India’s Training Specialist, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006. Mr. Sinha has 15 years of experience working with small- and micro enterprises, livelihood promotion and Rural Credit Delivery systems. As Reach India’s Training Specialist, Mr. Sinha is responsible for recruiting and developing a strong cadre of trainers to deliver consistent and quality services that meet the institutional needs of self-help promoting institutions and the lifeskills and knowledge needs of self-help group members. Before joining Freedom from Hunger, Mr. Sinha independently managed the State Office of Chhattisgarh Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, where he was responsible for the supervision and capacity-building of field officers for the Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Project of the Government of India, the Rural Industries project of SIDBI, the District Rural Industries Project of NABARD, and the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries of KVIC in the state of Chhattisgarh for the promotion of microenterprise, self-help groups, microfinance and livelihood opportunities. Mr. Sinha has also worked as the Program Manager for Indian financial institutions such as ICICI, IDBI, IFCI and ITCOT (Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation of Tamilnadu) at Chennai, where he led the development and delivery of training programs. He has also served as a consultant to various Indian and international organizations such as DIAKONIA, CARE, ACTION AID, IFAD, UNICEF, CASA, World Vision, Tata Steel, Ambuja Foundation and XIDAS. Mr. Sinha holds a Master’s degree in Rural Management from the Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Business Administration. He speaks Hindi, English, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Telgu, Sadri and Chhattisgarhi.   Back to top


Wilfor Zalles, Microfinance and Health Protection (MAHP) Regional Manager, Latin America, joined Freedom from Hunger in 2006 and brings ten years of experience in design, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of health-related projects. Dr. Zalles oversees Freedom from Hunger’s MAHP initiative in South America, assisting microfinance institutions throughout the region to develop and offer innovative health protection services that improve the health and financial stability of both clients and the institutions themselves. Dr. Zalles also has experience in public administration with an emphasis in the development of public health policies and strategies to decrease child malnutrition rates, particularly in Bolivia’s poorest areas. Dr. Zalles has expertise in the development of multicultural health strategies, mainly in the Oruro and Potosi departments in Bolivia, and has participated in projects funded by DFID and the European Union. Currently, he is responsible for the implementation of the MAHP initiative in Bolivia. Dr. Zalles was born in La Paz, Bolivia and began his professional career in the health sector in 1995 when he joined the staff of the Ministry of Health in Bolivia. Throughout his professional career in the health sector, he has had several key roles such as Chief of the Micronutrient National Program for the Ministry of Health in Bolivia, Coordinator of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Project, Coordinator of the Bolivian Government Health Reform British Support Project and Potosi Regional Chief for the PROHISABA Project funded by the European Union. Dr. Zalles has a Master’s degree in Public Health with emphasis in Health Network Management, and a post-graduate diploma in Strategic Planning. He is fluent in Spanish and Russian and has good reading proficiency in English. Back to top


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