Our Team

Dr. Job AKUNI, PhD

Dr Akuni is an educationist and training facilitator, peace and governance specialist with over 15 years of work experience in complex conflict emergencies and post-conflict context of Eastern and Southern Africa. He specialises in post-conflict peacebuilding, electoral democracy, conflict management and early warning systems, human security, human trafficking, programme development, education in emergencies & conflict sensitive pedagogy, policy analysis and advocacy, collaboration, partnerships & institutional capacity building. He has worked in Higher Education and with civil society in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and internationally. Job holds a Dip. Educ., B. Ed., PGD in Research Methods, Master in Peace and Governance and a PhD in Peace Studies. E-mail: [email protected].

Michael is ARiD Finance and Administation Officer. Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration of Gulu University. He brings to the organization professional experience in the banking sector, project planning and management in the NGO sector, action research, leadership and governance.

Michael has served in various institutions and organisations, including as a banker with DFCU Bank, Agago Branch, Project Manager, M & E Officer with Gulu NGO Forum, Community Educator with Northern Uganda Transition Initiative (NUTI), Data Enumerator with Makerere Institute of Economics and Research and as an intern (governance) with Pader district Local Government.

E-mail: [email protected].

Ben is ARiD’s Director of Culture and Environment and also acts as its Programmes Coordinator. Ben holds a Master of Arts in Culture and Environment in Africa, University of Cologne, Germany (2011), a Bachelor Degree in Arts in Organizational and Communication Skills of Makerere University (2004) and Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management, Gulu University, Uganda (forthcoming -2011). Ben has vast experience and skills in decentralised governance in Uganda. He worked at Kalongo Town Council as the Personnel Officer for many years. As the human resource manager at Kalongo, Ben was responsible for staff appraisal for all government employees in the Town Council; provision of technical support to the Council regarding human resource planning; and, preparation of sector budget and work plans. He also served as the Secretary to the Technical Planning Committee of Kalongo Town Board. Ben has a solid experience in working with charities. He is one of the founders of Friends of Orphans (FRO) a child-focused Community Based Organization in Pader District where he was its first Programme Manager for four years. Ben brings to ARiD his vast experience in program development, fundraising, leadership and organizational and research skills. Ben has conducted field based researches and consultancies in Uganda and Ethiopia. His latest research project was on climate change adaptation in Amhara region, Ethiopia. He has passion on culture, climate change, environmental and water resource governance in Africa. E-mail: [email protected]

Edward is the Director of Project Planning and Management. Edward, an expert in Agriculture, graduated from Arapai Agricultural College (Uganda) and has 28 years of diligence in services. Edward has passion, wide knowledge and experience in agricultural extension services with practical skills in training farmers and farmer groups in modern agricultural practices, group organization, development and general group dynamics that would bring about increased productivity. After working for eight years with Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture as an Agricultural Extension Officer with advisory responsibilities to peasant farmers, Edward coordinated Agro-forestry Project throughout the present Agago district for five years. He ensured the success of the Afro-Forestry project from its initiation, implementation and sustainability. He also managed HIV/AIDS projects that supported People Living with and Affected by HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) with foci on nutrition, WASH education, distribution of food and non-food items for three years. Since 1991, Edward’s career in the NGO world exposed him to extensive knowledge and skills in his field of expertise and that made him create expansive networks at local, regional and international levels. Edward’s vast experience in agriculture and sustainable livelihoods, HIV/AIDS projects, emergency relief and rehabilitation and fieldwork in the entire Acholi sub-region during peace, civil war and the transition to peace complement those of the ARiD team. Email: [email protected]

Geoffrey Otema is ARiD’s Associate Director of Finance and Administration. Geoffrey holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management, both from Gulu University. He is an MA candidate in Development Studies (Gulu University). Geoffrey has vast experience in working with several NGOss and companies in different capacities (Gabo Enterprises, AMMADA and War Child, UK). His areas of expertise include financial management systems including budgeting, forecasting, internal controls, auditing, capacity building for partners, reporting, procurement, general administration, security and asset management, IT maintenance, policy implementation and fundraising. Geoffrey has passion in project planning, financial management, accounting, community participation, NGO management, organizational behaviours, participatory research methodology, general management, macro and micro- enterprises. With his good analytical and numerical skills, high integrity and moral values; objectivity and impartiality and adherence to corporate values and organisation’s code of conduct, Geoffrey’s skills complement that of his colleagues at ARiD. E-mail: [email protected]

Jennifer is ARiD’s first Project Manager and now a member of the Board of Directors. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Development Studies from Nkumba University, Uganda. She attended reputable missionary schools - Katikamu SDA and Mary Reparatrix and held various positions of responsibility including being a Follow-up Church Minister. Jennifer administered HOPE – a community based organization in Pader and was a Research Assistant for World Vision’s Cash Transfer Scheme and Enumeration Recovery Project. Jennifer brings to ARiD her youthful skills and passion for social development in the community where she belongs. She has expertise in development policy and practice, organizational development, research, fundraising and networking. E-mail: [email protected]

Dr Pamela Nzabampema (Ph.D), a Burundian, is Peace Studies graduate from the School of Social and International Studies, at the University of Bradford, UK. Pamela's research interest include security sector reform, post-conflict statebuilding, peacebuilding, conflict transformation, reconciliation, transitional justice, policing in post-conflict Africa, and African politics. Previously, she researched on the reconciliation process in post-conflict Burundi. Geographical areas of expertise are Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC (Great Lakes region of Africa) . Email: [email protected]

Michael Otyang

Michaela Leiss is ARiD’s Head of Funding. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science (Major: Political Science, Minor: Jurisprudence) at the University of Erfurt, Germany, and finished a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford’s Peace Studies Department. She has worked with non-governmental organisations in South Africa, Egypt and Sudan in the realm of development, human rights and conflict resolution.

Caroline holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies of Kyambogo University where she got First Class honour (CGPA 4.59). She has a one-year experience in teaching and working. Her interest is in gender and governance, having worked in Caritas as field Assistant during her industrial training and wrote an inspiring dissertation on the impact of GBV on children’s academic performance.

Caroline is currently a Graduate Intern with Advocates for Research in Development (ARiD), implementing a project on democratic governance. She supports the Project Officers in implementation of the project in the two districts of Pader and Agago respectively as well as being in charge of Governance Newsletter documentation.

E-mail: [email protected].

Viviene holds a degree in Economics and Management from Uganda Christian University. She joined ARiD as a graduate intern and has been retained as the Finance and Administration. Previously, she worked as an Account Assistant intern with Caritas Gulu Archdiocese and Research Assistant with BOSCO Uganda. Viviene is an economist by training with one year voluntary working experience in management of development projects in conflict and post-conflict northern Uganda.

[email protected]

John has been ARiD's Project Officer - Democratic Governance since 2016. He holds a Bachelors degree in Wood Science Technology from Makerere University.

As a professional, he helps the organization to meet the strategic priority of empoweringwomen and youth through livelihoods enhancement and environmental protection. John worked previously with Agago District Local Government as a Sub-County NAADs Coordinator having attended trainings on climate resilient sustainable agriculture (CRSA) and farm planning.

John’s experience in child protection provides an added advantage to ARiD in the promotion of human rights given the fact that he worked as a Child Protection Officer in-charge of formal and informal education with Friends of Orphans in partnership with War Child UK.

His knowledge and experience on good governance and accountability has been of great value to the organization mainly because he received trainings on good governance, Economic Literacy, Budget and Accountability for Governance. With the four years of working experience with local governance, John has been able to collaborate and create good networks with civil servants and political leaders thereby enhancing the implementation of governance and accountability project with ARiD. John has also participated in research work to obtain evidenced based information for advocacy. He has been ARiD’s focal person in the collaborative research work with the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) - Uganda.

E-mail: [email protected]