Lema Birhane                                                        

Lema Zelalem, from Ethiopia, is an independent human trafficking researcher and migrant rights advocate, as well as a peace alumnus at the Austrian Peace Center. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy at Addis Ababa University. Partnering with international organizations such as MSF Spain and Human Rights Watch, he denounces human rights abuse of migrants on local and international media. He advocated for over 30,000 Ethiopian migrants detained in detention centers in gulf countries, which helped them repatriate to their home country safely. In addition, he visited several detentions centers in Ethiopia and helped detainees obtain justice and reconnect with their families. In 2021, he was selected as one of the top four nominees for the Oak Human Rights Fellowship, an award given annually to advocates working in dangerous conditions. Recently, he founded a nonprofit organization called Human Migration and Refugee Response (HMRR), where he currently works as director. Along with continuing his research in human trafficking and migration as a Humphrey Fellow, Lema’s career goals include becoming a policy advisor, as well as a human rights advocate for migrants, IDPs, and refugees.

Diego Andres Cabrita Mora                                    

Diego Cabrita, from Uruguay, is a human rights activist and lawyer. He is a master’s thesis student in international relations and holds an advanced diploma in political communication, international cooperation, and public policy. His principal positions have been as secretary of commission of international affairs on the Parliament of Mercosur, and as a consultant for “Southern Common Market,” a South American trade bloc for five countries to share markets. He has taught international public law and diplomatic law at the Universidad de la Republica for five years. Additionally, he has worked within the UN at the International Organization for Migration as a liaison policy officer and focal point for training government authorities, specifically, in xenophobia, integration, racism, human trafficking, and smuggling migrants. Moreover, he has created Manos Veneguayas, a non-governmental association that supports Venezuelan migrants in Uruguay. During his Humphrey Fellowship, Diego will study policy prevention on human trafficking. Afterward, he intends to implement a safe house to protect human trafficking victims in his country. He also hopes to promote a protocol to identify victims with the local governments, as well as a regional law to fight against human trafficking across social media.

Falume Dade                                                          

Falume Dade is from Mozambique, working as a sustainability specialist. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Eduardo Mondlane University. He has extensive experience in social and community investment program implementation with the purpose to improve the living standards of the vulnerable communities of Mozambique. He has worked with different international companies, supporting them in the implementation of socially sustainable projects. The one that he is proudest to be part of is the work readiness program. He led this social project in the field, designing the communication plan for the stakeholders, and conducting the outreach campaign. During the Humphrey program, Falume expects to acquire more skills that allow him to be efficient in the decision-maker’s engagement. After the program, he plans to continue with his career, focusing on social initiatives and supporting his country in the development of public policies that benefit the most vulnerable groups.

Chrystelle Dohou                                                   

Chrystelle Dohou heads WARYS CONSEILS, an accounting firm specialized in professional services for small- and medium-sized enterprises in West Africa. As a certified public accountant, she has over fifteen years of experience in accounting, auditing, and taxation. In particular, she supports women starting or running their own businesses. Although access to finance is one of the main challenges for SMEs in Africa, she believes that digital technologies can improve transparency and help banks to better assist entrepreneurs. Therefore, she launched DAGGA, a digital solution that aims to help entrepreneurs turn their data into actionable insights and financial institutions to better assess business and operational risks. During the Humphrey Fellowship, Chrystelle plans to gain academic knowledge as well as professional experience in private equity and venture capital. She looks forward to partnering with US-based organizations to develop innovative businesses and technologies that contribute to financial inclusion and economic development in her country, Benin.

Sambo Guemgo                                                                                

Sambo Guemgo, from Chad, is a UN physician-Covid-19 and UK-Med emergency medicine doctor. He earned his doctoral degree in medicine from the University of Ndjamena. Currently, he is working on a master’s degree in public health from Strategia, Netherlands, and a master’s degree in vaccinology from the University of Bordeaux, France. He specializes in emergency medicine, sexual and reproductive health, and family planning and rights. With 16 years of national and international experience in primary health care and public health policy and management, he has worked as chief medical officer of health districts within the Ministry of Public Health, and as a UN physician and medical coordinator within UN and NGOs. In 2005, he was awarded as associate fellow researcher with WHO and the Swiss Tropical Public Health Institute, focusing on pediatric TB in hospital settings, as well as TB/HIV/AIDS among nomadic pastors in Chad. During his Humphrey Fellowship, Dr. Sambo plans to enhance his public health policy and management knowledge, with an emphasis in community health programs that contribute to universal health coverage.

Jean Michel Iyamuremye                                       

Jean Michel Iyamuremye is from Rwanda and works at Ndera Neropsychiatric Teaching Hospital, where he currently serves as director of the Icyizere Psychotherapeutic Center, providing care to patients with trauma as well as substance use problems. He holds a master’s degree in hospital and health care administration, a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology, and an advanced diploma in mental health nursing. He has contributed significantly to the improvement of mental health patient care in his country. At the decentralized level, he has been a supervisor and a mentor to clinicians-in-training. Additionally, he is a member of the team that develops the protocols for treating problems related to the misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Through the Humphrey Fellowship, Jean Michel aims to broaden his professional network with educators and health care providers to develop a substance use prevention curriculum for secondary schools. He also hopes to enhance the quality of care provided to people suffering from the challenges related to alcohol and other drug use in Rwanda.

Namory (Bouba) Keita                                             

Namory dit Boubacar “Bouba” Keita, a hydraulic engineer from Mali, works at the Malian Heritage Company in water supply as the director of planning, studies, and control management. He earned a master’s degree in public and private works management from Clermont Ferrand University, France. With two decades of experience in urban drinking water supply within the companies EDM-SA, SOMAGEP-SA, and SOMAPEP-SA, he has climbed several positions, from water studies officer to director of studies and investment planning. During his career, he has excelled in the diagnosis of water supply systems, the elaboration of studies, and the control of the realized works. As a Humphrey Fellow, Bouba expects to focus on securing resources through sustainable mobilization and rational exploitation. After his fellowship, Bouba plans to improve the drinking water service in low-income areas and convince investors to implement structuring projects that protect the environment in his country.

Carlos Morais                                                           

Carlos Morais, from Brazil, is the coordinator of the Agroecological Development Center, a nonprofit organization in Brazil,  and a member of the Governance Panel of the Semi-Arid Latin America Platform. He holds a master’s degree in agroecology and sustainable rural development from the International University of Andalusia. He grew up in a challenging situation, which revealed to him how the lack of opportunities generates poverty and social inequality. Today, he dedicates his professional life to fighting against inequality and rural poverty in the semi-arid region. He does so by  supporting farmers as they adapt to climate change and the construction of sustainable agricultural systems. His goals for the Humphrey Fellowship are to build a network with professionals in the different areas and improve his knowledge about sustainable agriculture. In the future, Carlos hopes to strengthen the nonprofit organizations involved in rural development in his country.

Maria Margarita Musante                                          

Margarita Musante is an economist from Argentina, with special interest in the analysis of public policy and public administration. She earned a master’s degree in applied economics as well as a master’s degree in econometrics, both from Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in economics at Universidad del CEMA. She has been working in public service for several years, as a consultant for the National Ministry of Economy, as an expert budget advisor, and as a coordinator of evaluation of budgetary programs at the Chief of Cabinet of Ministers of Argentina. She has also worked in academia as a professor and researcher. During the Humphrey program, Margarita aims to learn best practices in public policy development and broaden her knowledge and skills in this area. After her Humphrey Fellowship, she aspires to improve the development of evidence-based public policies through the implementation of data science, mainly those policies aimed at promoting the development of human capital in children in enabling environments, reducing gender gaps, encouraging women’s empowerment, and ensuring environmental care, thus seeking the best use of public resources in relation to interventions that affect the quality of life for people in her country.

Jean Marie Nizigiyimana                                           

Jean Marie Nizigiyimana, from Burundi, is the CEO of JENI-ECO COMPANY and the head of the department of environmental protection and climate change resilience within United Forces of Partners for Sustainable Development (UFPSD). He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Gitega in environmental science, focusing on water pollution sanitation. He initiated a trash management program in Gitega in 2018, and from that initiative, created JENI-ECO COMPANY to fight plastic waste by recycling plastic into pavement stones. Additionally, he has held different positions within UFPSD, a local organization involved in helping Burundi integrate into the East African region and contribute to community development through English clubs, women and youth empowerment, and community health care promotion. As a Humphrey Fellow, Jean Marie will deepen his knowledge in natural resources, environmental policy, and climate change. He aspires to connect with other professionals in order to help Burundi and Africa in the matters of plastic recycling, innovative recycling, and waste management systems.