International Secretariat

Naimat brings extensive experience working with leading international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank, OECD, GIZ, UN-Energy, UNDP, and UNICEF. Her expertise encompasses providing strategic knowledge leadership, designing effective policy strategies, and executing on-the-ground assignments across Asia and Africa. Having spent recent years in the United States, Naimat has specialized in analyzing the economic impact of development projects. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Data Analytics from the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Delhi University.

Awni started working with Hivos in 2019 and joined the ENERGIA team as Project Officer in 2021. Awni holds a Masters degree in Development Studies with a major Human Rights, Gender  and Conflict Studies and an Advanced Master in International Development. He has ample experience in project coordination and facilitation in project coordination. Prior to joining ENERGIA, Awni has worked as Program and Project Officer for the Hivos Middle East and North Africa office and for the Decent Work for Women program. Before joining Hivos, he has worked with children and youth with a wide range of civil society organizations, including the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR).

Caroline is a human geographer by education and has many years of international experience in the field of gender and development. She joined ENERGIA in February 2017. Prior to that, she was Hivos’ project officer for India and has worked as a gender specialist in various projects in Africa and Asia. She has also supported research work in Ghana on access to and control over land and has actively contributed to the development of a toolkit which supports the production and use of sex-disaggregated agricultural data.

In her capacity of Communications Coordinator, Tjarda shapes, leads and oversees all ENERGIA’s external communication activities. She has ample experience in development cooperation and communication for development. Before joining ENERGIA, she served as Oxfam America’s Regional Communications Officer, based in El Salvador. She also worked as program coordinator at Free Voice (currently Free Press Unlimited) and provided extensive support to the research department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tjarda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Culture and a Master’s degree in International Organizations.