Announcing MGCY’s DRR project coordination team for the ‘Asia Pacific Researchers, Practitioners, Policy-Makers in Dialogue with Children and Youth Project’
Over the next two months, the Young Researchers and Young Fellows for DRR will be engaging in policy and participatory-action research with children and youth in their local community, with the goal of capturing their perspectives and experiences of disasters throughout the Asia-Pacific.
This project would not be possible without the incredible #participation and #guidance from the Project Management, Researchers, Technical Leads, and Advisors also this youth initiative would not have existed in reality without the generous financial support from our donor the SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). We are thrilled to see so many young change makers working together in building a better future for our children and youth.
Team work makes the dream work!
Special Thank You to our Partners:
About the Team
Farman Ullah is currently a doctoral candidate in Global Health, Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Medicine at the Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine (CRIMEDIM), UPO, Italy. He has been actively engaged with UN MGCY since his stay at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Until now, he has worked on topics such as households risk perception, vulnerability, and adaptation assessment.
Sonika Poudel is currently working as the Program Director at Youth For Environment Education And Development Foundation (YFEED Foundation). She is an undergraduate in agriculture science. She is also a UN ESCAP YV4CA Climate Advocate and works as a Admin Team Member in SAARC Youth Platform (SYP). She has been working closely with local communities for climate and disaster related awareness in Nepal; she believes it enriches her soul.
Christy Pui Yin CHUNG is an MSc graduate in Forensic Science in King’s College London with a research background of chemistry and atmospheric environmental science. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she is passionate about topics of sustainability, environment and health. She hopes to bridge the gap between science and practice and bring real world impacts through research and education.
Raywin Taroaniara is an environment and climate change graduate from the University of South Pacific, with a working experience in Youth Work. She is currently working as Programme Assistant-Pacific Region at the Commonwealth Youth Programme. As a Solomon Islander, she has been an advocate for climate change and youth development. She believes that empowerment of young people enables resilient societies.
Sonia Kiew is a recent graduate from the University of British Columbia. Throughout her undergraduate studies, her work with youth refugees and climate advocacy in Malaysia has sparked her passion for community engagement and youth development. She is currently in the Media Working Group at the Malaysian Youth Delegation and hopes to further the climate conversation by bridging science and storytelling.
Jelyn Yoke Jia Thong is a graduating student doctor in Melbourne with a double degree in Computer Science and Physiology. A researcher in machine learning aside, she is also an advocate and policy writer for global health and refugee rights. Her experience includes representing Australian medical students on national and international stages, passionately pursuing interdisciplinary collaboration for achieving true UHC.
Aisha Siddiqa is a final year student at University of the South Pacific. She was recognized by USP for mentoring first year students and by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission. She dreams to achieve greater heights with academic excellence and to bring about positive socio- economic changes in the economy that contributes towards the evolution and advancement of the nation and its people.
Mr. Irfan Ullah is a passionate social and climate activist with the ability to motivate and inspire individuals in identifying their potentials to continue and share the passion of serving others. Mr. Irfan has a Master degree from United Nations University Institute of Environment and Human Security Bonn. He has five years of multi-sectoral experiences spanning from disaster risk reduction,climate risk insurance, climate change adaptation and resilience, community mobilization, water hygiene and sanitations, food security and livelihoods and from conflict triggered disasters to earthquake, flood response and sustainable development.
Mr. Jake Ryne Evangelio is a young professional in the development sector. He’s a Community Facilitator at the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation. He has worked with communities in areas of disaster risk reduction and management, and livelihood and enterprise development. He finished his degree in Community Development from the University of the Philippines, and is currently taking his Masters in Public Management.
Atkia Samia Rahman is an undergraduate student of Disaster Management,University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.She has been working passionately for building up resilient communities by closely working in remote areas. While working for flood response,clean water and sanitization, sustainable development ;she has been devoted to the mental development of the children of sex workers.She dreams of a climate-resilient world.
Pema Lhamo is an aspiring environmentalist and has studied environmental Science at the Asian University for Women. She takes great interest in youth programmes and has participated in workshops and conferences both within her country and abroad. Pema is also a research enthusiast and has worked on various environment and sustainability topics. She loves learning new languages and reading books.
Mr. Kasunjit Satanarachchi holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) Honours and is a passionate advocate for disability rights. In addition to assisting with policy formulation on disability rights, he has engaged in freelance research for organizations like the Disability Organization Joint Front, Law and Society Trust and the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. He was also a part of the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka serving as Deputy Minister of International Affairs and the Representative for persons living with disabilities. His teammates describe him as a “passionate individual who does not give up!”
Zaw Htut Aung is a passionate young engineer in resolving climate change and global warming issues through technological innovation. He has a research background in cleaner and efficient combustion of heavy duty engines in Chosun University, South Korea. He is currently doing research on the development of efficient biomass cookstoves for Myanmar rural communities in order to reduce indoor air pollution and accelerate clean energy transition. He hopes to sustain the economic growth through STEM education while preserving environmental sustainability.
Musabber Ali Chisty is a Lecturer at Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka. Prior to this he was a Lecturer at Bangladesh University of Professionals. One of the major research areas Chisty is working with, is community based disaster management. He is also a member of Youth Compact Champions programme and Water Youth Network.
Rendilyn Cuyop is an indigenous Igorot youth, currently working for the International Solidarity Commission of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA). She works with multi-sectoral organizations on Indigenous peoples welfare including disaster response and psycho-social processing postdisaster. Since volunteering as a youth leader, she has developed an interest in community development work and aims to maintain her commitment to working with grassroots communities to bring to light the various environmental and climate issues that confront them.
Needli Konwar is a postgraduate in Sociology from SNDT Women's University,Mumbai, Maharashtra,India. She is associated with an NGO that works for the development of the underprivileged children, youth and women. Her work focuses on making the children and youth aware of the damage caused in the ecology and connecting them with the government policies. She has also participated in a webinar on " Guardian of the Planet: Asia Pacific Children and Youth Voices on Climate Crisis and Disaster Risk Reduction" and spoke on urban flooding.
Davila Talemaimaleya is a passionate youth climate activist from the Fiji Islands. She is an executive committee member within the Alliance for Future Generations – Fiji, which is a youth-led network that focuses on championing the voices and meaningful participation of young people in sustainable development and a sustainable future for all. Davila acquired her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She also acquired a Post-graduate Diploma in Climate Change from the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Fiji and is currently working towards her Masters in Climate Change at USP.
Dr. Ksenia Chmutina is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable and Resilient Urbanism at the School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK. Ksenia is a critical disaster scholar; her research explores the processes of disaster risk creation. Ksenia uses her work to draw attention to the fact that disasters are not natural. Ksenia is a co-host of the podcast ‘Disasters: Deconstructed’.
David Wardell is a video producer, photographer and participatory media practitioner. In the humanitarian and development sector he has worked with agencies including, Save the Children, World Mosquito Program and the ASEAN Secretariat. As a television producer/journalist, David has worked with Great Big Story, The Project, ABC Australia, National Geographic Channel, BBC, Arte, Al Jazeera and Getty Images.
Dr. Ally Dunhill is Head of Advocacy at Eurochild, an organisation “Putting children at the heart of Europe”. For over 30 years, she has worked across the education and social care sectors, including lecturing and researching 'with and on' children and youth, and inclusion and rights. She has supported youth to write about and share their lived experiences of COVID-19.
Dr. Marla Petal is Principal Advisor for Urban Resilience and School Safety for Save the Children. She has worked for 40 years in policy, programming, research, training and communications for child-centred advocacy, risk reduction and school safety. Her passions are capacity-building for evidence-based practice, practice-based evidence, and collaboration for collective impact, at scale.
Moa Herrgård is a Board Member of the UN MGCY. She has eight years of experience within intergovernmental policy development, implementation, follow up and review. Moa studies a master of science of Epidemiology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and medicine at Karolinska Institute. Moa is a research associate at the Centre for Research on Healthcare in Disasters, at Karolinska Institute.
Dr. Jason von Meding is a researcher, educator and communicator in disaster studies at the University of Florida. His research is community-centered, focusing on how injustice and inequality are the fundamental drivers of risk in society, and shape disaster impacts. Taking a public facing approach to science communication, he is co-host of the Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast and tweets @vonmeding.
Krishita Adhikari is a naturally and socially different physically disable women and struggling for her childhood to adolescence. She has joined the dwarf association of Nepal and carried out various activities as depicting the social, economic & physical condition by writing various articles also she is columnist of the national daily magazine, her aim is to raise various regarding the equal opportunity of living for the disabled and the right to live with dignity.
Jekulin Lipi Saikia is a disaster management professional, engaged in DRR policy-making, and programs. She has experience working in various disasters at the ground level and well as in policy and advocacy. She holds a master’s degree in Disaster Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She is a researcher with a focus on DRR policies, mainstreaming of DRR in developmental programs, recovery planning and eco-based DRR.
Anish Shrestha is a Youth Advocate belonging to Newar indigenous community of Nepal very actively engaged and representing indigenous peoples and youth voices for more than eight years. He has been active in human rights, the environment, climate change, indigenous peoples, and youth issues. He is presently working as Executive Director (ED) of the YFEED Foundation and Partnership Coordinator of SAARC Youth Platform (SYP).
Nitish Barole is a DRR & WASH professional from India. After working in diverse areas such as Peacebuilding, Youth leadership, Journalism, WASH, and Disability inclusion since 2011, he founded 'Youth for Resilient Community' to empower youth to create Sustainable, Peaceful & Resilient World. He is a Member of DRR Team at Water Youth Network and GNDR.
Ian Sario Secillano is a Filipino environmental planner, local DRRM officer, and the Secretary of Local Association of DRRMOs of Albay Province (LADA). He is a YSEALI Academic Fellow on Civic Engagement (UMass-Amherst), Young Leader Fellow on Post-Disaster Recovery (JICA-KCCP), Executive Director of Talubó Initiative, and a proactive community partner of Fundación Educación y Cooperación – EDUCO (Philippines).
Dr. Briony Towers is a research fellow in the Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Australia. Her research is focussed on disaster risk reduction education for children and youth. She is lead Investigator on the Australian Bushfire & Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre’s project ‘Building Best Practice on Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction’ and co-lead of the Natural Hazard Centre’s CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group on Children, Youth, and Schools.
Ela Yasa is a fourth year Global Health major and Psychology minor at University of California San Diego. She is also the Coordinator of Converge’s CYS Working Group as well as the General Health lead of the Student Health Advocates of UCSD and a research volunteer for the Social Psychology laboratory of Dr. Willis at UCSD.
