Meet Our Madagascar Office Staff

Lisa Bass

Director of Programmes and Operations

After completing a Psychology degree Lisa designed and developed services for individuals with learning disabilities for 10 years. She was then recruited by the British Red Cross to manage their community services across Yorkshire before being promoted to oversee Area Emergency Response and Recovery. During 5 years in this role Lisa worked with both staff and volunteers delivering training and managing services such as First Aid and International Tracing. In October 2007 Lisa took a 3 month career break to volunteer on Azafady's Pioneer scheme where her skills were also utilised to develop Azafady's Child Protection Policy in preparation for Project Mampisaina. This insight to working alongside the Azafady office staff inspired Lisa to leave the Red Cross and return to Madagascar as a Policy Development Volunteer for 8 months. During this time the opportunity of a permanent managerial position arose in the new Director of Programmes and Operations role. Thanks to her strong interpersonal relationships with staff and significant managerial experience Lisa's suitability for the position was recognised and through this role Lisa has brought her unique style of management to compliment the local team in Madagascar.

Theophile Zafison (Theo)

Head of External Communications

Before joining Azafady Theo was a private guide leading tours across southern Madagascar for 6 years. In 2003 he started working for Azafady as a Technical Assistant for the English teaching project and then joined the community health team in 2004. Through his bush-based role as Community Health Agent he gained significant health education and community mobilisation experience. In 2005 Theo was promoted to the role of Health Education Manager, overseeing the implementation of the NGO's full range of community health education initiatives, and since 2006 he has represented Azafady as Executive Secretary for the regional WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All) committee. In 2008 Theo took on the post of Technical Assistant for Mampisaina, Azafady's HIV prevention and sexual behaviour change programme. After fulfilling this position for 1 year he returned to the Health Education Manager role, successfully training his team in a new approach called community-led total sanitation. In September 2011 Theo was promoted to Head of External Communications for Azafady. As such he is responsible for representing the NGO to all government ministries and stakeholders.

Samm Short

Head of Project Development

Samm originally trained in the performing arts but with a strong interest in travel soon found herself working in a variety of jobs that allowed her to move around the world. Having spent a year in America she moved to western Australia and stayed there for the next 5 years working in community development with vulnerable communities and specialising in supporting families fleeing domestic violence and children with challenging and aggressive behaviours. In the UK she worked as a teacher and started a belated degree in Literature and International Development before stumbling across Azafady in 2008 and starting a Project Development Internship with the London office. After a year she moved out to Madagascar and in 2010 was offered the position of Head of Project Development with Azafady and hasn't looked back since.

Laura Robson

Project Development Specialist

Laura first got involved with Azafady as a Pioneer in April 2007. She then went on to read Geography (with a focus on international development) at Cambridge University, obtaining a first class degree. During this time she also completed a couple of internships with local NGOs in Burkina Faso and Zambia, working on a variety of projects ranging from HIV/AIDS to microfinance. Laura is a trustee of the UK charity Student Hubs (and co-founder of its Cambridge branch) that supports young people to tackle today's social and environmental challenges. She started as a Project Development Intern with Azafady in July 2010, spending several months in the London office before moving out to Madagascar in January 2011. Laura was offered the position of Project Development Specialist in August 2011, a role that she has been fulfilling since then. She works closely with the community health department and is particularly supporting Azafady's community-led total sanitation activities. Laura assists with the design, monitoring and evaluation of projects as well as writing reports for donors and stakeholders (particularly in French).

Joel Claude Parany Rajaobelina

Financial Systems Analyst

Joel graduated from the University of Antananarivo with a degree in Economics in 2005. He then carried out many different jobs around the capital for several years. His last position in Tana was as the Agency Head for Anosy with Colis Express, Madagascar's leading courier company, and through this role Joel was transferred down to Fort Dauphin. After some time he took on a job in the Procurement Department of Kentz (one of the many sub-contractors brought in to the area to help with the ilmenite mine just north of Fort Dauphin). In 2009 Joel was offered the position of Financial Systems Analyst for Azafady and implemented a new series of financial procedures for the organisation through this role. In January 2011 he took on the position of Head of Finances and as such he oversees the budgets and accounts of the NGO.

Angelico Johnson Tahinjanahary (Coco)

Financial Assistant

Coco is from Fort Dauphin and studied Management, Accounting and Finance at a local college. Having trained in this area he was keen to get a job working for an English-speaking NGO and seized the opportunity when he heard about the Financial Assistant position with Azafady which he took up in January 2011. Coco assists Joel with managing the finances of the NGO and is mainly responsible for the accounting.

Moustapha Ibrahim

Head of Administration

Moustapha has been working for Azafady since 2004 when he took a job as Accountant for the NGO. In 2010 he was promoted to Head of Administration which means he is responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the office through managing the buildings, utilities, equipment, stationary and support team. Moustapha works with Huguette, Nina, Pelakoa and the guardians who keep the office supplied, clean and secure.

Manera Hery Emilien (Lahery)

Head of HR

Lahery was the Business Manager for American missionaries in the Fort Dauphin area before working for Azafady. In 1998 he was appointed to the position of Head of Human Resources, a role that he has fulfilled since then. Lahery is responsible for overseeing staff contracts and terms of employment.

David Meyer (Dave)

Media & Communications Volunteer

Dave has a degree in Computer Information Systems and worked in IT before visiting Madagascar for the first time in 2008. He has assisted with two conservation projects, one studying lemur densities in north west Madagascar and one environmental education project called ‘Lambas for Lemurs’ in the same area. Wanting to gain experience in social media and put his love of photography to use, Dave joined the Azafady team in May 2011 as a Media & Communications Volunteer.