The Goldin Institute invites you to learn about each of our 2022 Goldin Global Fellows coming from across the globe, from Albania to Zimbabwe. This diverse group of fellows will learn and work together as a Community of Practice, building on the talents of their neighbors and the assets of their communities to make real and lasting change around the world.

Meet the 2022 Goldin Global Fellows

Florence Adhiambo (Nairobi, Kenya): Passionate about education, youth, leadership, community service, and social change, Florence is Global Unites youngest National Coordinator. After graduating college, Florence immediately began work as the National Coordinator at Kenya Unites in 2018. For three years, she has been supporting with networking and partnership development, fundraising strategies, contributing content for Kenya Unites social media accounts and mentoring schools going youth. Florence has worked directly with more than 9000 students and 200 teachers across 26 counties, teaching on peace building, conflict transformation, reconciliation, and mental health. She has helped organize and host the Global Unites Summit in 2019, bringing together 150 delegates from 15 different countries. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Public Relations from Rongo University in Kenya.

Ishmael Amini (Lilongwe, Malawi): Ishmael is the first born in the family of eight children and was raised in the context of leadership as he is expected to take over Chieftainship from his uncle as succession is through the mother. In addition, his father is also a Chief and the proximity of this Chieftainship gave Ishmael a conducive environment for elders to support his growth and mentor him as an emerging traditional leader. Ishmael completed education in an Islamic school to prepare him to become a Sheikh. At secondary and College he served as Head Boy and President of students respectively. Ishmael is now serving as a President of Center for Enlightenment and Development while awaiting chieftainship in Lilongwe, Malawi and an an Earth Keeper for the Southern Africa Faith Community Environment Institute (SAFCEI).

Ananda Kumar Biswas (Cox Bazar, Bangladesh): Ananda Kumar Biswas works as a Child Protection Coordinator for Caritas Bangladesh at the Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh and has 5 years’ experience as a Peacebuilder and Researcher in Bangladesh. In 2017, he launched a project to combat online disinformation, online hate speech, and digital literacy, which received the UNDP Bangladesh Digital Khichuri Challenge award.  In 2019, Ananda received funding from Plan International Bangladesh to undertake a Gender-Based Violence campaign on ‘Standing Against Rape’. He is a Rotary Peace Ambassador (Asia Cohort); an Institute for Economics and Peace Ambassador; and an alumnus of The Euphrates Peace Practice Alliance.

Klementina Dobrevska (Skopje, North Macedonia): Klementina Dobrevska is a Psychologist for children and serves as the youth coordinator at the Children's Embassy Megjashi in Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. She has a long history of volunteering and activism, and in her faculty days she became president of the Association of Psychology Students (PSIHESKO) for two terms during 2019-2021. In addition to supporting an SOS Helpline for youth in crisis, she is active in organizing a wide range of educational events, seminars and workshops on mental health with young people. She considers that working with children is extremely important because the overall development of an individual's personality is influenced by their childhood and she is committed to raising awareness of mental health issues and the need to respect the rights of children and build a healthy relationships with their parents.

Anisa Fejzo (Tirane, Albania): Anisa has been working as an English teacher in a Junior High School since 2015 where she acts as an advocate for children and the community in Albania. She assists international school programs with creative projects, contributes to program planning, and intercultural collaborations with different schools and students from around the world. Anisa utilizes her skills in graphic design and social media to support better facilitation in her work. She is a certified trainer and facilitator in developing human rights narratives to counter hate speech and volunteers for ‘The Invisible ForeWomen’ and in Peace and Conflict Education for International Dialogue. Anisa is also a certified educator in Climate Education, a qualified Youth Leader, a United People Global (UPG) trainer in Education, Children and Youth, and a UPG certified Biashara Entrepreneur.

Saro Imran (Multan, Pakistan): Saro is a young transgender activist and social entrepreneur for socioeconomic development of marginalized communities working in the field of transgender rights, SRHR, and development since 2013. She has worked with various national and international organizations like Youth Lead, IYAFP, FP2030, Global Fund for Children, Commonwealth Youth Network for Gender Equality, Rutgers, Youth Voice Count, Accountability Lab and SPDO. She has done an M.Phil in commerce with a specialization in Entrepreneurship and researched opportunities and obstacles faced by transgender entrepreneurs in Pakistan. She has also developed an initiative called the PINK Center with the support of SEED Ventures which is the first of its kind space for transgender entrepreneurs in Pakistan. She provides skills development of transgender people by the Social Welfare Department - Government of Pakistan.

Nii Armah Kwaku Tagoe (Accra, Ghana): Nii Armah is a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Relationship Officer of Letshego Ghana Savings and Loans Plc with seven years’ experience in the financial services industry and elected community leadership respectively. He holds a BA in Psychology and Adult Education from the University of Ghana, Legon. In 2018 he received the the Duke of Edinburgh International Award from His Excellency Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (Vice President of the Republic of Ghana) and His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Edward (the Earl of Wessex) at the Jubilee/Flagstaff House. He is currently serving his second term as an elected community leader of the North Adabraka Electoral Area; he first became a Unit Committee member at the age of 22 whilst in level 300 at the University of Ghana. In 2022, he was sworn into office as a Councillor of the first Adabraka Zonal Council of the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly.

Abdul Rahman Kowa (Kenema, Sierra Leone): Abdul Rahman Kowa has over 22 years of experience in peace building, conflict transformation, civic engagement, youth leadership, and women’s empowerment. Currently, Abdul Rahman is the National Director for ‘Sierra Leone Unites’, a youth movement that promotes the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly peace building, non-violence, conflict transformation, youth leadership, innovation, and artistic expression. He is also the Founder of ‘Strong Women Strong Girls Sierra Leone’ which focuses on building a community of strength for women and girls from under-resourced communities. He holds a Master degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor degree in Humanities. Abdulrahman received the Mandela Washington Fellowship where he graduated as a Civic Leader, 2018 African Changemakers Fellow, and is a certified West African Peace Ambassador.

David Metler (Detroit, MI USA): David Metler received his BA in Secondary Education from The University of Michigan with a specialization in facilitating social justice dialogue and served with Teach for America in Detroit. He then earned an MS in Human Ecology, Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a thesis on mindful practical wisdom in parenting. David created and then directed EcoWell at UW-Madison, a mindfulness-based wellbeing initiative which innovatively furthered the university commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. He then led mindfulness as an advisor at the University of Michigan Children's Hospital with a specialization in pediatric oncology. Most recently, he served as the Mindfulness Coordinator for Detroit Leadership Academy before joining the mindfulness company Inner Explorer as their Regional Director, Midwest. David also founded his own business, Inner Passport, which is a creative social justice education platform. He has over 10 years of experience creating and facilitating creative social justice education initiatives and working with leading child and family activists across the globe to transform childhood. In his free time, David works on creative social justice education. He is a travel blogger and is currently in the process of running a marathon on every continent. He enjoys creating and performing musical comedy with his Mom-son band. 

Richard Mugobo (Mutare, Zimbabwe): Richard is the founder of The BIG Conversation, a digital media platform that promotes transparency and accountability through access to information based in Zimbabwe. He convenes impactful conversations on transparency and accountability leveraging emerging voices and refreshing perspectives from within Zimbabwe and beyond. His work revolves around grassroots mobilizing, advocacy, and supporting community action for transparency, accountability, and integrity. He thinks globally and acts locally as he realizes that fostering a functional media system in Zimbabwe and across Africa demands global thinking in terms of innovation and vision whilst looking at how best local solutions can solve local problems.

Laura Nicks (Bismarck, AR, USA): Laura went to prison at the age of 17 for being an accessory to murder and was sentenced to life without parole. After serving 32.5 years, she was released under the new ‘Fair Sentencing of Minors Act’ in Arkansas championed by the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY). Since Laura’s release, she has become the Regional Connector for the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN) and has developed a support group for former Arkansas juvenile lifers and their families. Laura is also the co-chair of the End Solitary Confinement campiang at decARcerate.org in Arkansas. Laura has been instrumental in the passage of two prison reform bills in Arkansas and is currently working on several more for the upcoming legislative session. Laura is happily married to her best friend and loves spending time with her children and grandchildren.

James Offuh (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire): James is a passionate and devoted peace advocate, relationship builder, civic educator, communication skills practitioner and facilitator, hair stylist, and native of Bende local government area in Abia State of Nigeria. He is the President/Founder of a NGO United for Peace Against Conflicts International (UFPACI) based in Cote d’Ivoire. James holds several certificates in peacebuilding and reconciliation, including: a certificate as a Reconciliation Facilitator from Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue California; a certificate on Integrated Data Analytics for Sustaining Peace from the United Nations Staff College; a certificate on Conflict Transformation from Peace Direct, and; a certificate Level 1 on Kingian Nonviolence and Conflict Reconciliation from University of Rode Island. James is currently serving as United Religion Initiative Cooperation Circle Leader for the Cote d’Ivoire Chapter. He was also awarded Visionary Peace Builder of the year 2018 by Euphrates Institute USA.

Oluchi Achi Uzodimma (Abuja, Nigeria): Oluchi Achi Uzodimma is the President and Founder of Child Shield Initiative, an organization that addresses issues that concern children, adolescent and teenage girls. She is a passionate peacebuilder and humanitarian who enjoys using her skills and experience to contribute to community engagement and empowerment. She enjoys teaching and inspiring creativity in young girls who want to take an unconventional career path through a project called the ‘Girls Recovery Room’ that serves the most vulnerable girls who have experienced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, homelessness due to early and unwanted pregnancy. At Child Shield Initiative, she led her team recently won the MKO Abiola Community Engagement Award. She was also nominated for the Robert Burns Humanitarian award 2021 because of her exemplary community work. 

Santoshi Wagle (Pohhara, Nepal): Santoshi is a registered nurse working in schools and communities of Nepal. She has worked as a non-violent communication (NVC) trainer for NVC Practise Group in Nepal. She has also worked as a nurse/counsellor in Srijana Secondary School and as a team leader for women groups and group of health care professionals. She has created a safe listening space, and provided support in the empathic exchange among women and health care professionals. She is also the proud mother of two children.

ABOUT GATHER

Peace Fellows participate in GATHER, an online asset-based community engagement course, as well as in-person training, collaborative action projects, and networking experiences with civic leaders, academic researchers, and policy makers. The Chicago Peace Fellows reduce violence by building relationships, engaging youth, collaborative peace building projects over the summer and by creating new networks among residents, families, schools, and nonprofit organizations.

The Fellows are learning together through GATHER, which is both a mobile platform for shared learning and a curriculum for people who want to build on the talents of their neighbors and the assets of their communities to make real and lasting change. Gather Fellows learn and work together through an innovative curriculum that comes pre-loaded on a tablet device with all the connectivity, materials, videos, practices and tools necessary to provide a mobile classroom and toolkit for community leadership.

The Goldin Global Fellows connects and equips grassroots leaders across the world to lead community driven social change. The 2022 Goldin Global Fellows is the third international cohort to utilize the GATHER platform, an online learning hub built by the Goldin Institute to empower grassroots leaders. They will engage in a 22-week course of intensive shared learning as well as group projects, culminating in a graduation event in November 2022. The curriculum has been designed and refined in collaboration with the Fellows themselves, based on their practical knowledge and hard earned wisdom, with input from a wide range of civic leaders. 

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If you would like to apply for the next cohort of Goldin Global Fellows, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..