JULIA KREPSKA, DIRECTOR
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The co-founding director of Our Sansar, Julia, studied Japanese at the University of Warsaw and International Relations at the Open University. Having worked within international travel, teaching and business industries, Julia decided to establish a not-for-profit organisation that would benefit lives of those who need help the most. After living and working as a multilingual consultant in Japan for 3 years and extensively travelling particularly in Asia and experiencing life in some of the developing countries, Julia decided to focus on building something special together with people who share similar values and that was the beginning of Our Sansar.
When she is not interpreting between Japanese, English and Polish, she enjoys listening to Leonard Cohen and cooking traditional home made Polish food and enjoys even more watching other people trying to eat it.
RAJESH KALHAN, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Rajesh has worked in the public and voluntary sector for over twenty five years. He has a background in health, local government and the not-for-profit sector where he has worked as a Chief Executive of two national charities. He spent ten years working as a Senior Manager for the Audit Commission leading organisational and service reviews of health, fire and local government organisations. Most recently, Rajesh has been working as a business improvement specialist working specifically with small charities.
In his spare time, Rajesh enjoys films, travelling, and sport and in particular cricket and football, following Arsenal FC.
SARAH DYER, PROJECTS MANAGER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
After studying Politics at the University of Nottingham, Sarah started work with a large company in the corporate sector. While she feels that she has gained lots of skills by working there, her goal has always been to work in the not-for-profit sector, and the passion that she has to help less fortunate people throughout the world has grown and grown. Sarah has decided to embark on her journey to help the world in any way she can, starting with her work at Our Sansar and by studying towards a MSC in Development Management.
In her spare time Sarah can be found reading , watching films and socialising, and loves to spend time with her family.
CLINT POWELL, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
After studying law at Sussex University Clint decided it was time for a change. After 3 years of living in Tokyo working as a corporate consultant he had had enough change and returned to the UK to work as a human rights lawyer. Clint also holds a Juris Doctor and combines his interest in law with working as a development officer for Our Sansar.
Whilst he is not busy setting the world to rights, he enjoys trying to improve his backhand at tennis, and gets excited about British ales, he says someone has to.
KAINA HAMED, VOLUNTEERS COORDINATOR
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Since young age, when she visited her family living in a traditional village in Algeria, Kaina has become aware of how important it is to her to help people and improve lives. At 18 years old she decided to study International Development. During her studies, she did fieldwork in Africa and Latin America. She volunteered in Benin to implement an educational project in a small village and support the local partnerships. When she returned to France, she organized a photography exhibition and roundtables to increase awareness of development issues. One year later, she spent one year in Peru where she worked for street children in Lima. Meanwhile, she wrote several research papers about inequalities, poverty and environment issues. She also participated in the data compilation for IFAD’s Rural Poverty Report. Her particular interests are how markets can contribute to positive social, environmental and economic outcomes. Her experiences in Developing Countries have had a huge impact on her and enhance her willingness to work for a charity. After graduating with Masters in Development Economics, she travelled to India and then decided to move to London. She joined Our Sansar as a Research Assistant.
When she has spare time, she enjoys oriental, salsa and afro-Peruvian dancing, going out with her friends and travelling.
VALERY BANGOB, PROJECT OFFICER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Valery`s interest in development dates back to the days when his father was the country representative for former US president Jimmy Carter Centre Cameroon. During this time, Valery witnessed how development strategies can contribute to the initial reduction and eventual elimination of poverty in third world countries. This passion for development has spurred Valery to identify, design and implement appropriate interventions with a view to enhancing the situation of the poor and less privileged in society.
Valery has assisted in the development of various community projects in Cameroon. Some of the projects he has contributed his expertise include the community co-finance and co-managed primary health care system; and the successful implementation of the community based forestry development projects in Cameroon.
As an excellent communicator, fluent in both French and English, Valery graduated from the University of East London with a BSc (Hons) Sociology and Third World Development and holds an MSc in International Development and N.G.O Management. His main interest is on examining the role private and third sector organisations can play in poverty reduction within the millennium development goals. In order to enhance his horizon, Valery plans to start a PhD in the nearest future.
Valery is an ardent lover of music and sports so spends his spare time practising martial arts or listening to jazz music.
RACHEL McGAHEY
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
After growing up moving between the UK, Lesotho, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan, Rachel decided to study a BA in Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Following this she travelled out to Kenya to work for a small primary school in Mombasa teaching English and Maths as well as working on developing their fundraising initiatives. This experience motivated her to embark on an MA in Education and Development at the University of East Anglia. Rachel is a firm believer that education is key to lifting people out of poverty. She now works for Our Sansar on trying to set up links between schools in Nepal and the UK, among other things.
Rachel loves African music, eating oriental cuisine, and being outside!
KATIE CHLUMSKA, EDUCATION PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATORWith strong inclinations towards humanitarian work, especially directed at children and youth, Katie believes that as the future generation steering the development of our world, all children deserve the right of fair treatment, education, engagement in the society, and equal opportunities, no matter what social or financial circumstances they are affected with. Working with Our Sansar to help those that have been most disadvantaged yet forgotten about by the globalized capitalist world has been the most rewarding work with the most worthy cause.
KATRINE CARSTENS, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Katrine is Danish, but has spent a decade in London as well as living in the Netherlands and Switzerland. After working in the corporate world during her 20’s she decided to pursue her interest in international development and graduated with a Masters in Global Development Management from the Open University in 2009.
Since then she has worked with a small NGO in South Africa, living and working with the Pondo people of the Wild Coast and a Geneva based NGO doing capacity building for journalists from developing countries in areas such as human rights, climate change and food security. Inspired by these passionate journalists, she took the plunge and studied with the London School of Journalism in 2011 before joining Our Sansar as a Communications Officer.
Katrine is also a freelance journalist for Sublime Magazine in London and, when not writing (which is not often!) she loves to hang out with friends (usually whilst eating and drinking). Music is also a big part of her life and she loves going to the occasional party for a boogie. She did take up the cello a few years ago, although this is currently gathering dust, waiting for her to have a bit more time on her hands!
DAVID FOWLE, NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
David began his work for Our Sansar after gaining his degree in History at Queen Mary University of London. David's role is to develop Our Sansar's social enterprise. This suits him perfectly as one of his central areas of interest is how to marry the sometimes polar opposites of charity and business.
Whilst overseeing Our Sansar's business interests, David has completed a Masters degree in Globalisation and Development. In a number of years he plans to expand the social enterprise that serves a charity which undertakes education and developmental projects where they are most needed.
Away from the desk, David likes to relieve the pressures of the job by practising Mixed Martial Arts. Never fear though, he never combines his hobby with his work – no matter how frustrating things in the NGO sector can be!
WILL SAVAGE, SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
After completing a BSc in Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton in 2011, Will spent some time travelling around South East Asia. On his return he decided to undertake an MSc in Human Rights at LSE which was completed in August 2012. During this time Will developed an interest in the role that the media, particularly social media, can play in the development and humanitarian sectors. This has led to Will recently joining the Our Sansar team.
In his spare time Will enjoys travelling, listening to music, watching football and spending times with friends and family.
SUBINDU GARKHEL, OPERATIONS MANAGER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Having worked in various sectors ranging from quasi NGO, research institute, manufacturing and corporate sectors, across India, Bangladesh and the UK, she decided to pursue her masters in Social Development from the University of Sussex. This was a great learning experience and helped her looking at development though a wider lens and familiarising with the current debates around it.
DOROTHEA ANASTASIADOU, COMMUNICATIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
With a BA in Journalism and an MA in International Relations and Security, Dorothea spent much of her working life in Journalism before moving to the UK to pursue work in development. The 'Kony 2012' campaign made her understand the power and the impact of information, so she decided that even if internet is not enough to change the world, at least it is a good place to start from. This has led her to join Our Sansar as a Communications and Social Media Officer, a decision which has proven more exciting and interesting than she had ever thought!
When she takes a break from working, writing, tweeting etc (not very often though) she hangs out with friends, takes pictures around London, follows the news and dances salsa.
ANETA ZACKOVA, EDUCATION PROGRAMME ASSISTANT
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Aneta has spent the past 6 years studying international development and travelling. She is a qualified geography teacher, and also has a Masters degree in international development from the Czech Republic. Aneta spent 6 months on a social community project in Peru for a local NGO working on child education and rights in suburban and remote rural areas in the Peruvian highlands. During her studies she has worked as a volunteer at numerous non governmental organisations in the Czech Republic. Her main ares of interest are gender issues, empowerment of vulnerable groups, as well as global and development education. Aneta continues to pursue her passion here in the United Kingdom, working with Our Sansar.
Aneta is passionate about travel, and enjoys relaxing and socialising with friends and family.
OUR TEAM IN NEPAL
MUKESH SAH, PROJECT COORDINATOR, NEPAL
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mukesh has just graduated from the Oxford Brookes University with a BSc (Hons) degree. He is currently continuing his education to become a member of the ACCA ( Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). He joined Our Sansar as a Project Coordinator in the autumn of 2010 and has been coordinating our projects on the ground since then. Mukesh has found working with Our Sansar very interesting and he gets a chance to meet a number of new people from different backgrounds. He has a huge interest in working and helping street children as this is one of the biggest problems that Nepal is experiencing. Mukesh hopes to spend at least 51% of his life helping street children and that is how he judges his personal and professional success.
In his spare time Mukesh enjoys listening to Hindi music and travelling around India.
PRASANNA BAJRACHARYA, PROJECT COORDINATOR, NEPAL
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Prasanna joined our team in Nepal after completing a contract with an Indian based NGO. Whilst initially studying in management at the University of Sussex, his interest in international development led him to switch subjects and he thus pursued a Master’s degree in Development Studies where he focused women’s rights and the empowerment of small communities.
In his spare time, he enjoys travelling and trying new cuisines and loves to play the piano, although acknowledges that he needs to practice more.
