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Ester Mgina-van Vugt

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Year of birth

1966

Experience

Ester is co-founder of SHIPO, a partner organization of Connect International. She has more than 20 years of experience in development work as a manager and consultant in East Africa and director of Foundation Connect International. Main areas of expertise include:

  1. Operational management of international development organizations
  2. Integral community development concept and participative methods (PRA, AI)
  3. Community Economic Development (SMART finance solutions, small business development, social marketing, micro credit, low cost water and sanitation solutions etc)
  4. NGO management and (facilitation of) NGO development
  5. Sustainable agriculture and livestock farming
  6. Health promotion and prevention of main diseases
  7. Development of project proposals
  8. Training of trainers with regard to above subjects
  9. Good governance at decentralized levels
  10. Guidance of expatriate and local staff (e-coaching)
  11. Facilitation of capacity building in local and international NGO’s.
  12. Development, implementation and facilitation of demand driven approaches in small-scale self-help programs.
  13. Development of national drinking water and sanitation strategies/policies
  14. Institutional Development (for HIV/AIDS and community development)

Professional background

Ester completed her Masters degree in Community Economic Development with
the Southern New Hampshire University in America through a joint program with
the open University in Tanzania in 2005. She has also studied Tropical and sub-
tropical agriculture at the International Agricultural College (IAHL) in Deventer, The
Netherlands (1989). She has more 16 years field experience in Tanzania and other African
countries (1992 - 2008) in farming, implementation of community development projects , consultancies (eg. for the National Red Cross / Red Crescent Societies of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Eritrea) and as mediator for Liliane Fonds.
During the period 2001-2008 she was the East Africa Representative and stationed at SHIPO (Southern Highlands Participatory Organisation) in Tanzania.
Currently she is Co-director of Foundation Connect International (since June 2008 ).