Field Staff
Kwase A - FORGE Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund Project Manager, Lusaka
Kwase is a Sudanese refugee, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He began his work with FORGE in 2005 in Meheba Refugee Settlement. He worked with FORGE as Grass Root Soccer Zone Coordinator, Computer Lab Assistant, HIV/Aids Peer Educator, and Project Manager Assistant. In 2007, Kwase received a scholarship through FORGE to attend university in Lusaka. As part of his industrial training internship, he took on the role of FORGE Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund Project Manager in 2010. Kwase knows from experience how FORGE has provided opportunities for refugees,as his FORGE scholarship provided him the opportunity to attend university in Lusaka, and he believes that education is one of the core empowerment tools for FORGE.
Patrick K - Mwangaza Education Centers Coordinator, Meheba
Patrick is one of FORGE's youngest full time staff members. At just 23, he created the Mwanagaza Education Centers through FORGE's Collaborative Project Planning Process, and is the project's coordinator. He graduated near the top of his class from Meheba High School, and prior to his work with FORGE he cultivated maize on his farm. Patrick hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo and lives with his parents in Meheba.
Odila M - Peace Education and Computer Training Coordinator, Meheba
Odila is one of two instructors for the Peace Education and Computer Training (PECT) program. Together with Jean Kabengele Tshibanda, he founded PECT. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Odila earned an MA in Zambia as a refugee in the field of Peace Building and Conflict Analysis. Prior to becoming a refugee, he worked for a human rights organization in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bartholomeo M - Meheba Scholarship Fund Education Officer, Meheba
Bartho is the Meheba Scholarship Fund Education Officer in Meheba, running the day-to-day operations of the high-school sponsorship program. Bartho attended Meheba High School after fleeing from Angola. He lives in the camp with his wife and young child.
Ernest M - Meheba Preschools Coordinator, Meheba
Ernesti is the coordinator of FORGE's Dufatanye Preschool and Kunachi Preschool and is a talented educator. Under his leadership, the school has served over 150 students and funneled 100% of its graduates into continuing education at the local elementary school. Ernesti comes from Burundi and has lived in Meheba for over a decade.
Robert M - Meheba Friendly Libraries Head Librarian, Meheba
Robert is the Head Librarian for all 7 libraries in Meheba. He spends his time traveling to the different libraries, ensuring that the programming is going well in each one. He is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and lives with his cousins in the camp.
Jacob M - Block H Reliable Seed and Market Program Coordinator, Meheba
Jacob is the Project Coordinator for the Block H Reliable Seed and Market Program, hired in December. Formerly, he worked for the organization CORD as an agriculture specialist. He is originally from the Congo and lives alone in the camp in a house near his sister's family.
Jacqueline N - Meheba Women's Center Coordinator, Meheba
Jacqueline is the Coordinator of the Women's Center and has been with the project since its inception. She is thirty years old, has three children, and is married to a Zambian teacher. Though Jacqueline is Angolan, she was born in Meheba and has never set foot in her homeland.
Stephanie Puccetti - Moba Site Coordinator
Stephanie Puccetti joined FORGE as a Project Manager in Kala Refugee Camp, where she worked through the summer of 2009. Since August of 2009, Stephanie has worked in Moba, DRC, to launch FORGE's first site in DRC. Stephanie holds a B.A. with a self-designed double major in African Studies and Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As part of her studies, Stephanie took courses in Ghana, Benin, and South Africa and spent one year studying international development in Kenya. While in Kenya, Stephanie interned with community-based organizations and conducted research on Kenyan primary education policy and non-formal primary schools in the Mathare area of Nairobi. Before joining FORGE, Stephanie worked as a Job Development Specialist with African refugees and immigrants at Pan-African Association in Chicago, as a Peer Advisor at the University of Illinois Study Abroad Office, and as a Diversity Workshop Facilitator with the Program on Intergroup Relations.
Jeremy Simon - Meheba Project Manager
Jeremy joins FORGE after graduating from Oberlin College with a joint B.A. in Religion and Law & Society in 2009, completing research in religious ethics. A native of Oakland, California, he has a background in sales and marketing as well as early childhood services. At Oberlin, Jeremy worked in the campus visit office and served as a captain of the varsity baseball team for two seasons. He has also assisted with projects for Human Rights First, Molly Mutt, and IMG.
Jean T - Peace Education and Computer Training Coordinator, Meheba
Jean is one of two instructors for the Peace Education and Computer Training (PECT) program. Together with Odila Madiamba, he founded PECT. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jean earned an MA in Zambia as a refugee in the field of Peace Building and Conflict Analysis. He has a wife and children.
Sara Wasserteil - Kala Project Manager
Raised in Portland, Oregon, Sara comes to FORGE with a diverse background in human rights and social justice issues. A graduate of Boston University's International Relations program, Sara began her career as the youngest lobbyist in Massachusetts, advocating for various non-profit organizations and helping to secure over $2 million in state funding. From there, she procured over $10,000 in in-kind donations for Partners In Health to assist with health education training programs in Rwanda, Lesotho and Haiti. Throughout college, Sara interned with Human Rights First, The Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies, Physicians for Human Rights, the Boston Consortium for Gender Security and Human Rights, and worked with the Treatment Action Campaign to educate residents of Cape Town's townships about their legal rights concerning HIV/AIDS. After traveling through South America, Asia, Australia and Africa, Sara most recently returned from Ghana, where she worked with a human and environmental security organization, restructuring their office management and accounting systems to ensure greater efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. Sara joined FORGE in the Summer of 2009 as a Project Manager in the Kala Refugee Camp, and will be assisting the organization with its expansion throughout 2010.
Jessica Zetzman - Meheba Project Manager
Jessica Zetzman comes to FORGE from Dallas, Texas, where she was a marketing professional at NCH Corporation and an active member of the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce. She lends FORGE her experience gained managing several product lines, overseeing the launch of new products and promotions, and concentrating on new market analysis. Jessica graduated with Great Distinction from McGill University in Montreal with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and a minor in East Asian Studies. During this time she spent two summers studying in China and upon graduation led a team of volunteers to Tanzania where she focused on training leaders and working with women’s groups. Inspired by her experiences in Tanzania, Jessica returned to Dallas and engaged in promoting awareness of and working with women affected by domestic violence.
