Ms. Nesia Mahenge (Programme Management Working Group Advisor)

Nesia is the Country Director at CBM International - Tanzania country office, a leading International Development Organization on Disability and Inclusion Initiatives. Nesia has over 15 years of extensive experience on international development programme with vast experience on International NGO's management and development, Disability Inclusive Development, Youth, Education, Leadership and Corporate Governance, Health, Business Strategy and Community Development as well as fostering strategic partnerships.

Previously, Nesia has worked at the British Council Tanzania as the Director of Programmes and Business Development, Youth Research Director and Acting Country Director where she has successful established a youth flagship programme on Next Generation Youth Voices and managed to introduce the programme in Tanzania and at the Chatham House Royal Institute of International Affairs Think Tank in London, UK. She has also worked at the capacity of a Senior Programme Manager for PSI Tanzania in the areas of Public Health with a focus on Maternal and Child Health (HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Diarrhea, Pneumonia and Nutrition). She also led the development of country strategic plan for the Essential Medicine Initiative and took part to represent the country at different international UN Life Saving Commodities steering committees and partnership networks. Before joining PSI, she has worked at the University of Health and Allied Sciences - Sickle Cell Centre as the Project Manager and Toyota Tanzania Limited as the Marketing Executive.

Nesia has been selected to serve as a member for the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) for Tanzania Chapter which is supported by UN Women, Africa Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of Finland and Sweden to support the realization of the Africa Agenda 2063 on the Africa We want and the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

She currently volunteers and serves as the Board Director and Board Vice Chairperson for the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) in Tanzania. She also serves as the SPARCO Hub Advisor for Sickle in Africa Advisory Committee. She was appointed by Tony Elumelu Foundation, the largest African Philanthropic Initiative to mentor youth entrepreneurs in Africa as part of supporting and strengthening the entrepreneurship in Africa. She has previously served as the President of the Netherlands Alumni Association of Tanzania which consist of more than 1,000 Tanzanian alumni graduated from Netherlands Universities. She was also elected to serve as a Chairperson of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI-RLC) Chapter in Tanzania as well as the Vice President for Tanzania United States Alumni Association (TUSSAA) for Tanzanian alumni who benefited from the United States of America's Government support.

Nesia is a fellow of the Netherlands Fellowship Programme and she holds a Master?s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) Corporate Strategy and Economic Policy from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

In 2019, Nesia has been recognized as one of the top 50 women in Management in Tanzania. She was also awarded an Honorary Diploma for Leadership, Good Governance and International Cooperation as a global recognition for the New Leaders for Tomorrow from the Swiss Crans Montana Foundation.

She enjoys playing golf, creative designing, unleashing people's potentials and adventures.

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