With more than 20 years' experience as a financial and operational executive in international companies, Zeynep excels in developing financial models and implementing operational controls that streamline business operations, increase efficiency, transparency and profitability, and drive growth even with limited resources and in challenging environments. With her strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, Zeynep fosters good relations with all levels of staff, clients and partners, creating pleasant collaborative environments.

Mathilde brings a wealth of experience to the DIBcoop team in the fields of international development and local community involvement. Specialised in water management and gender issues, but with experience in many other fields, she excels at thinking out of the box and at adapting to changing circumstances. Her sharp analytical skills make Mathilde well equipped for change management, where she can combine her leadership skills with the ability to guide multi-cultural teams to produce the necessary outputs and results

An anthropologist by training, Sara has over 30 years of experience in the fields of international and rural development. First and foremost a communicator and connector, she helps people to communicate clearly through written text. A team player who can motivate, plan and manage – meeting deadlines is second nature to Sara.

After many years of working in the care sector, Marjolein now takes care of DIBcoop’s administrative needs: she processes invoices, files tax returns, keeps track of office supplies, makes sure that the bills and our salaries are paid on time, and that we don’t run out of tea or coffee. Marjolein excels in multi-tasking.

Alessia is a ‘sustainability’ entrepreneur with a background in forestry and organic agriculture. She is a proactive team worker with an aptitude for problem-solving and is experienced in working in diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. Before joining DIBcoop, Alessia gained experience abroad in the forests of the Peruvian Amazon, where she conducted research for her master’s thesis, and in Argentina and Mozambique, where she coordinated audits on the working and living conditions of farmers.

Drocelle is a Water and Environmental Engineer who uses her skills to contribute to the sustainable development of Africa, combining them with her interest in small farmer empowerment, wealth equality and financial inclusion. She believes that small farmers in Africa are the key to achieving sustainable development, for which a bottom-up approach is crucial. Before joining DIBcoop Drocelle worked as technical project officer, gaining experience in natural resource management, working with farmers and in construction. She contributes to the DIBcoop team in Rwanda by supporting community engagement processes, developing and implementing integrated water catchment plans, and assisting with M&E reporting.

Eva is studying for her Master’s in International Land and Water Management at Wageningen University and Research. Her focus is on the socioeconomic aspects of sustainable land management, forestry and carbon credits. For her thesis research she is looking at DIBcoop’s agroforestry project in Kinihira, Rwanda, in particular the farmers’ ‘willingness to continue’ with the project practices after the project has ended. Eva started her fieldwork at the beginning of September and will stay in Rwanda until December 2022.

Although Moussa’s training is in journalism, translation and interpreting, his heart lies in agribusiness and agroforestry. He is a fervent tree planter too and has been closely involved in a Jatropha agroforestry project – the nuts of this tree have many uses including the production of biodiesel. Moussa is DIBcoop’s man in Mali, from where he coordinates our projects in West Africa.

Thor's background is in international nature management. His keen interest in agroecology and agroforestry, landscape restoration and participatory approaches fuels his contribution to projects that address environmental and social issues in a pragmatic and holistic way. Thor has experience mainly in rural South America, and he enjoys working and communicating in diverse and international settings. Currently Thor is working as a Young Expert in Mozambique.

Bart is a freelance renewable energy consultant specialising in bioenergy and solar power. With degrees in Electrical Engineering and in Development Studies, he has a strong grasp of technical concepts combined with a thorough understanding of developing country contexts. Bart brings 20 years of experience in developing and executing renewable energy related studies, project implementation, technical assistance and training, in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Papa Moussa specialises in logistics and project reporting. After studying and living in the US for several years, he moved back to Africa, setting up a fishing company in Sierra Leone, which works with smallholder fishermen, and running several logistic companies in Senegal. He has assisted USAID with project reporting on agricultural projects in English, French and other languages. His excellent interpersonal communication skills have helped him to build a wide network in Senegal, a great advantage when it comes to developing locally based projects. Papa Moussa collaborates with DIBcoop on project development in West Africa, providing expertise and profound knowledge of the local context and dynamics.

With more than 17 years’ experience in resource mobilisation, programme management and public-private partnerships, Daud excels in project development and management in the private and humanitarian sectors. His skills are manifold: project planning, multi-sectoral programme management and coordination, institutional capacity development, proposal/report writing, M&E. He has excellent communication skills and is used to working with government authorities and at international level. Daud has a Master’s in human development and food security from Rome Tre University. His principal areas of operation are Kenya and Somalia.

Limbi works on proposal and business plan development, partnership building, resource mobilisation and institutional capacity development for the private and public sector, farmer organisations and NGOs. He has 18 years of experience in management and development programmes through NGOs, faith-based organisations and the private sector. Limbi's main focus is developing innovative sustainable business cases that involve smallholders with other players in the value chain.

Moussa Ouedraogo is a forest genetics conservation and breeding expert with solid experience in tree seed production and distribution, inventories and mapping, field experiments, tree improvement and vegetative propagation. Based in Burkina Faso, Moussa has worked for over 30 years with research and development institutes throughout the West African region, participating in regional research projects in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Benin, Togo and Senegal. He is also an excellent proposal writer. A former Director General of the National Tree Seed Center in Ouagadougou (2003-2006 and 2016-2022), Moussa did his Bachelor’s in Tropical Forestry at the University of Ouagadougou, received an MSc in Biostatistics from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège, Belgium, and his PhD in Tree species breeding and conservation from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Sarah Hassan Ali assisted DIBcoop through the Dutch government's Young Expert Programme (YEP) for two years and has now moved on to Welthungerhilfe, where we wish her every success in her future career.