Who We Are

Our Team

Who We Are: Who We Are

Coming together from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, our skilled team of professionals is the backbone of Global Trauma Project. Their ideas help shape the direction and mission of our organization as it continues to develop. Read on to learn more about some of our incredible team members.

Ann Wahinya

Executive Director of Global Trauma Project- Kenya.

Ann Wahinya, M.A. is a seasoned professional with over 10 years experience in strengthening local systems and structures to drive positive, sustainable change. Her expertise lies in co-creating and implementing programs using a systems change approach within hard-to-reach, resource-constrained communities, where she has successfully executed programs that address critical issues affecting marginalized populations.

In her current role as Executive Director at GTP Kenya, Ann’s focus is on cross-sectoral integration and mainstreaming of trauma-informed approaches, ensuring programs are culturally relevant and dedicated to building the capacity of local stakeholders, empowering them to design, implement, and take ownership of trauma-informed initiatives.

Ann holds a Master of Arts Degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics (Major) and Sociology (Minor).

Ilya Yacevich

Founding Director, Director of Training & Curriculum

Ilya Yacevich, MA, LMFT, is founding director of the Global Trauma Project, (GTP) based in Nairobi, Kenya. Ilya is co-developer of the "Trauma-Informed Change-Making" (TICM) model and “Trauma-Informed Community Empowerment” (TICE) framework, which are currently being used as a foundation in supporting nationwide trauma healing initiatives in Kenya, South Sudan, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

For over two decades, Ilya has specialized in working with children and families with histories of complex and intergenerational trauma, providing organizational consultation & program development on trauma-informed change-making. Ilya is an Ashoka Fellow, and Marriage & Family Therapist (USA) specializing in complex trauma. She has special interest in international/ cultural issues pertaining to mental health, and in strengthening trauma-informed support systems.

Grace Kadenge

Finance & Administration Manager

Grace Kadenge

Finance & Administration Manager.

Grace is a Finance & Administration Specialist, very passionate about operations, people, systems, processes and compliance. Grace have had experience working in the Public Health sector, Business development, Agroforestry & Humanitarian sectors and have been part of building systems for the last 15 years. Her experience includes leading teams and developing strategies to foster financial management & reporting, employee relations, increase operations efficiency and improve resource efficiency to reduce operational costs. My role ensures day to day operations providing expert financial management & reporting, administrative support, compliance with relevant regulations & standards and logistical coordination to ensure success of all projects.

Anita Shankar

Global Trainer & Curriculum Development & Contextualization

Anita Shankar, MPH, believes access to relevant mental health resources is a social justice issue. As a Global Trainer and curriculum specialist at Global Trauma Project, she utilizes the Trauma-Informed Community Empowerment (TICE) Framework to build the capacity of community leaders and government officials. Ms. Shankar’s 20 years of public health experience is influenced by the fields of popular education, youth development, harm reduction, and positive sexuality. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina, USA and Bachelor’s in International Development from the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Dau Dhieu Khon

Lead Trainer

Dau Dhieu Kon is a South Sudanese actor, poet, scriptwriter, and theatre practitioner. He spent much of his youth in northern Kenya at the Kakuma Refugee camp, where he was a member of a drama club. After completing his high school, he returned to South Sudan and became involved in various theatre training and youth activities. He later obtained a Diploma in Theatre Arts and Film Technology from Kenyatta University in Nairobi.Being a refugee gave Dau the drive to bring change to the disadvantaged communities in the war-devastated state of Jonglei, South Sudan. Mr. Khon is Foun der and Director of a community based organization called Kreative Nile that uses theatre for development and social change. His passion is to use tools such as participatory theatre so young people can think positively about their future, and stop violence, abuse and conflict within their communities. As Assistant Trainer with GTP, Dau uses his community knowledge and creative energy to support providers throughout South Sudan.

Margaret Ngaira

Community Mobilization and Administrative & Training Assistant

Margaret Ngaira comes from Busia County in Western Kenya, and has lived in Kwale county for the past 5 years, where she is a women's champion and community mobilizer. Margaret works as the Administrative & Training Assistant at Global Trauma Project, and works to mobilize and support women within local communities in Coastal Kenya.

Rosaia Ruberto

Organizational & Program Design

Rosaia Ruberto, M.A. is GTP's Organizational & Program Designer, ensuring high standards across GTP's programming and operations. She has facilitated a Redesign process with GTP, to include recent restructuring, and the launch of GTP-Kenya.

Rosaia is a Gender & Women's empowerment expert, with over 20 years experience working in International Development. She has worked as Country Coordinator in Somalia, and Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa on humanitarian and development initiatives.

An Italian-native, Ms. Ruberto holds a Master's Degrees in both International Development and Sociology, focusing on ensuring cultural-relevant, localized design of global systems and programs.

Tigist Waltenigus

Lead Trainer

Tigist Waltenigus, MA, is a Clinical Psychologist, Ashoka Fellow, and Lead Trainer with Global Trauma Project. She is Director of Posterity Psychological Therapy & Training Center and Erk Mead Media in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she delivers training, consultation and therapeutic support to women, children, and families in Ethiopia. For the past 13 years, Erk Mead has hosted two multi award-winning radio programs providing public education on issues pertaining to women, families, mental health and trauma/ gender-based violence. Erk Mead/ Posterity Psychological is GTP's country partner in Ethiopia.

Condition Emmanuel Enosa

Lead Trainer

Condition Emmanuel Enosa, BA, is a GTP Lead Trainer. His birth place and ancestral village (Mundu) in South Sudan used to be a trading center for agriculture produce; it is now deserted and vandalized after years of conflict. During the war, he was able to cross the border into Uganda. There he finished his schooling, became a primary school teacher, earned a Diploma in Primary Education by Kampala International University (KIU), and later a Bachelor of Education. He returned to South Sudan to train teachers through the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Since joining GTP, Condition has used his teaching and personal experience to create awareness about the impacts of trauma and stress. In addition to serving as Lead Trainer, he mentors participants to facilitate community workshops.

James Aguer Garang-Tungadiit

Artist & Assistant Trainer

James Aguer Garang-Tungadiit is a professional artist and Assistant Trainer with GTP. Using wisdom from his own life experiences, Aguer's paintings have made the TICE program in South Sudan a very personal experience for participants. In 1987, Aguer left for Ethiopia with the SPLA as part of the child soldiers known as the Red Army. He left his homeland cattle camps to Ethiopia with the promise of education. His father was crafts man, and used his skill to make beds and chairs, and to curve the horns of living cattle into curved, coiled and beautiful shapes. He would do this by cutting the horns of the cattle at an angle. People would walk up to two days for their cattle’s horns to be crafted by James’ father. James is sure that this artistic spirit of his father lives on in him. “It is in my blood”.

James urges people to "stick to their gifting. People should do anything they are willing and gifted to do to help their people. In South Sudan drawing matters because most people cannot read or write – but drawings can communicate." Anyone in South Sudan who experiences the TICE program knows about the power and personal connection brought through the images created by Mr. Aguer.

Wendy D'Andrea

Research & Evaluation
New School for Social Research

Wendy D'Andrea, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the New School for Social Research, USA. She is director of the Trauma and Affective Psychophysiology Lab at the New School, where her research focuses on the differences between acute trauma, such as an auto accident or single-incident assault, and chronic trauma, such as sustained physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Her lab investigates how information processes, especially attention and cognition, are impacted by prolonged trauma exposure and re-shaped through therapeutic interventions. Ms. D'Andrea is particularly interested in the physiological signature of chronic trauma, and uses measures of autonomic reactivity such as heart rate, skin conductance, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), to investigate these differences. Through their partnership with Global Trauma Project, Ms. D'Andrea and her Lab lead GTP's research team, assessing outcome data and conducting impact evaluation.

Fatima Musa

Assistant Trainer

Ms. Musa is a GTP Assistant Trainer, based in Bor, South Sudan. She has an extensive background in community work, especially focused on Women's Empowerment. Ms. Musa works with the South Sudan Ministry of Education, supporting girl's education, and is part of the Women's Leadership committee in Bor.

Who We Are: Meet the Team