Our Team in Namibia

Ms. Hopolang Phororo

Hopolang Phororo

RCO
UN Resident Coordinator
justa.kurz@one.un.org
 
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Prior to her appointment as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Ms. Phororo served as Director in the Country Office for Zimbabwe and Namibia for more than seven years with the International Labour Organization (ILO). She was the ILO Deputy Director in the Country Office for Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda; and in the Regional Office for Africa, as the Youth Employment Specialist and Decent Work Focal Point Officer.

Before joining the UN system in 2003, she worked in Namibia as a Researcher at the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit. In Lesotho, as National Project Officer at UN Development Programme and prior to that, as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Southern African Studies and as Marketing Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Hopolang Phororo has written and published several working papers and selected articles and chapters in books on HIV/AIDS, youth employment and agricultural marketing topics, including an inspirational book titled “Joy Comes in the Morning”. She is an advocate for gender-based violence and is passionate about leadership and empowering women and youth.

She obtained her master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Duquesne University. She holds an honor’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Africa.
Rachel Odede

Rachel Odede

UNICEF
UNICEF Representative
rodede@unicef.org
 
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Rachel Odede is the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Namibia, and served as the Resident Coordinator (RC) to Namibia ad interim (a.i.) from April 2018. Rachel Odede has been working for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for over 25 years across the globe.
David Chipanta

David Chipanta

UNAIDS
David CHIPANTA, an expert in global health, HIV, social protection, and health equity. He has worked on strategic management, economic analysis, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilization, social movement building, disability, and senior representation with multilateral agencies and government. David has served as Senior Advisor Social Protection with the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland, and as UNAIDS Country Director for Liberia in Monrovia, Liberia. He also worked with Abt Associates in Bethesda, Maryland, USA as Senior Analyst HIV and Health Systems, with the Catholic Relief Services as AIDS Relief-Co-ordinator for Kenya and Team Leader, Care and support in Nigeria. David co-founded the Network of People living with HIV in Africa (NAP+) and the Network of Zambian People Living with HIV (NZP+). David has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedicine, Global Health Track from the University of Geneva, a master’s in public administration, economics, and International Development from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Economics from San Diego State University. He is from Zambia.
NambahuJ@unaids.org +264817389420
 
UNAIDS Country Director
Fafa N’Konou

Fafa N’Konou

UNHCR
Head of Field Office
shangadi@unhcr.org +264833300294
 
A dual citizen of Canada and Togo, Fafa N’KONOU has a strong background in international law and conflict resolution. Her career with UNHCR started in 2010 at the Regional Office for West Africa in Sénégal. She then moved on to country operations in Niger and Côte d'Ivoire. Additionally, she has served as a trainer for peacekeeping operations under the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States. Mrs. N'Konou's experience also includes two years of dedicated service to the government of Quebec in Canada
Ms. Alka Bhatia

Alka Bhatia

UNDP
UNDP Representative
Naveshitje.haindongo@undp.org +264 61 204 6218
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Ms. Alka Bhatia is a national of India and has 30 years’ experience in poverty alleviation, trade and sustainable development. She has vast experience in providing strategic policy advise on sustainable development to Governments and UN Country Teams.
Dr. Sagoe Moses Charles

Dr Charles Sagoe Moses

WHO
Representative
naandai@who.int +264 61 255121
 
Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses has an extensive medical background and has worked with the World Health Organization across Africa.
Florence Ntombesibini Situmbeko

Florence Ntombesibini Situmbeko

IOM
IOM Head of Office
fsitumbeko@iom.int
 
 
FLORENCE NTOMBESIBINI SITUMBEKO (Ms.) was appointed as IOM Namibia Head of Office in February 2020 up to date. Prior to this appointment Florence worked for the International Detention Coalition (IDC) as the Africa Programme Officer in 2019 where she supported the Africa Regional Coordinator in strengthening the coalition, mapping alternatives to immigration detention, and facilitating regional collaboration on the implementation of alternatives to immigration detention. Florence worked for IOM Namibia for four years under the Counter Trafficking Unit, co-managing counter trafficking projects. Florence started her career as a frontline social worker and as well as a senior social worker where she worked for 12 years at regional and national level for the Namibian Government (Ministry Health and Social Services and Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.) She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Honours) in social work from the University of Namibia.
George Fedha

George Fedha

WFP
Country Director
luise.shikongo@wfp.org +264 61 204 6359
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George brings to Namibia over 30 years of experience in development and humanitarian cooperation, partnerships, resource mobilization, strategy and operations, including 15 years in senior leadership positions. A Kenyan national, George holds a PhD in Human and Organisational Systems from Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, California, USA.
Moussa-Elkadhum, B. Djaffar

Moussa-Elkadhum B. Djaffar

UNESCO
Representative
windhoek@unesco.org +264 61291 7000
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Mr. Djaffar Moussa-Elkadhum (goes by Moussa) is a national of Comoros and was appointed UNESCO Head of Office and Representative to Namibia and assumed his duties on 4 December 2018. Before joining UNESCO in 1992, Moussa worked for UNFPA. He holds degrees in economics, statistics, demography and public administration and is part of several professional organizations.
FAO Representative

Qingyun Diao

FAO
FAO Representative
FAO-NA@fao.org +264833317100
 
Qingyun Diao, a distinguished entomologist from China with a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Entomology from China Agricultural University, has held various significant roles throughout her career. She previously served as the First Secretary/Chief of the Agricultural Office at the Embassy of China in Mexico City. Her career started in 1998 at the Institute of Apicultural Research in Beijing, and she held key positions there until 2010. She was also Chief Scientist for China's National Key Technology Research and Development Programme and Director of the Management Office of China Apiculture Research System. Her impactful career highlights her dedication to entomology and international agricultural cooperation.