OUR TEAM
At Educo we trust in and count on the best team of professionals: people who are motivated and committed to children’s rights and wellbeing.
A COMMITTED TEAM
At Educo we believe in the power of education to change lives. Because together we can transform the world into a better place for children.
OUR TEAM
There are almost 800 of us around the world working to ensure that children enjoy a dignified life and receive a quality education.
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
At Educo we believe in the power of education to change lives. Because together we can transform the world into a better place for children.
Antoni Isac Aguilar
Chair
Lawyer, graduated from the University of Barcelona, and a property and commercial registrar. […]
He was Minister of Justice for the Generalitat de Catalunya between 1992 and 1995, territorial president of the Property and Mercantile Registrars of Catalonia, member of the Legal Advisory Commission of the Generalitat de Catalunya and president of the Real Rights section of the Codification Commission of Catalonia.
As a professor, he teaches registry law at the UIC Law School and has been a professor of civil law at the University of Barcelona, at the Estudi General de Lleida and at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and is a founder and professor of the master´s in Urban Planning and Real Estate Law at Pompeu Fabra University.
Anna Forés
Vice-president
With a PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences, as well as a degree in Education from the University of Barcelona, […]
With a PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences, as well as a degree in Education from the University of Barcelona, Anna Forés is renowned for her dedication to education, her interest in the challenges faced by some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, and her curiosity. Forés is the Deputy Director of the University of Barcelona’s Neuroeducation Department, a new academic discipline that applies knowledge from neuroscience to education and learning.
She is also a researcher at the Institut de Recerca en Educació (IRE). Throughout her career, she has excelled in her commitment to public engagement and has made significant contributions to sharing research on teaching, social education, neurodidactics, and resilience with the general public.
She has co-written numerous Spanish-language books, including La resiliencia: crecer desde la adversidad (2008), La asertividad: para gente extraordinaria (2008), Descubrir la neurodidáctica: Aprender desde, en y para la vida (2009), 20 excusas para seguir conversando sobre educación social en relación con nin@s, adolescentes y jóvenes (2011) and La resiliencia en entornos socioeducativos (2012).
Juan Luis Gimeno Gómez-Lafuente
Member
Lawyer, graduated from the University of Navarra, holds a doctorate from the University of Zaragoza, is a property […]
Lawyer, graduated from the University of Navarra, holds a doctorate from the University of Zaragoza, is a property registrar and a notary. He has been a member of the Real Rights section of the Codification Commission of Catalonia, provincial delegate of Navarra, member of the National Association of Registrars, director of the Registry Studies Service and drafter of the reform project of the New Charter of Navarra in 1982.
As a professor, he has been an associate professor of civil law at the University of Navarra, in the Master of Real Estate Law at Pompeu Fabra University, and in the same Master at ESADE (Barcelona).
Marcos Mas Rauchwerk
Member
State Lawyer since 1996. He has held various positions and roles representing and defending the State and […]
State Lawyer since 1996. He has held various positions and roles representing and defending the State and regional administrations, where he served as Director General of Legal Advisory Services for the Regional Government of Catalonia.
Since 2004, he has combined his public service with his professional career as a lawyer. He currently holds secretarial positions in several foundations and associations such as the Fundación Privada Aula.
Maria Luisa Lombardero
Member
Maria Luisa Lombardero is an expert in finance, business strategy and sustainability. […]
Maria Luisa Lombardero is an expert in finance, business strategy and sustainability. She has more than 35 years of experience in senior management positions in the financial sector, where she has managed very diverse areas in different organisations, which has given her a global and strategic vision and knowledge of the Spanish financial sector. She has held several positions, including Chief Executive Officer of Banco EspañaDuero, General Manager of the savings bank El Monte/CajaSol and General Manager of Strategic Planning at Banca March. She previously held senior positions in other institutions such as Banesto and BBVA.
She currently focuses on advising and supporting third sector organisations and foundations on ESG and social impact investment, providing financial expertise to ensure the economic sustainability of social projects.
She graduated in Economics and Business Administration at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (CEU San Pablo) in 1984. She also holds an M.B.A. from Instituto de Empresa and a master’s degree in Marketing from Boston University USA.
Sonia Ruiz
Vocal
CEO and founding partner of NOIMA Sustainability Strategies, an agency that supports and acts as a catalyst for […]
CEO and founding partner of NOIMA Sustainability Strategies, an agency that supports and acts as a catalyst for the sustainable transformation and social impact of organisations, companies and entrepreneurs. Based in Barcelona and with an international presence in Athens, London, Boston and Nantes, she has advised more than 500 organisations from fifteen different countries. ” At NOIMA, we believe in a new leadership that has the courage to push for the necessary changes. A more holistic, empathetic, circular and regenerative leadership, with a capacity to listen and a willingness to co-create and innovate”.
Prior to founding NOIMA, Sonia held senior positions at the Commercial Office at the Spanish Embassy, international B2B firms, as well as the Organising Committee of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Greenpeace. She is also an academic collaborator at ESADE Business School’s Institute for Social Innovation and author of the book Innovating in Search of Sustainability: Citizens, Companies and Entrepreneurs.
Twitter@soniaruizmas
María Rodríguez Alcázar
Member
María Rodríguez Alcázar is the first Spanish chairwoman of the European Youth Forum, […]
María Rodríguez Alcázar is the first Spanish chairwoman of the European Youth Forum, a platform that represents young people before the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations. One of its biggest challenges is to address the vulnerability of thousands of young people, whose poverty levels are increasing due to job insecurity. The rights of children and young people have always been at the core of its activities, particularly the right to participation. Rodríguez Alcázar was vice-president of the Spanish Youth Council until September 2020 and has participated in the State Confederation of Student Associations (CANAE) since 2010. She has also worked at Plataforma de Infancia as an advocacy officer.
She is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Ghent (Belgium) in collaboration with the United Nations University Institute for Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), having received a scholarship from La Caixa. In her spare time, she enjoys learning languages and reading poetry. Feel free to share a poem with her!
Clara Martínez García
Member
Clara Martínez García es vicerrectora de Alumnos y Alumni de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas ICAI-ICADE […]
Clara Martínez García has been Vice-Rector for Students and Alumni at Comillas Pontifical University ICAI-ICADE since September 2021. After graduating from the university in 1992, she began teaching at the Faculty of Law in 1996, where she has taught Administrative Law, Fundamentals of Public Law, and Child Protection. She obtained a master’s degree in Telecommunications Law from the IPFC in 1999 and a Doctorate in Law in 2000.
Between 2011 and 2021, she was Director of the Santander Chair of Children’s Rights, which she had been a member of since its establishment as a research group in 2002. She coordinated the joint publications La protección jurídica de las personas menores de edad frente a la violencia (2018) and Infancia, Pandemia y Derechos: Treinta años de la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño en España (2020). She also contributed to the development of the technical guidelines for Organic Law 8/2021 of 4 June, which provides comprehensive protection for children and adolescents from violence.
Ángela Molina
Member
Headmistress of CEIP Andalucía, located in the Tres Mil Viviendas neighbourhood of Seville, […]
Headmistress of CEIP Andalucía, located in the Tres Mil Viviendas neighbourhood of Seville, one of the most vulnerable areas of the city. In this role, she leads an educational project that reflects her commitment to education as a tool for transformation and social justice.
CEIP Andalucía, with almost all of its students belonging to the Gypsy community, is recognised as a learning community that implements multiple projects for inclusion and educational improvement. Under her leadership, the centre has become a reference point for the entire neighbourhood, making resources available to the whole community.
Her work has been recognised with the Ministry of Culture’s National Award for the Promotion of Reading and the Vicente Ferrer National Award for Education for Development, awards that highlight the transformative work of education in vulnerable contexts.
Ferran Olmedo Cano
Non-member Secretary
Lawyer. He has developed his professional activity mainly within the Administration of the Generalitat de Catalunya […]
Lawyer. He has developed his professional activity mainly within the Administration of the Generalitat de Catalunya and its public sector, exercising functions in the field of advice, representation, and defence of the assets of the Generalitat in the Directorate General of the Legal Department of the Department of Economy and Finance. Subsequently, he has held various positions and responsibilities at the Catalan Land Institute (Incasòl) related to legal advice, heritage, and town planning management.
OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Educo has a Global Management Committee made up of the head office management team and the management teams in the different countries we work in. They are people who are committed and determined to work for children’s rights. Because they believe that education is the most powerful tool for changing the world.
Pilar Orenes
Executive Director
“Being part of a project of transformation and social change in such complex contexts, which forces us to redouble our efforts […]
“Being part of a project of transformation and social change in such complex contexts, which forces us to redouble our efforts to guarantee children’s rights and wellbeing, is a huge challenge, but also a very exciting project that I can contribute to and learn from”.
With a degree in Geography and History from the University of Granada, Pilar’s career stands out for her solid ongoing training: Master’s Degree in NGO Management and Direction, Executive MP Women for Senior Management, and Executive Management Program, all of which she studied at ESADE Business School. Pilar has more than 20 years of experience in the NGO sector. Her professional career was consolidated and developed in the international organisation Oxfam Intermón, where she has held different positions of responsibility, mainly in Spain, but also in the Central American region. Alongside the Oxfam Intermón team, she has led social transformation, humanitarian response, food security, women’s and girls’ rights and fair-trade projects aimed at eradicating poverty in the most vulnerable communities.
She also served as vice-president of the Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo en España and worked for the Agua de Coco Foundation in monitoring projects, cooperation and awareness-raising in Cambodia and Madagascar.
Guiomar Todó
Deputy Executive Director
“Education, wellbeing and preventing violence against children are key if we want to achieve an effective and significant […]
“Education, wellbeing and preventing violence against children are key if we want to achieve an effective and significant impact on the lives of children and adolescents around the world, especially the most disadvantaged. We work with them to ensure that their rights are fulfilled, and at Educo we encourage their effective participation in our programmes to promote a fairer and more equitable society”
Guiomar studied Advertising and Communication Management (2002) at the EADA business school, the Certificate in Management and Administration of NGOs and other non-profit organisations (2007) and the Executive Program in Leadership and Social Innovation (2009), both obtained from Esade Business School.
Guiomar has spent the last 15 years of her professional career working for international children’s NGOs committed to advancing children’s rights globally. She started her career at UNICEF Catalonia in the fundraising and communications department, before becoming head of the regional organisation in Catalonia.
She later joined the management team at Save the Children Spain with the aim of developing and growing the organisation in Catalonia. Prior to joining the Educo team, she was the Global Head of Fundraising and Campaigns at the Barcelona Football Club Foundation.
Rosaria Arbore
Director of Program Development
‘I firmly believe that the fight against poverty and inequalities must start with children […]
‘I firmly believe that the fight against poverty and inequalities must start with children and that putting children’s wellbeing and the fulfilment of their rights at the centre of our work is key if we want to achieve a fairer and happier world.
Rosaria graduated from the University of Naples with a degree in International Cooperation and Development. She also holds a master’s degree in Intermediterranean Mediation, Economic Investment and Intercultural Mediation from the Universities Paul-Valery of Montpellier, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Ca’Foscari of Venice. She has been working for 15 years in International Projects and International Development Cooperation with different organisations. For four years she worked in Bolivia as country representative for Education without Borders and coordinated regional projects on intercultural education, vocational education and women’s rights in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
She joined Educo as Coordinator of the External Funding Department and later became Programme Quality Coordinator. She is currently our Director of Program Development.
Belén Marin
Director of Impact and Organisational Improvement
Belen Marin has a degree in Business Administration and Management from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, specialising in international cooperation and.[…]
Belen Marin has a degree in Business Administration and Management from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, specialising in international cooperation and humanitarian aid. Belen has been steadily completing her training over the years: she was selected by OSF to be part of the Strategic Leadership Program (2018-2019) and People Management Excellence Program (2020) and continued with a master’s in Leadership in Social Innovation at ESADE (2022-2023). She is an Ashoka Mentor (2023) and is currently completing her certification as a Design Thinking facilitator.
Belen stands out for her strong focus on results and on people. She has over 20 years of experience leading and developing large, internationally distributed teams with ambitious objectives in highly complex contexts. Deeply committed to social justice and curious to learn from others, she has worked in major international organisations such as Open Society Foundations, Oxfam, and Action Against Hunger, successfully establishing strategic yet pragmatic management systems, funding strategies, and financial and budgeting models. Belen is the head of the Impact and Operational Improvement Department (IMO) which combines the areas of Digital Transformation, Innovation, Impact Measurement, Quality and Institutional Planning.
Eduardo Rodríguez
Director of Finance
“My main motivation is to contribute to making societies fairer and improving the lives of people in vulnerable situations”. […]
Eduardo holds a degree in Business Administration from the Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas in Barcelona and specialised in Management Control. He also holds a degree in Economics from the University of Barcelona. After more than fifteen years working as Financial Controller in different multinationals, he started working in the humanitarian sector in 2013 as Financial Manager in several missions for Doctors Without Borders.
Eduardo has worked providing financial support to medical assistance projects in conflict zones such as Mali, Central African Republic or Iraq; in refugee camps in Greece, Mauritania or Bosnia and also in an Ebola treatment centre in Mali during the 2014 crisis. He joined Educo in 2019 and is currently our Director of Finance and Purchases.
Jordi Cardona
Head of People & Culture
“I experience childhood from the inside, (I have three small children) and now I can also experience it in my work. […]
“I experience childhood from the inside, (I have three small children) and now I can also experience it in my work. It is a privilege for me to be able to plant a seed in the construction of fairer societies by defending the rights of the most vulnerable children.”
Jordi studied Industrial Engineering but has always been interested in Development Cooperation. In 1995, he received a scholarship to study International Cooperation from the
Institut Bioforce in Lyon, which marked his professional life forever. He went on to study at Loughborough University and when he finished, he worked for 7 years in Africa, the Balkans and Latin America. There, he witnessed the worst and the best of our species. When he returned to Barcelona he continued to work in the cooperation sector. He graduated in Clinical Psychology at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and taught in different postgraduate studies at the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra.
He is currently Head of People and Culture and is very grateful to be able to contribute to the organisation’s mission.
Sarah Sobrón
Director of Fundraising
“Knowing that my efforts and dedication contribute to improving the lives of thousands of children[…]
“Knowing that my efforts and dedication contribute to improving the lives of thousands of children, giving them a future with more opportunities, is what motivates me, as well as knowing that our work has a direct impact on their lives.”
Sarah holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Deusto. On receiving a grant from the Basque Government, she moved to London to work in a Spanish multinational company and after four years she decided to leave her job to embark on a seven-month trip to Southeast Asia, where she had her first contact as a volunteer in an NGO after the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Back in Spain, she continued to develop her career as a marketing professional in several multinationals.
In 2018, she decided to make a change and combine her passion for marketing and her desire to do her bit to build a better world by joining Educo as Director of Marketing and Private Recruitment. She is a happy mother to a two-year-old girl.
Macarena Céspedes
Global Director of Advocacy & Research
“I firmly believe in a better world for girls, boys and young people and that change has to come from each of us and in our relationship with each other and the environment we live in[…]
“I firmly believe in a better world for girls, boys and young people and that change has to come from each of us and in our relationship with each other and the environment we live in. I like being able to continue learning every day from all the people I work and live with, but above all from the children, sharing their vision of the world and working to achieve the changes they need and demand is a challenge that fills me with enthusiasm.”
Macarena holds a degree in Journalism from the Antonio de Nebrija University. She also holds a master’s degree in international development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid from the Pontifical University of Comillas and a master’s degree in management, Strategy and Social Leadership. At the age of 14 she did her first voluntary work at the Casa Cuna in Melilla and later worked as a monitor for children at risk of exclusion in the same city. Since then, the social sector has been an indispensable part of her professional and personal development. She started working in the non-profit sector as an external consultant in 2002 and has continued to work in the field of international cooperation and social action ever since, for both state associations and international organisations. She joined Educo in 2014 as head of Campaigns and Advocacy and is currently our global director of Social Research Advocacy.
Séverin Tora
Director of Educo Benin
“If we can share positive energy and maintain unfailing commitment and patience in our work with and for children[…]
“If we can share positive energy and maintain unfailing commitment and patience in our work with and for children, our impact will be more decisive and we will be better able to contribute to the desired changes in communities.”
Sévérin Tora, an economist with expertise in programme management, holds a Master’s degree in Economic Analysis and Policy from the National School of Financial Regimes of Burkina Faso, a Master’s degree in Economics and Management of Social and Solidarity Economy Enterprises from the University of Ouaga II, and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology of Development from the Joseph Ki-Zerbo University of Ouagadougou. He has a total of fourteen 14 years of experience in the development and humanitarian sector in various NGOs in Burkina Faso and Mali, in several positions spanning the programme management cycle.
In Burkina Faso, he held the positions of Head of Research and Training, Head of Organisational Development and Microproject Management, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Director of Programmes, Research and Planning. Sévérin joined Educo in Mali in September 2020, first as Operations and Implementation Coordinator, then as Ségou Office Coordinator as well as Operations Coordinator, and finally as Program Coordinator.
Sévérin has balanced management experience and thematic expertise in the education and child protection sectors. As Director of Educo in Benin, he is a dynamic manager with extensive experience and an excellent ability to mobilise and motivate teams to achieve common goals.
Oscar Ollo Pale
Director of Educo Burkina Faso
“My vision of education is that we must educate all children and young people because they are the present, and the present will not wait […]
“My vision of education is that we must educate all children and young people because they are the present, and the present will not wait. We must therefore take comprehensive action for children by providing them with the conditions for their wellbeing and development through protection, education, vocational integration and access to health services. It is a project that I share with Educo because I subscribe to this noble mission.
Ollo trained at the Institute of Social Work in Burkina Faso. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Madison International Institute & Business School, Delaware, USA and a certificate in managing and controlling malaria and vector-borne diseases in the context of humanitarian crises.
With a university background and specialising in the field of international development and humanitarian work, Ollo has over 20 years of diverse experience, during which he has held various positions and led several programs, from field coordinator to country director in Africa, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, DR Congo, CAR and Niger. Ollo is committed to improving the living standards and protective environment of vulnerable populations, especially children and young people in communities affected by crisis, armed conflict and social marginalisation.
Prosper Dabire
Director of Educo Mali
“Show me a great man who has never been a child. No one. Every child is special, with a unique potential that aspires to […]
“Show me a great man who has never been a child. No one. Every child is special, with a unique potential that aspires to be realised as much as a seed aspires to become a fruit. They only need fertile soil to bear fruit.”
Prosper is a Rural Development Engineer (Agronomy) and has advanced studies in Integrated Natural Resources Management. He also holds a postgraduate degree in Humanitarian Leadership from Deakin University (Australia). Passionate about leadership, entrepreneurship and personal development, Prosper is a certified leadership and business development coach from John Maxwell University. With more than 15 years of experience, Prosper has planned, coordinated and led the monitoring and evaluation of comprehensive, multi-sectoral programmes in areas such as education, child protection, food security, water and sanitation, and health.
For a decade, she served in various leadership roles in a local NGO, where she developed and implemented projects for children. Since 2017, he has worked in international organisations such as ACF, as Deputy Country Program Director, and Mercy Corps, as Country Coordinator. He has been Educo’s Country Director in Mali since 2025.
After more than 10 years in the public administration of justice in Benin, she joined the International Organisation of La Francophonie in 2013 as head of the ‘Children’s Rights in Romania’ project. After a year at the Regional Office for Eastern Europe of the International Organisation of La Francophonie in Romania, he returned to West Africa to work for 6 years as Regional Project Coordinator in West Africa for the Canadian organisation GAPP-Afrique (Groupe d’Action pour le Progrès et la Paix). It was in these two international organisations that he confirmed his experience in managing international projects that work to protect children’s rights. He then put all this experience into practice at the International Office for the Rights of the Child (OIDN), which he left to join Educo, because, according to him, Educo is much more involved in action in the field.
Carine Agossou
Director of Educo Niger
“Education builds, heals and creates opportunities for change. It is the key that unlocks every door in life. […]
“Education builds, heals and creates opportunities for change. It is the key that unlocks every door in life. It should never be reserved for certain social classes, but rather be accessible to everyone, regardless of context.”
Carine holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Abomey Calavi and a Master’s degree in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid from the Kalu Institute.
With more than 15 years of varied experience promoting children’s rights, she worked in the Directorate of Penitentiary Administration and Social Assistance as a psychologist for children in conflict with the law and street children. She then worked with the National Confederation of Artisans of Benin as a training officer before joining several national NGOs for six years as project officer and programme coordinator respectively, where she developed her expertise in education, child protection, youth empowerment and advocacy, while strengthening her skills in project management and local development.
Carine joined Educo in 2016 as Program Coordinator, where she contributed to Educo’s growth in Benin in terms of program volume, external fundraising and institutional positioning. She has been the director of Educo Niger since 2023.
Edouard Junior Ndeye
Sahel Strategy Director
“Education can change the world. Being part of an organisation that sees education as a powerful tool for caring for children is a real opportunity for me […]
“Education can change the world. Being part of an organisation that sees education as a powerful tool for caring for children is a real opportunity for me. The Sahel region is facing enormous challenges caused by multifaceted crises that affect the population, particularly children. Their right to education is under threat in situations where education cannot wait.
Edouard studied Sociology and holds a master’s degree in Citizenship, Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from the Institute of Human Rights and Peace of the University of Dakar. Edouard has 20 years of experience in coordinating and managing international NGO projects in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. During this time, he has developed expertise in education, child rights protection, health, gender and humanitarian action. His duties as director of Educo in Burkina Faso and Niger have trained him in educational policy accompaniment, strategic and institutional positioning in the international arena.
Currently, as director of the Sahel Strategy, his role is to coordinate Educo’s actions in this region and to promote the development of a regional Educo strategy in the Sahel countries.
Babacar Ndong
Directora of Educo Senegal
We must invest in educating the population, especially children, because it is the most powerful tool […]
‘We must invest in educating the population, especially children, because it is the most powerful tool for overcoming poverty and building equitable development that guarantees the fulfilment of all people”.
An expert in development, Babacar holds a doctorate in sociology from the Pierre Mendès France University in Grenoble. He has authored several studies throughout his career with John Hopkins University, Georgetown University and the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH). His work focuses on the thematic issues that are essential for fulfilling children’s rights, such as migration, gender, protection, education, school health, food and nutrition security, water and sanitation, etc.
Babacar has more than 15 years of professional experience in the development sector. He began his career with local NGOs at the Action Group for Community Development (GADEC) in 2004, where he took on various responsibilities, moving from programme leader to regional office manager.
This field experience opened up opportunities to work for international NGOs such as FHI 360 in 2012 as deputy national coordinator of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) under the USAID Basic Education project. Before joining Educo, Babacar served from 2013 to 2020 as program manager at the Private Sector Foundation for Education (PSFE), which is part of USAID’s Basic Education project. In this capacity, he developed and implemented program management strategies, implemented activities from planning to monitoring and evaluation, and mobilised the private sector to fund education.
Viviana Farfan Andrade
Director of Educo Bolivia
“Giving a child the opportunity to grow up safe, loved, protected, happy, educated, able to discover his or her voice […]
“Giving a child the opportunity to grow up safe, loved, protected, happy, educated, able to discover his or her voice, to develop his or her mind and heart, is the only way to change the world. Working every day to make progress, even if it is just a little towards that goal, is a privilege and a satisfaction that those of us who have it should cherish and be grateful for”.
Viviana studied Psychology at the Universidad Católica Boliviana ‘San Pablo’ in La Paz, Bolivia, and then went on to do a Master’s degree in Project Management for Development at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. She began her working life in 2002 dealing with cases of adolescents and women victims of gender-based violence and later worked in SOS Children’s Villages Bolivia as Head of the Pedagogical Department in charge of providing family care alternatives for children and adolescents at risk of or in a situation of lack of protection, having reached the position of National Program Coordinator. In 2012, she joined Save the Children International in Bolivia as the coordinator of the Children Lead the Way programme, working with indigenous children and adolescents in eight regions of the country. She later took charge of the national coordination of child protection and governance, working on the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects related to various issues, mainly concerning child protection and participation, as well as strengthening institutional management in her role as focal point for child protection policy within the organisation.
She joined the Educo team in 2017 as a Country Office Program Coordinator, providing support in the areas of education, child protection, governance, and resource mobilisation. In 2021, she took on the role of Global Safeguarding Specialist and became a member of the Compliance Committee. In 2023, she was appointed Director of Educo in Bolivia.
Ana Iris Martínez Díaz
Director of Educo El Salvador
“Promoting children’s rights in El Salvador is an important step towards building a fairer and more sustainable society […]
“Promoting children’s rights in El Salvador is an important step towards building a fairer and more sustainable society. Through education, protection and participation of children and adolescents we are ensuring a future of dignity and wellbeing, without leaving anyone behind.”
Ana Iris is a Salvadoran feminist economist and graduate of the University of El Salvador. She completed specialised studies and obtained an international master’s degree in Territorial Development from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, in 2009. She has also studied inequality analysis, gender, political economy, influence and campaigning. In 2019, she received the distinguished economist award from the Colegio de Profesionales en Ciencias Económicas (COLPROCE).
She has more than 15 years of experience in international cooperation, working with civil society organisations in El Salvador and Central America on issues related to combating inequality, fiscal justice and social protection, gender justice and human rights.
She has held key roles at international organisations, leading advocacy campaigns and managing operations and finance teams, as well as holding senior management positions.
As Director of Educo El Salvador, she brings a strategic vision that is aligned with global and regional frameworks, as well as strong relationships with national and international stakeholders.
Ramón González
Director of Educo Guatemala
“It is a privilege to work for the most vulnerable people in your country and belonging to an organisation that protects their rights and wellbeing […]
“It is a privilege to work for the most vulnerable people in your country and belonging to an organisation that protects their rights and wellbeing in a comprehensive and transparent way. You can be certain that every action you take at Educo will contribute to their enjoyment of fundamental rights.”
Ramón is an agronomic engineer by profession, having graduated from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala. He specialises in environmental impact studies and real estate valuation, having studied at the Institute of Public Administration.
Ramón worked for 3 years at CARE Guatemala to contribute to environmental conservation in rural areas, then took on the position of National Director of Operations at Habitat for Humanity Guatemala promoting decent housing for low-income families. For the last 25 years he has been part of the Educo Guatemala team, holding positions such as Production Sector Manager, Territorial Project Coordinator, National Program Coordinator and finally Director of Educo Guatemala.
Juan Mauricio Castillo
Director of Educo Nicaragua
“Integral and holistic development, which leads to positive change and wellbeing within a population, is a significant challenge for our societies. […]
“Integral and holistic development, which leads to positive change and wellbeing within a population, is a significant challenge for our societies. We must recognise that the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders are essential for safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of children and adolescents within their communities. This is a cause that I am passionate about, and it enables me to contribute to the leadership of the next generation in my country”.
An Agronomist with a degree in Forestry Sciences from the National Agrarian University of Nicaragua, Mauricio’s career includes postgraduate studies in Integrated Water Resource Management, Renewable Energies, Food and Nutritional Security and Social Investment Projects, all of which he has completed at Nicaraguan universities. He has training in the field of international development cooperation in the areas of Children’s Rights, Gender, Participation and Leadership, Governance and Human Rights and is a Second Generation Fellow of the prestigious Central America Forward programme in Impact Social Leadership Training promoted by the Seattle International Foundation (SIF) and the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Mauricio has more than 24 years of experience working with duty bearers, accountability, rights holders and national and international social organisations. During this time, he has held various management, program and project coordination positions. He has gained experience in development cooperation work and in facilitating processes that lead to the social transformation of participating groups, families and communities, highlighting individual and collective empowerment in the face of their own realities and opportunities.
Guruprasad Rao
Director de Educo India
“It is essential that we support children’s dreams by protecting their right to education. In the current context, […]
“It is essential that we support children’s dreams by protecting their right to education. In the current context, where we have seen lives disrupted because of COVID-19, it is all the more reason for us to work to give children hope and improve their wellbeing. With every step we take, our aspirations will become more concrete”.
Guru holds a master’s degree in social work, specialising in Psychiatric Social Work, and an arts degree specialising in Labour Relations. He has 16 years of experience in international children’s organisations in the fields of education, health and protection.
In the past he has served on steering committees as Program Manager and Partnership Manager for organisations such as EveryChild and Railway Children. He describes himself as an impact and results-oriented professional with passion and commitment to children living in difficult circumstances. His multi-faceted profile includes experience in various areas such as programme, finance, internal policy development, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships, resource mobilisation, advocacy, and leading strategic and operational planning processes. He demonstrates this in his current role as Educo’s Country Director in India.
Abdul Hamid
Director of Educo Bangladesh
‘My main motivation in being part of a global organisation is that it allows me to advocate for the protection of the rights of all children, especially the most disadvantaged […]
‘My main motivation in being part of a global organisation is that it allows me to advocate for the protection of the rights of all children, especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable, to help meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential’.
Hamid has an MBA from the Victoria University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and studied Health Promotion in Schools at the University of London. Hamid has over 28 years of experience in the NGO sector, and has worked in the fields of education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods, climate change adaptation, protection, humanitarian action and emergency response. Before joining Educo he worked for BRAC, OXFAM-GB, the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan and United Purpose in various key positions. At United Purpose, he managed an extensive multi-country programme in collaboration with different NGOs, relevant government ministries and departments and the media in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Bhutan and China.
He joined Educo in Bangladesh as Program Director, subsequently holding the position of Acting Director. He is currently the Director of Educo Bangladesh.
Marlon Angeles Villanueva
Director of Educo Philippines
“Sustainable change comes from building resilience. The real impact is not just about addressing immediate needs […]
“Sustainable change comes from building resilience. The real impact is not just about addressing immediate needs, but about empowering children and their communities to shape their own futures”.
This is the guiding principle behind Marlon’s commitment to empowering communities and improving the lives of children. Marlon has a degree in International Public Health. He is an expert in Communication for Behavioural Change and Marketing and has extensive management experience in international NGOs and companies. This combination provides a solid foundation for addressing complex challenges in child rights and wellbeing, education, health, system reinforcement and social issues.
Over the past 25 years, Marlon has held leadership positions and consulted for prestigious development organisations such as World Vision International, FHI360, WHO and ADRA. He has worked as a Senior Programme Manager, Technical Advisor, Executive Director and Grant Manager, contributing to numerous high-impact development initiatives. His career has taken him to the Philippines and regions of the world such as Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, East Timor, India and Sudan, where he has led projects supported by the Global Fund, UNICEF, WHO, DFAT and other international donors. In 2021, he joined Educo as Program Director and now serves as Country Director, focusing on driving meaningful change for children and their communities in the Philippines.
