KIND Team
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Hafsat Abiola-Costello
Founder/President | Send email
Hafsat Abiola-Costello is the initiator of the China-Africa Forum, which seeks to promote positive socio-economic partnerships between China and Africa. Born to political leaders who died in the course of Nigeria’s democracy struggle, hafsat is also the founder and president of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), an NGO that promotes democracy and development in Africa by strengthening organizations and creating initiatives that advance women.
KIND offers leadership training to over 1300 young women in Nigeria annually and runs a campaign to end violence against women that reaches over a million people and raises money for victims of violence each year.
A noted speaker, Hafsat has been interviewed for the BBC, CNN, Voice of America, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, South African Broadcasting Corporation and numerous Nigerian programmes. She is also the author of many articles published in national and international media, including the New York Times, Time, International Herald Tribune and Nigerian newspapers. She is the assistant editor of Imagining Ourselves, an international anthology of young women, which was published in 2006.
She has co-founded several leadership networks including the State of the World Forum Emerging Leaders Programme and Global Youth Connect and serves on several boards including Vital Voices and Women’s Learning Partnership and is a commissioner on the World Future Council, a global forum working to protect the rights of future generations.
In recognition of her work, Hafsat has received many awards including the State of the World Forum Change maker award in 1998, Association for Women’s Rights in Development ’Women to Watch for’ award in 1999, an Honorary Doctorate from Haverford College in 2004 and Seeking Common Ground Award in 2007.
An Ashoka fellow and a World Economic Forum ’Young Global Leader’, Hafsat graduated with a Magna Cum Laude degree in Development Economics from Harvard in 1996 and is currently a Masters student at Tsinghua University’s International Development Programme in Beijing.
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Amy Oyekunle
Executive Director | Send email
Amy Oyekunle is the executive director for the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), a non-governmental organization based in Lagos, Nigeria that works to strengthen organizations and create initiatives dedicated to the advancement of women.
She is a gender and development consultant, a researcher and facilitator with experience of working with NGOs in Africa. Amy is a member board of directors for the African women millennium development initiative (AWOMI) and a member of the global advisory committee for Imagining Ourselves and Rising Voices − an initiative of Vital Voices Global Partnership Africa.
Amy has an MA in development studies from the University of Leeds, UK, a postgraduate diploma in management from the Leeds Metropolitan University and a B.Sc in sociology from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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Rasheed Owonofari
Head of Finance & Administration | Send email
As Head of Finance & Administration Rasheed Owonofari is responsible for the management, control & budgeting of the organisation’s finances together with Human Resources and the administration of KIND - Nigeria office.
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Chinenye Bakare
Programme Officer | Send email
Chinenye Bakare is a programme officer with KIND. She is a trained facilitator and counselor; she coordinates aspects of the young women leadership training programme for female university students called Kudra. In her work with KIND, she designs programmes targeted at young women and girls. She has a B.A in Linqiustics from the University of Nigeria, Enugu State.
Chinenye is currently an online student of British College of Journalism.
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Temitope Tejuoso
Programme Officer | Send email
Temitope is an alumna of KIND’s young women leadership Programme. She holds a Higher National Diploma in Accounting and is a student member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
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Adepeju Olaniyi
Programme Officer | Send email
Adepeju Olaniyi is a Programme Officer. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and Development Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife and a degree in French from the same university.
She is responsible for coordinating KIND’s make women safe and 30 by 11 Campaign – a programme working to ensure women’s adequate representation in politics and decision making. She has attended leadership training such as; Women mentoring women partnership and vital voices leadership training programme.
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Hawwa Muhammad- Salisu
Administrative Officer | Send email
Hawwa Muhammad- Salisu is an Administrative Officer
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Christy Anyanwu-Star
Administrative Officer | Send email
Christy is an Administrative Assistant
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Lucy A. Ushie
Programme Officer | Send email
Lucy Anabewhan Ushie is a Programme Officer with KIND, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Calabar, Cross River State.
She works as the Donor Development Officer and she is an experienced facilitator and Trainer in young women’s leadership programme, Junior Kudra Leadership Programme.
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Ayomide Harrison-Obafemi
Programme Assistant | Send email
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Solomon Ajayi
IT Support Staff | Send email
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Ruth Christopher
Assistant Receptionist | Send email
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Faith Adigwe
Support Staff | Send email
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Tajudeen Olanrewaju
Chief Driver | Send email
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Ibijoke Ajayi
Volunteer | Send email
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Obinaso Daniel
Office Assistant | Send email

