The Secretariat
Support staff
Support staff work to ensure that TNRF is properly administered and financially managed and that the TNRF Secretriat works efficiently and effectively. Support staff work with programmatic staff, the Steering Committee and TNRF's members to support TNRF's overall development and strategy. In addition the support staff guide policy/legal analysis, manage special projects, fund-raise, manage finances, support the Steering Committee, maintain and develop member relations, organise general and extraordinary meetings, interact and develop relations with government, ensure monitoring and evaluation and provide back-stopping support to TNRF's programmatic staff.
- Communications Officer
Caroline has joined the Secretariat to help develop and improve TNRF's communications portfolio - a challenging undertaking! Caroline has a BA in International Relations and an MA in Interdisciplinary Computer Science. Caroline has a range of experience, most recently working as field coordinator for the Mpimbwe Conservation and Development Project with the communities around Katavi National Park in partnership with the University of California at Davis. Caroline is keen to build on her field experience and professional training in supporting the development of TNRF's communications.
- Financial Administrator
Nai joined the TNRF team in January 2007 and comes to us courtesy of Sand County Foundation - who have kindly agreed with Nai to let TNRF share her time with us. Since Nai began at TNRF, she has brought delightful sanity, a quiet professionalism and satisfying organisation to TNRF's finances and accounts, much to the relief of the rest of the busy secretariat and steering committee!
- Administrative Assistant, Mama Misitu
Nangena Mtango has over 5 years experience working with various NGOs and academic institutions. Her work has included project management support and general administration. As a research assistant she worked with communities engaged in forest conservation in Tanga and Morogoro Districts. Nangena’s academic and professional training and achievements consist of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master's degree in Development Studies. Prior to her university education she held a diploma in Secretarial Science and a Diploma in Modern Management and Administration. Nangena would like to become a researcher/consultant who contributes to improvements in national development policies and practices making a positive impact on the lives of the needy in Tanzania.
- Coordinator
Carol has worked with natural resource matters in Tanzania and Zambia for some years. She has an MSc from Bangor, Wales, and experience from working with forest, fisheries and pastoralist issues. In Tanzania, she was a research fellow at the Institute for Resource Assessment (UDSM), and later was senior adviser to the Ereto Ngorongoro Pastoralist Project. Carol has worked with communities, community based organisations, government, national CSOs and international NGOs. Her most recent experience as policy advocacy adviser to Zambia Land Alliance, a national alliance of CSOs advocating for pro-poor land polices, strengthened her conviction in the value of networks.
- Administrator
Sandra has ten years' experience working in administration - and joins us from an international conservation organisation. Fluent in four languages (including Swahili) we are delighted to have her on board - to ensure that TNRF is run efficiently and effectively. Sandra will provide much needed and appreciated support to the Secretariat!
Programmatic staff
Programmatic staff are responsible for managing and implementing TNRF's programmes - which cover forestry, wildlife, rangelands, poverty-environment issues, community and interest group network building. TNRF continues to fundraise to provide enough staff and capacity to enable members to have their policy advocacy needs addressed.
- Wildlife Programme Officer
Enock joined the Secretariat as Wildlife Programme Officer to develop two programmes - one on Human Wildlife Conflict and the other on Wildlife Governance. Having graduated in wildlife management, Enock has strong experience in environmental education and community conservation having worked for Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) for 16 years and for 4 years with WWF as a Project Executant. As an environmental education specialist with WWF, Enock worked on the Lake Victoria Catchment Environmental Education Programme and the Ruaha Water Programme, and was promoted to lead the programme in June 2006 as the Coordinator for WWF's Tanzania Environmental Education Program. Enock is now keen to return to working on wildlife issues, and therefore will be leading the wildlife portfolio in TNRF.
Enock's additional areas of competence include community-based wildlife management, training and outreach, public relations and advocacy, protected areas planning and management, environmental impact assessments and project development and management.
- Field Coordinator
Nicholas has over 14 years of experience in the community-based management of natural resources with more than nine years of experience in the coastal forests and Eastern Arc mountains. He has worked with international and local conservation organizations. Nicholas brings to Mama Msitu extensive experience in managing project cycles, project design, project implementation and monitoring and evaluation. In addition he has a particular interest in institutional strengthening and capacity building in natural resources management, particularly focusing on community-conservation approaches.
- Maajabu Technician
Lodrick has been working with Maajabu for the past year as the Projectionist and is the mainstay for the program’s management and troubleshooting of projector, amplifier and power source. Previously, Lodrick was an electrician at the Coffee Lodge and maintains an active music production hobby. With plans to go into social work, Lodrick enjoys audience interaction and the exchange of ideas sparked by films.
- Communications and Campaign Manager, Mama Misitu
Rehema joined the TNRF Secretariat in February 2008 to co-lead Mama Misitu - a project of the Tanzania Forest Working Group.
Rehema has 14 years of experience in development, communication and programme planning. Rehema has a track-record of successful management, development and implementation of communications, dissemination and publication strategies for organizations such as FARM-Africa Tanzania and Plan International. Although relatively new to natural resource management issues, Rehema's communications management skills will come to the fore in leading the new Mama Misitu communications and advocacy campaign.
- Pastoralist Livelihoods Task Force Programme Officer
Daniel joined TNRF to facilitate the development of the Pastoralism and Livelihoods Task Force. Daniel graduated from Nairobi University with a Masters in Range Management. He has worked with various non governmental organisations in pastoral areas to improve their livelihoods. He first worked with the East African Wildlife Society as a project assistant based in Taveta District implementing a project funded by the United Nations Development Programme on environmental advocacy and education focusing the pastoralist communities. Daniel later joined International Livestock Research Institute as a Research Assistant in Maasai Mara. In 2006, he joined the African Medical Research Institute as Research Scientist in Turkana District focusing on pastoral food security and livelihoods improvement. In late 2007, Daniel joined the African Conservation Centre as the Head of Pastoral Livelihoods Research.
- Maajabu Field Coordinator
Erica graduated in 2007 from the College of African Wildlife Management at Mweka with an Advanced Diploma in Wildlife management. Soon after her graduation she started working with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Iringa as a research assistant attached to a student from Colombia University. In 2008 she joined the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute as a research assistant. Later in 2008 Erica was awarded an Earthwatch Fellowship supported by the Darwin Initiative to participate in the "Lakes, Wetlands and People in East Africa’s Rift Valley" project. After training in audio-visual communication with Community Based Conservation Biodiversity Films (CBCF), Erica joined TNRF as an intern and later became the Maajabu Field Coordinator in early 2009. Erica has an intense desire to develop her career by working with communities in environmental education and to study community development and natural resource management.
- Senior Forest Governance Programme Officer
Cassian is a veteran of the Forestry Sector in Tanzania. Cassian holds a BSc. in Forestry (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) and an MSc. in Forestry (Lake Head University, Canada). He has long working experience with international organizations, including FARM Africa-Tanzania as Team Leader for a Participatory Forest Management Project and SNV-Tanzania as a Natural Resources Management Advisor. Before joining these organizations, Cassian worked for the Tanzanian Forestry and Beekeeping Division (27 years) in different capacities as a technical officer, a trainer at the Forestry Training Institute, and a project manager. While with the Forestry and Beekeeping Division, he was attached to GTZ and worked as the Head of Forestry and Agroforestry Project, and then was attached to SIDA as Regional Manager for a soil and water conservation project (loosely known as HADO - Hifadhi Ardhi Dodoma).
- Community Forums Programme Officer
Makko has come on board TNRF as part of a close collaboration with the Ujamaa Commmunity Resource Trust in developing community forums. Makko has many years of experience working with communities in northern Tanzania in community-based natural resource management, improving and strengthening village governance and management practices, and working to help rural Tanzanians secure their land and natural resource rights.
- Research Associate
Emmanuel Sulle has just completed his BA in Economics from St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). He has carried out a variety of research projects commissioned by or in collaboration, with MISERIOR-Germany, Fulbright, TNRF, and Sand County Foundation - the latest being an examination of the funding system used by civil society to recommend implementation strategies for systematic resources tracking and information dissemination (commissioned by TACAIDS, 2008). At SAUT Emmanuel founded and coordinated the first SAUT Economics Forum, which brought together members of the Tanzanian Cabinet and Parliament and 2000 participants. His conviction that the wise implementation of economic policies will bring about sustainable use of natural resources has returned Emmanuel to TNRF to help develop the TNRF research programme beginning with a study called The Economics of Wildlife: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Current Policy with HakiKazi Catalyst. Currently Emmanuel is working with the Tanzania Forestry Working Group on a case study of biofuel investors in Tanzania.