THE IMPOSTERS

The Archive

Welcome to the archive of lived experience experts in global development.
Browse our roster of imposters, discover their work, and connect directly with practitioners driving change on the ground.

Dr. Mai Abu Moghli
Doha, Qatar

Dr. Mai Abu Moghli specializes in critical human rights, critical development studies, comparative and international education, education in emergencies and refugee studies with a focus on the Arabic speaking countries. Dr. Abu Moghli is a member of several regional academic bodies and networks. Her current research focuses on academic freedoms in higher education institutions globally, decolonizing higher education, and critical research ethics. Dr. Abu Moghli has published numerous op-eds in policy journals, media outlets, and academic blogs targeting a broader audience.

Expertise: Education in Emergencies , Refugee Education, Research methods , Education, Teacher Development , Humanitarian coordination, Curriculum Design

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Aafreen Shah
Srinagar, Kashmir

Aafreen Shah is an education specialist with expertise in policy, program management, and research. Aafreen was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for an MA in Education and International Development at UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE) in 2024. Her research at IOE analysed the implementation challenges of India’s Right to Education Act in private schools of New Delhi. Before moving to London for her masters, Aafreen’s background and professional experience spanned across teaching, government consulting, curriculum design, and leadership in development organisations. She is passionate about bridging research and practice to advance educational equity in the Global South.

Expertise: Monitoring & Evaluation, Education, Inclusive education/disability, Policy, Advocacy, Curriculum Design, Community Leadership

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Nana Ama Boa-Amponsem
Accra, Ghana

Nana Ama Boa-Amponsem is a Ghanaian education policy and systems specialist with over a decade of experience strengthening education systems. She has deep experience in engagement with education stakeholders and relationships within Ghana’s education ecosystem. She currently serves as Assistant Director, Programs at the Education Collaborative at Ashesi University, where she leads regional programs to enhance higher education institutional effectiveness across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Expertise: Post/Decolonial theory, Policy, Advocacy, Community Leadership, Other

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Samia Mazhary
London, United Kingdom

Samia Mazhary is a development practitioner with over ten years of professional experience working in education with refugee and displaced communities across diverse and challenging contexts. Her work has focused on designing, implementing, and supporting education programmes in situations affected by conflict, emergency, and protracted displacement, with a strong commitment to inclusive, rights-based, and community-centred approaches to education.

Expertise: Education in Emergencies , Refugee Education, Monitoring & Evaluation , Gender & Development , Education , Teacher Development , Community Leadership, Migration, Youth & livelihood programming, Child Protection, Research methods

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Mohamed Kappi el-Hagg
Nantes, France

Mohamed el-Hagg is a Sudanese humanitarian and human rights practitioner and refugee whose work is shaped by the lived experience of displacement, resistance, and survival across Sudan, Egypt, and France. Mohamed focuses on reclaiming lived experience as legitimate expertise and challenging how humanitarian systems define power, belonging, and knowledge.

Expertise: Health & Wellness, Migration, Monitoring & Evaluation , Research methods , Child Protection, Refugee Education, Gender & Development , Mental health/psychosocial support (MHPSS), Community Leadership, Advocacy, Humanitarian coordination

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Naglaa Dawod
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Najlaa Dawod is an Eritrean humanitarian practitioner, born in Sudan, with over nine years of experience working alongside refugees and displaced communities across Egypt, East Africa, and the Middle East. Her expertise sits at the intersection of lived experience, protection leadership, and community-centred humanitarian response.

Expertise: Child Protection, Refugee Education, Mental health/psychosocial support (MHPSS), Humanitarian coordination, Advocacy, Curriculum Design, Community Leadership

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Jill Barasa
Nairobi, Kenya

Jill Barasa is a strategic operations and environmental governance professional with over ten years of experience leading multi-stakeholder initiatives across Africa. Her work spans government engagement, program execution, and cross-sector collaboration in support of sustainable development and natural resource governance.

Expertise: Advocacy, Policy, Community Leadership, Education

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Najae Murray
Kingston, Jamaica

Najae B. Murray is a Jamaican communications and higher education professional, serving as Director of Public Relations and Communication at the University Council of Jamaica. He is committed to expanding access to quality education and training, with a strong focus on equity, youth development, and national progress

Expertise: Education, Research methods, Community Leadership

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Aya Sharfi
Reading, United Kingdom

Aya Sharfi is an education practitioner with over ten years of experience across classroom teaching, humanitarian response, and large-scale education programming in Sudan. Her work bridges field realities with systems-building, with a growing focus on peace-oriented approaches that translate complex ideas into practical, community-centred solutions grounded in relationships and adaptive problem-solving.

Expertise: Education in Emergencies , Teacher Development , Inclusive education/disability , Monitoring & Evaluation , Education , Curriculum Design

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Tharwat Abaza
Cairo, Egypt

Tharwat Abaza is a humanitarian and development practitioner specializing in Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), community engagement, and social and behavior change. With experience across UNICEF, Save the Children International, and the Egyptian Red Crescent, his work focuses on ensuring that humanitarian programs are designed with communities—not just for them.

Expertise: Child Protection, Safeguarding, Accountability to Affected Populations, Humanitarian Assistance and Response,

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Fadela Novak-Irons
Brussels, Belgium

Fadela Novak-Irons is a humanitarian leader with more than 25 years of experience across the UN, government, and civil society sectors. Her work has spanned refugee protection, migration, emergency response, and systems change, with a focus on advancing agency, solidarity, and collaboration at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Having worked across both field and headquarters settings, Fadela is passionate about community empowerment, refugee leadership, and ensuring that affected populations are active partners in shaping solutions. A former teacher, she also maintains a strong commitment to education, particularly for girls and young people.

Expertise: Organizational Development, Refugee Leadership, Strategy, Humanitarian Response

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