Country Offices

Berhanu Ambaw works with CDF Ethiopia Office as Country Manager, leading the implementation of a flagship program – 4R Nutrient Stewardship Project. With over 12 years of experience in a director position in INGOs. Mr. Ambaw has successfully led organizations from establishing in Ethiopia to growing new business opportunities, strategic leadership, and building high-performing partnerships and teams that contribute to impactful program results.

Mr. Ambaw has designed and managed development projects on food security, agriculture, microfinance, climate change adaptation, child protection, shelter, WASH, emergency response, and other thematic areas. He holds BSc and MA in Agriculture and Economics.

Wondu Balcha is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the CDF Canada Ethiopia office. He provides monitoring and evaluation support to the 4R NSP. He supports calibrating partners’ reports and work plans for the donor. And he also works with project partners to ensure project implementation processes are coherent with the donor requirements.

He joined CDF Canada on May 1, 2022. Mr. Wondu brings in over ten years of work experience in project design, development of M&E tools, capacity building on RBM, maintaining and improving M&E systems for projects that have been focused on climate change, biodiversity conservation, farm systems, pro-poor enterprise and business development, gender, and social inclusion among others.

Efratise Bekele holds a Master’s degree in Social Work in Children, Youth and Family Concentration and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Addis Ababa University. She gained experience from different non-governmental organizations. Currently, Ms. Efratise is working in CDF Canada as a gender officer.

In her previous role with PHE Ethiopia consortium, she served as Gender program coordinator and Executive program assistant. Before joining PHE Ethiopia Consortium, she served as Membership Development, Gender, and Program Officer at Ethiopian Human Rights Council.

Prior to that, Ms. Efratise was an active volunteer in Meseret Humanitarian Organization (MHO) in researching, coordinating, and facilitating different events to raise funds from several sources and create awareness of the organization’s good deeds.

While at E-Within language and Leadership Center, which she joined as her first job right after getting her BA degree. She worked as Research, Business Development, Marketing Department Head and Team Manager.

In addition, she has been an active Alumna of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) since she was part of the Cohort 27 track of Leadership to Change Africa, which enabled her to be certified from YALI East Africa, Kenyatta University. She is also a member of the World Youth Forum and a 2019 attendee of the Third edition of the forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Tesfaye Alene is the Country program officer at CDF Ethiopia. He supports the VOICE for women and girls project implementation and facilitates Volunteer placement to provide partner and beneficiary capacity-building activities through CDF Canada. He joined in 2021. Mr. Tesfaye has been working in CDF with local partner Ethio wetland and natural resource association (EWNRA) to help women and girls access to and control household and community resources.

Prior to joining CDF, Mr. Tesfaye  Alene worked in the Catholic Relief Service  Livelihood resilience program as a Technical adviser for youth and women.

Yesuf Seid is Finance and Administration Officer at CDF Canada Ethiopia for the
4R-NSP project since September 2019.

He manages the overall financial accounting and administrative activities, including preparing financial forecasting, account recording, reporting, financial statement preparation, procurement handling, and fixed asset management.

Before joining CDF Canada, Mr. Seid worked in international organizations such as COOPI Ethiopia, RTP Ethiopia, DLCO – EA, and UNDP in development and humanitarian projects’ financial management and administrative activities.

Lensa Takele is Administrative Assistance at CDF Canada Ethiopia Office since 2021. She Supports all finance and Administration activities and also manages all procurement processes. Before joining CDF Canada, Ms. Takele worked in the Ethiopian Red Cross society.

Endalkachew Mulatu is a driver at CDFCanada, Ethiopia office. He joined the team in 2019. Mr. Mulatu worked as operation assistant and driver for south Sudan refugee return under IOM, Gambella and as logistic assistance and driver at Zoa Pugnido refugee camp, Ethiopia.

Prior to CDF Ethiopia, he worked in different international organizations as a driver and logistics assistance and has more than 15 years of work experience.

Christiana Yakubu, the Ghana Country Manager for CDF Canada, joined in June 2019 with over 22 years of work experience in community development. Ms. Yakubu coordinates the CDF Ghana team and manages the partnership relationships of the 4R-NSP to deliver on the project outcomes. She also contributes to business development for new projects.

Before joining CDF Canada, she has worked with other international and local development agencies on food security-related initiatives. Some of these organizations were Care International, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), Winrock International, and Techno.

Isaac Opare Nyamekye is the Monitoring and Evaluation Lead at CDF Ghana Country office. He provides monitoring and evaluation support to the projects team in Ghana and Outside Ghana. He also supports in finetuning project reports and work plans for the donor. He joined CDF Canada in July 2019. and he has been working with project partners to ensure project implementation processes conform to the donor requirements.

Before joining CDF Canada, Isaac Nyamekye worked with International NGOs to implement projects around waste recycling to generate electricity, food security, and rural development.

Esther Mintah is a Gender Officer at CDF Ghana country office.  She supports the design of gender and its related activities and implementation of CDF’s Ghana Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Strategy. Joined in 2020, Ms. Mintah has been working across all the 4R project districts focusing on promoting women empowerment and leadership in decision-making processes at all levels; ensuring equitable access to and control over the resources and benefits of co-operative development; providing gender-responsive capacity building for partners and co-operative networks and ensures the establishment of Gender Model Families (GMF), peer-to-peer initiatives.

Prior to joining CDF, Ms. Mintah has worked with national and international development organizations in mainstreaming gender, coordinating the design and management of projects in the areas of agriculture, women empowerment, and children wellbeing.

Joseph Darko is a Country Program Officer at CDF Canada’s office in Ghana. He supports mainly fields operation, guiding and supporting country-level partners to develop and improve their capacity to support international development volunteers. In addition, Mr. Darko provides technical assistance to many international development programs in Ghana. He also supports the design and implementation of programs to support the capacity development of coops, building their resilience to withstand socio-cultural and economic shocks.

Prior to joining CDF Canada, Mr. Darko has worked in international development in managing projects in education, agriculture, and health in collaboration with international development volunteers

Fulera Suleman Gyemai is the Value Chain and Access to Finance lead for CDF Canada at the Ghana Country office. She is at the forefront in developing strategies to ensure access to finance, equipment and technology, market, and inputs for cooperative development. Ms. Gyemai works to create sustainable business relationships between cooperatives and other value chain actors in the agriculture ecosystem in Ghana that promote efficiency, inclusiveness, and productivity.

Before joining CDF Canada, Ms. Gyemai worked with Technoserve and ACDIVOCA both International NGOs to implement the Ghana Agriculture Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE) Programme under the USAID Feed the Future initiative.

Mac-Beth is the communications lead at the CDF Ghana Country office. He provides support in the development and direct implementation of 4R Solution in-country communication plans. Focusing on the promotion of the overall 4R Solution project, communicate project results, raise media and public awareness of the project and mobilize the support of policymakers in increasing integration of 4Rs in national policies.

He joined CDF in July 2020and he has been working with project partners to ensure the project attains its needed visibility. Before joining CDF Canada, Mac-Beth worked with International NGOs to implement projects around literacy and rural development.

Agnes Bugbila is Finance and Administration at CDF Ghana. She has over ten years of experience in finance and administration of donor-funded projects and supports the design and implementation of projects to build cash flow and budget preparation. Agnes Bugbila has been working across different donor projects in ACDEP.

As Security and Indoor Cleaner for CDF Canada, Mr. Nampari is responsible for mowing lawns and planting flowers to beautify the premises. He also ensures the office premises’ security and safety during and after working hours.

Rose Msosa is the Regional Coordinator for the VOICE project at CDF Canada. She supports coordination and implementation of the Volunteer Cooperation Program under the VOICE Project that focuses on the economic empowerment of women and youth in rural communities in Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Senegal. She also supports CDF Canada business development through building and maintaining partnerships and finding opportunities within Malawi. Joined in May 2021, Ms. Msosa has been working with CDF Canada on other project partnerships championed by CDF in Malawi.

Prior to joining CDF Canada, Ms. Msosa worked for the Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives, MUSCCO, in advocacy, promotion, and building capacity of producer, marketing, and financial cooperatives.

Chikondi Eugenio Chapola is a Country Program Officer at CDF Canada. He is supporting a volunteer-based project, ‘VOICE for Women and Girls,’ that focuses on the economic empowerment of women and youth in rural communities. Joined in August 2021, Mr. Chapola works in collaboration with a local partner, the Malawi Federation of Co-operatives (MAFECO). Together, they focus on improving the capacity of cooperatives, promoting gender equality, and empowering the marginalized.

Previously, Mr. Chapola has worked with local and international non-governmental organizations focusing on Climate change, agriculture, and Cooperative development. He is highly skilled in project management and MEAL.

Modrick George Chirwa is the Regional Finance and Administrative officer for CDF Canada. He supports Malawi, Senegal, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Kenya for the Voice for Women and girls project. Mr. Chirwa has been working with CDF Canada since August 2018 and has supported several other projects such as INVEST and IRFICTO.

Mr. Chirwa is a skilled Accountant with over seven years of working experience. Before joining CDF, he worked with local a NGO and SACCO in managing organization finances and expenditure records.

Ndaona Francisco is the cleaner and day guard at CDF Malawi Office. He joined CDF in October 2020, providing security and cleaning services at the office premises. Mr. Francisco has also worked in a similar field with other organizations in the country.

Maksym Filiak is the Ukraine Country Manager for the SEW Ukraine project (“Supporting Economic Prosperity for Women and Internally Displaced Persons in Ukraine”). He supports the implementation of the project that aims to enhance the employment and entrepreneurship of women who have been internally displaced by conflict and other traumatic events in Ukraine. In addition, the project facilitates the development of trade and business skills and market opportunities in the apparel manufacturing and garment industry. Dr. Filiak is also involved in designing related CDF Canada projects in Ukraine in climate change, agricultural and credit union cooperative development, and social infrastructure for vulnerable groups.

Before CDF Canada, Dr. Filiak held a management position based in Kramatorsk, where UN Women managed a project focused on governance, security, and women’s rights in the conflict-affected areas of Ukraine. Dr. Filiak has vast experience with development projects, including three years of prevention of irregular migration, five years of post-conflict program management, and over seven years of community and cooperative development project management.  Dr. Filiak speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Polish.  He is a postdoctoral Fellow (Economics) with academic interests in program approach to the evolution of settlements and has a Ph.D. in National Economics (Ivan Franko National University, Ukraine).

Olha Luchka is a cooperative and economic development specialist at CDF Canada. She facilitates the process of cooperatives formation, capacity building, and training to support each project cooperative in its institutional, operational, and economic development.

She also supports the implementation of the organization’s communication strategy in Ukraine and advocacy activities within the project’s coop development through CDF Canada’s ongoing project in Ukraine.

Before joining CDF Canada, Ms. Luchka worked in international development and business consulting to manage projects and communication activities in cooperatives development, media relations, good governance, and agriculture.

Yuliia Hrytsaienko is a Finance and Administrative Officer at CDF Canada in the Ukraine field office. She maintains efficient financial and administrative systems and oversees control mechanisms to support smooth project operations in Ukraine. She also ensures compliance with financial and administrative rules and procedures and provides strategic support to local project partners on financial and administrative matters.

Prior to joining CDF Canada, Ms. Hrytsaienko worked in the EU-funded project of international technical assistance to the countries of the Eastern Partnership in the water sector and was involved in IDP support activities.