Our Team in Zimbabwe

Lidia Brito assumed office as UNESCO Regional Director for Southern Africa based in Harare in 2022. She is a forest engineer with a Master and Doctorate in Forest and Wood Science from Colorado State University-USA, was born in Mozambique, and has been part of Eduardo Mondlane University staff since her graduation in Forest Engineering in 1981.
She has held senior positions in Mozambique such as Head of the Forestry Department from the Faculty of Agronomy (1997-1998), Vice- Rector for Academic Affairs of Eduardo Mondlane University (1998-2000), Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology (2000-2005), and Advisor for Strategic Planning and External Relations of the Mayor of Maputo City (2005- 2008).
She joined UNESCO in November 2009 as Director for Science Policy and Sustainable Development at the Natural Science Sector, in Paris, and in 2014 she was appointed UNESCO Regional Director for Sciences in Latin America and Caribbean region (UNESCO Montevideo Office).
From 2018 to 2021, she chaired the regional organizing committee of the Open Science Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean (CILAC), a key regional space for debates and exchanges to promote sustainable policies throughout science, technology and innovation.

Mia Seppo joined the United Nations Country Team in Zimbabwe as the UNDP Resident Representative in December 2021.

Mia has over 20 years of experience with the UN serving in progressively responsible positions both in the field and in Headquarters. Her field assignments include Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Bangladesh. During her long UN career, Mia has worked in post-conflict and peace-keeping contexts, managed UN support for complex elections and coordinated humanitarian crises and responses. Mia has extensive experience working on development effectiveness issues and support to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Mia launched her UN career in 1996 with a focus on governance and human rights issues. Prior to joining the UN, Mia worked for civil society and think tanks, including the Finnish Committee for European Security.

Mia is a Finnish national and holds a master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Mr Abdoulaye Barry took office as UNHCR Representative a.i. in Zimbabwe in January 2020. He has worked with UNHCR in more than 12 countries for over 26 years before joining the operation in Zimbabwe. Mr Barry is a champion for the self-reliance of refugees and their inclusion in national development programmes.

Mr. Addisu Kebede Mekonnen has been UN Security Adviser in Zimbabwe since November 2019. Prior to his current posting, Mr. Mekonnen served as the Security Adviser for the United Nations in Uzbekistan. He has been with the UN security and safety since 1996, serving across the world.

Ms. Chali Tumelo has been ITU Representative for Southern Africa since August 2012 covering 12 Southern Africa countries – Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Previously, Ms. Tumelo served as Project Manager for study and design of remote wireless communications solutions, REMOTEL, Zambia.

Mr. Djibrilla Mazin has been the Country Manager of UNOPS in Zimbabwe since October 2019. He has held prior positions as Head of Programme and Partnerships in UNOPS Myanmar, Head of Office with UNOPS for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean. He has also worked as Programme Manager with UNOPS in Belize and Haiti. He has extensive experience with UNOPS and previously with the private sector in Infrastructure project development and management.

Dr Patrice Talla Takoukam, a national of Cameroon, has been FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa since September 2020. Prior to that Dr Talla was FAO Representative in Madagascar and covering Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles, under the multiple-accreditation scheme.
Dr. Talla joined FAO headquarters in 2001 as Legal Officer in the Law and Development Service of the Legal Office. In 2004, he transferred to the World Bank in Washington DC, United States, as Legal Officer/Counsel in the Environment and International Law Unit, Legal Department.
He returned to FAO headquarters in 2010, where he served as Legal Officer in the Development Law Service, Legal Office. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in International Environmental Law and Public Law from the University of Limoges in France.

Dr Gasasira has been WHO Representative to Zimbabwe since August 2018. Prior to his current position, Dr. Gasasira served as WHO Representative to Liberia. Dr Gasasira joined WHO in 1998 and served in various capacities such as Control of Communicable Diseases, Integrated Disease Surveillance, Health System Strengthening, preparedness and response to public health emergencies. Following the end of Ms. Maria Ribeiro's tour of duty as UN Resident Coordinator for Zimbabwe, Dr Alex Gasasira has also been serving as UN Resident Coordinator and Designated Official ad interim since 30 October 2021.

Dr. Muia has been UNFPA Representative in Zimbabwe since 2017. Prior to Zimbabwe, she served as UNFPA Representative to South Africa, Lao PDR, as Deputy Representative in Tanzania, and Regional Adviser for East and Central Africa. Prior to joining UNFPA, Dr. Muia was with the School of Medicine faculty at the University of Nairobi, and worked as Programme Associate at the Population Council, Regional Office for ESA.

Dr. Oyewale has worked with UNICEF for 19 years. He started his career working as a Medical Doctor in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2002 he joined UNICEF working as the HIV/AIDS and Adolescent Participation Specialist for UNICEF Nigeria based in Abuja.
Prior to his new assignment in Zimbabwe, he was the UNICEF Deputy Representative in Pakistan with a responsibility for the formulation, management and oversight of UNICEF’s programmes, humanitarian action, and partnerships with the Government, development partners and the private sector. Prior to that he was the UNICEF Representative (a.i) and Deputy Representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo leading complex humanitarian and development programmes, including health epidemics like Ebola, Polio and cholera. Dr Oyewale has also undertaken postings to Bangladesh and Indonesia as well as high level programme and management roles in the UNICEF Executive Office in New York Headquarters.
Dr. Oyewale holds Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (Dlitt. Et Phil.) in Health and a Master of Public Health both from the University of South Africa and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos in Nigeria.

Mr. Kallon has devoted more than 30 years of his career to public service, working – both at the United Nations and externally – in complex emergency, transition and development context in conflict and non-conflict settings across lower- and middle-income countries. At the United Nations, he most recently served as the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, following an assignment as Resident Coordinator in Jordan. He also held senior positions with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Somalia, and Uganda after starting his United Nations career as a United Nations Volunteer assigned to WFP in Afghanistan.

Ms. Fatou Aminata Lo started her career in the private sector in Senegal in 1999 before joining the UN Millennium Project in New York in 2003 and later moving to the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy. In 2006, she joined UNIFEM in New York and worked successively as programme specialist and policy specialist in the Governance team. Since 2013, she has served as UN Women Deputy Representative in Sudan, Deputy Representative in Rwanda and Country Representative in Rwanda.

She holds a Masters Degrees in Law from University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, a Masters in Sustainable Development from the SIT Graduate Institute, and a Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston.
Ms Lo was an official youth delegate and spokesperson at the Fourth World Conference on Women in China (the Beijing Conference) in 1995. She was awarded the Ford Foundation Leadership for Social Justice award in 2003 and was portrayed as one of the Faces of the Future by the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington in 2005. An avid reader and writer, she has authored and contributed to published work, including the "Investing in Development Report" in 2005 also known as the UN Millennium Development Goals Report.

Ms Francesca Erdelmann took office as WFP Representative and Country Director in Zimbabwe in August 2020. Before joining WFP Zimbabwe, Ms Erdelmann worked for WFP in Uganda, South Africa, Mozambique, Yemen and Cambodia where she has held HQ, regional and country specific positions. Ms. Erdelmann has masters in human nutrition and food sciences from Wageningen University. She joined the UN in 1997 with the FAO in India after which she moved to WFP in 1999.

Ms Gladys Mutyavaviri has been the UPU Regional Project Co-ordinator for Southern and Eastern Africa since 2009. She joined the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in January 2006 as the Regional Adviser for English-speaking African countries, based at the UPU Regional Office in Harare. She was the first woman to be appointed in this position in Africa.

Ms Hopolang Phororo is the first female Director for the ILO Zimbabwe and Namibia Country Office since February 2015. Ms. Phororo joined the ILO in 2003. Prior to that, she worked in Lesotho as a Marketing Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperatives and Marketing; as a Researcher at ISAS (National University of Lesotho); as a National Programme Officer at UNDP, and as a Researcher at the Namibia Economic Policy Research Unit.

Mr. Mario Lito Malanca has been IOM Chief of Mission to Zimbabwe since January 2019. He has over 20 years of professional experience with IOM. Prior to his appointment to Zimbabwe, Mr. Malanca was Senior Emergency Advisor in Department of operations and Emergency at IOM Headquarter in Geneva.

Mr. Patrick Amir Imam is currently the representative of the IMF in Zimbabwe. Mr Imam has been with the IMF since 2005. Since joining the Fund, he has worked on IMF programs, carried out technical assistance, and done surveillance work in the Middle East and Central Asia department, the African Department, the IMF Institute and most recently in the Monetary and Capital Markets Department.

Sophia took office as UNAIDS Country Director for Zimbabwe in September 2020. She is a lawyer by profession and a public health practitioner by career and training. She brings with her 25 years of experience working in senior level management and programmatic/technical positions in HIV. Her engagement in the AIDS response started back in 1995 in her home country of Uganda as the CEO of The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). She has since worked with various International NGOS, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and the United States President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Mr. Tenu Avafia has 20 years of experience on inclusive development, public health, human rights and trade related matters. He joined as the Head of RCO in June 2020 from UNDP’s Heath team in NYC where he served as the head of the human rights, key populations and treatment access portfolio.

Mr. Tichaona E. Mushayandebvu has been the Country Representative of UNIDO to Zimbabwe since 2018. His working career spans over 29 years with Government of Zimbabwe from 1991 to 1996, with USAID Zimbabwe from 1996 to 2005 and with UNIDO since 2006.