Staff

Executive Director

Mr. Hassan Shire Sheikh is currently the Executive Director of the Project and Chairperson of the Network. Mr. Sheikh is a human rights defender from Somalia, with over 15 years of experience working in the region. He has been the Coordinator of African Human Rights Defenders Project at York University, Centre for Refugee Studies since 2003. He holds a Masters degree in Economics and has authored, published and co-published numerous human rights reports including a Human Rights Defenders in Need of Defense: a field report on the protection and effectiveness of human rights defenders in West,  East and the Horn of Africa(2004), York University, Centre for Refugee Studies, Critical Issues on Armed Conflict and Minority and Indigenous Children’s Rights, Mogadishu, Somalia (1998), Illustrated Universal Declaration of Human Rights Pictorial Booklet- Mogadishu, Somalia (1998), among others. In 1996 he was the founder and co-director of the internationally recognized Somali human rights organization - the Dr. Ismail Jumale Human Rights Centre in Mogadishu, Somalia. This organization has played a vital role in creating human rights awareness, carrying out impartial monitoring of human rights violations, and defending human rights in violent and dangerous situations.
He was also a participant of the All Africa Human Rights Defenders Conference, Global Human Rights Defenders summit, and the World Movement for Democracy. He testified as an expert on Somalia at the US Congressional Sub-Committee of Foreign Relations on Africa, the US Department of State, the Nordic fact-finding mission, Canadian Parliamentary Human Rights Committee and other agencies about human rights and democracy in Somalia and the sub-region.
In his role as Executive Director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, he has actively participated in shaping the structure and proceedings of the new UN Human Rights Council based in Geneva and the Universal Peer Review seeking to assess the performance of member states in compliance with international human rights standards.
Mr. Shire has also actively lobbied for human rights defenders at the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN Human Rights Council sessions.
He has also taken part in an Amnesty International research mission on Somalia and engaged in advocacy missions on rights violations of human rights defenders across the region of the East and Horn of Africa. 

Tel: +256-312-265821 (office), +256-772-753753 (mobile)
Email: executive@defenddefenders.org, hshire@yorku.ca

Program Coordinator

Ms Sarah Stella S.S. Okuni is the Program Coordinator. Stella holds a bachelors degree in Library and Information Science, a Certificate in Public Administration and Management and a Masters in Human Rights degree all from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. Stella also undertook short courses and has obtained experience on  Refugees and Forced Migration, Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation and Peace Building, SGBV, HIV/AIDS and Multi-sectoral Programming to mention but a few. Stella’s research experience includes women in displacement, unaccompanied minors, HIV/AIDS among refugees. She wrote her Masters thesis on ‘Domestic Violence against refugee women in Uganda: A case study of Sudanese refugees in Alere Refugee settlements in Adjumani District.

Stella worked with the Refugee Law Project of Faculty of Law Makerere University, Kampala as Information Officer before joining the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) where she worked as SGBV/HIV/AIDS Officer in the Pakelle and Moyo Sub Offices. She then joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as National SGBV Specialist based in Kampala but overseeing UNDP/MGLSD joint SGBV Program in four conflict affected districts of Gulu, Kitgum, Pader and Lira in northern Uganda. Stella later worked with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Khartoum and in the three Darfur States of El-Fasher, Nyala, and El Genina in the Sudan as GBV Data Collection Officer.

Stella has extensive knowledge and experience on women and gender issues in Uganda. She participated at the national SGBV strategy making process spearheaded by UNHCR in early 2005. She is also a member of the national GBV sub-cluster and women and child rights activist.

Tel: +256-312-265822
Email: program@defenddefenders.org

Legal/Protection Officer

Ms. Tabitha Netuwa has joined EHAHRDP as Legal/Protection Officer in January 2008.  She holds a Law degree from Makerere University and has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies. Tabitha previously worked with the Refugee Law Project, Makerere University in both the legal and research departments where she was closely involved with refugees and internally displaced persons. She has also worked in the private legal sector.

At EHAHRDP, Tabitha is responsible for the assessment of emergency cases of human rights defenders at risk, resource allocation for their assistance as well as providing administrative and legal support to HRDs under the protection programme.

Tel: +256-312-265823
Email: protection@defenddefenders.org

Human Rights Officer - Regional and International Advocacy and Research

Ms. Laetitia Bader is working as the Human Rights Officer for Advocacy and Research since January 2008. She studied history at an undergraduate level before changing direction and carrying out a Masters in International Affairs, focusing in Human Rights. The first year of her dual degree Masters was spent at Sciences Po in Paris and the second was spent at SIPA, Columbia University in New York. Laetitia had initially gained experience in the human rights field notably interning with a women’s rights organization in Peru; in the last few years Laetitia has mainly worked on refugee issues and rights.

Laetitia is working on the organisation’s diverse advocacy issues including EHAHRDP’s advocacy campaigns and capacity building activities linked to its involvement with the UN Human Rights Council. She also works in close collaboration with many of EHAHRDP’s partner organizations in lobbying for an improved protection of HRDs.

Tel: +256-312-265824
Email: advocacy@defenddefenders.org

Program Assistant

Ms. Nuruh Nakiwala is the Program Assistant of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project since September 2007. Nuruh has a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and Social Administration (SWSA) from Makerere University, Uganda. Her interest and commitment to human rights was stirred through a number of internships involving human rights and community based interventions. She interned with Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) which exposed her to human rights issues, did voluntary work with the Local Government/Sub-county in Kapchorwa District which involved community sensitization and interned with Lweza Rehabilitation Centre for people with disabilities, a factor that later formed the basis of her dissertation paper.

At EHAHRDP, Nuruh assists the program staff in project implementation, financial management and monitoring and grant reporting.

Tel: +256-312-265820
Email: program@defenddefenders.org

Messenger/Driver

Mr. Ambrose Katwesigye has been working with EHAHRDP as Messenger and Driver since early 2007. Ambrose has successfully completed Secondary School in Uganda and since then worked as a driver for several companies.

In this work at EHAHRDP, he is responsible for running logistical errands, coordinating the transport of staff members and maintenance of the office vehicle.

Contact details:
Tel: +256-312-265820