Our Team in Eswatini

Mr. George Wachira of Kenya brings more than 30 years of experience at the interface of development, governance, conflict prevention and peacebuilding. Since joining the UN in 2011, he served as the UN Peace and Development Advisor in Guyana, Lesotho and lately in Eritrea where he led UN conflict prevention, strategic political analysis, peacebuilding, electoral support, political dialogue, human rights, national reforms and capacity building programmes. He also served as Head of the Governance and Peacebuilding Unit of UNDP in Lesotho.

Prior to joining the UN System, he worked for 20 years in various capacities, including as executive director, for Nairobi Peace Initiative-Africa, a pioneering peacebuilding organisation from where he helped shape peacebuilding practice in eastern, central and western African countries.
Mr. Wachira obtained his master’s degree in international peace studies from the University of Notre Dame in the USA and a bachelor’s degree in government and anthropology from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.

Ms. Amina Mohammed has served as the Representative for the UNICEF Eswatini Country Office since August of 2021, prior to which, she served as the Deputy Representative to the UNICEF Zimbabwe Country Office, where she was responsible for the formulation, management and oversight of UNICEF’s programmes, humanitarian action, and partnerships with the Government, development partners and the private sector.
Ms. Mohammed has extensive experience in leadership and coordination as well as programme implementation. She has been with UNICEF for the past 24 years, since joining the agency as a Programme Specialist in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Since the departure of the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Nathalie Ndongo-Seh for another mission within the United Nations at the end of October 2021, Ms. Amina Mohammed will serve as the Resident Coordinator Ad Interim for the month of November 2021.
Ms. Mohammed has a Master of Science Degree in Technology of Crop Protection from the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania.

Deepak first joined the UN over 30 years ago and has, over the years, worked with UNDP, ICAO and currently is with WFP. He brings with him significant experience in crisis and conflict management, having completed assignments in East Timor (1999 - 2001, Iraq (2003 - 2004), South Sudan (2012 - 2017)and most recently, in Sudan where he headed the Programme team for an Area Office and led initiatives in Beneficiary Management and Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, working closely with partners, UN Agencies and Government Counterparts.
His academic background is in Commerce and Economics while he also specializes in IT and Telecommunications, and has been the WFP Regional Chief of IT for the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa region.
He is a national of Nepal and takes keen interest in community work, having worked as a national staff creating rural community Infrastructure and developing community assets to enhance resilience.

Dr Maxime Houinato is the Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Region with effect from 1st September 2021. Dr Houinato has been UN Women’s Country Representative in Uganda since 2018 where he contributed to a significant growth of programme through the successful implementation of a robust resource mobilization strategy. Before joining Uganda Country office, he served as UN Women's Deputy Regional Director of WCARO (6 years: 2008-2014 in Dakar) and Country Representative in Mali (4 years: 2014-2018 in Bamako). He has been an active member of the UN Regional Quality & Support Assurance (QSA) Team of the UNDG in West Africa, and a key contributor to UN’s "Deliver as One" (DaO) model. Dr Houinato has supported the design and implementation of a series of positive legislation, public policies, and large-scale programs to promote women’s leadership, the involvement of women in business and critical value-chains as well as ending violence against women and girls.

Prior to joining the UN, between 2000 and 2008, Dr. Maxime held the roles of Deputy Regional Director (West Africa), and Regional Director (Southern Africa) for Oxfam UK. He has also worked for other International NGOs including Catholic Relief Services, Africare, and the Academy for Educational Development – in various capacities and locations including Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Niger, the UK and Thailand.

Maxime holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Abomey-Calavi University in Benin, a Master of Arts (MA) in International Development from Brandeis University in the US and a Doctorate (PhD) in Applied Sociology from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal.

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. Susan Tembo, the WHO Representative for Eswatini, brings over 30 years of experience as a pediatrician and public health specialist. Her expertise lies in leading and coordinating technical assistance for health programs, including maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health. Dr. Tembo has been actively involved in responding to health emergencies such as Ebola and COVID-19 and addressing non-communicable and communicable diseases, neglected tropical diseases, and health system strengthening. Her track record includes building health systems, fostering strategic partnerships, and collaborating closely with health stakeholders, government bodies, donor agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Dr. Tembo’s commitment to resource mobilization and accelerating health sector responses is commendable.
Before assuming her role as WHO Representative, Dr. Tembo held various positions within the World Health Organization at both country and regional levels. She served as a medical officer for HIV/AIDS in Lesotho, focused on child and adolescent health at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Inter-Country Support Team East and Southern Africa in Zimbabwe, and worked as a national professional officer for HIV in Zambia. Additionally, she acted as Head of the WHO Office in Lesotho in 2019 and served as WHO Representative in Seychelles between 2021 and 2022. Dr. Tembo’s career trajectory also includes contributions to Zambia’s Ministry of Health, where she worked as a consultant pediatrician at the University Teaching Hospital and an honorary lecturer at the University of Zambia.
Her educational background includes a Master of Public Health from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a Master’s degree in Pediatrics and Child Health from the University of Zambia.

Prof. Hubert Gijzen holds a PhD in Biotechnology and joined UNESCO in 2006 as the Director of the UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. In 2015, he was appointed as the Regional Director of the newly established UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa in Harare, Zimbabwe. In this capacity he also serves as the UNESCO Representative to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. He also is the UNESCO Representative to SADC, and he serves on the UN Regional Directors Team for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Henrik Franklin, a Swedish national, brings over 25 years of extensive experience in international development, with a focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. His expertise spans strategic and operational management, portfolio management, quality assurance, and change management.

Prior to this appointment, he has served as Director at the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) in Helsinki, Finland, where he spearheaded climate change initiatives in lower-income countries. Before joining the NDF in 2021, Mr. Franklin held various leadership positions at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), including Lead Portfolio Advisor for the East and Southern Africa Division, member of the Operational Excellence for Results team in the Office of the President, Head of the Andean and Southern Cone Hub, and Head of the Regional Office in Nairobi a.i. Additionally, Mr. Franklin's career includes stints at the African Development Bank (AfDB) as Chief Quality Assurance Officer and Country Programme Officer in Mozambique. He has also served as a natural resources and environment specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank in Ecuador, Honduras, and at the headquarters, as well as for the European Commission in Vietnam. Academically, Mr. Franklin holds a Master of Science degree in biology from Stockholm University in Sweden, complemented by studies in economics and environmental management. He is also an Associate Certified Coach, further enhancing his multifaceted expertise.

Howard Velibanti Mbuyisa is a holder of a BA Degree in Social Sciences majoring in Economics and Geography, and has an MSc Degree in Agriculture Economics. Before joining FAO as an Assistant FAO Representative, he was the Director for the Eswatini Agricultural Development Fund (EADF) and was the CAADP Focal Point leading the food systems transformation agenda for Eswatini.

Igor Ciobanu, a Moldovan national, has served as Ad-interim Representative at the UNHCR South African Multi Country Office, covering Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, and South Africa, since 1 August 2024. Prior to this, he was Deputy Representative since February 2021. He brings over 29 years of experience in diplomacy, humanitarian work, law, and academia.
Igor began his career in 1992 at Moldova's Ministry of Justice before leading European affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He subsequently served as Director of International Relations at ULIM University, where he taught and published extensively on human rights.
Since joining the UNHCR in 1998, he has led refugee and humanitarian operations in Moldova, Serbia, Kosovo, Uganda, South Sudan, Central Europe, Kyrgyzstan, Greece, Sudan, Namibia, and Bangladesh, with a focus on emergency response, refugee protection, statelessness eradication, and peacebuilding. He speaks English, Russian, Romanian and French.

Ms. Jane Marie Ongolo (Kenya) newly appointed UNODC’s Representative of the Regional Office for Southern Africa (ROSAF).
Jane Marie has over twenty-five years of relevant substantive and managerial experience in national and international positions of increasing responsibility, including work at the continental level with the African Union Commission.
During her career, she has served in various capacities including: Head of Social Welfare, Vulnerable Groups, Drug Control and Crime Prevention with the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia since 2018; Programme Manager, AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention with the African Union Commission (2010-2018); National Programme Officer (HIV/AIDS) and National Project Officer (Drug Abuse and HIV Prevention) with UNODC ROEA in Nairobi (2005-2010); Regional Governance Advisor, East and Central Africa with the British Council in Kenya (2003-2005); National Programme Manager with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Kenya (1999-2003);
Development Officer, DFID Civil Society Umbrella Project with the British Council in Kenya (1998-1999); Programme Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer with Sinaga Women and Child Labour Resource Centre (NGO) in Kenya (1995-1998); and Children´s Officer with the Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Home Affairs and National Heritage, Department of Child (Government) in Kenya (1991-1995).
Jane Marie holds a doctorate in Business & Administration from the Bulacan State University and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. She is fluent in English and has a basic knowledge of French.

Mr Mendes joined the UN Migration Agency (IOM) in the Kingdom of Eswatini in April 2019 as the Head of Office. He also serves as Head of Office for Angola and Namibia. Mr. Mendes started his career with the agency in IOM Mozambique in 2013. He has extensive experience in project development and management in the areas of migration health, humanitarian resettlement, movement management, facilitated migration, counter-trafficking and diaspora engagement. Prior to his appointment to the Kingdom of Eswatini, Mr. Mendes served in Angola, Namibia, Federated Republic of Micronesia and Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI).

Mandisa Zwane-Machakata has joined UNESCO as the National Project Officer in July 2024. She is a seasoned Public health law practitioner with experience in advancing Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, HIV and Gender Equality in Eswatini and in the SADC region. She comes from SAfAIDS Eswatini Country Office, where she was the Country Representative. She has been active in advancing social justice for populations left behind as part of civil society and in her role on the CANGO Board for 5 years where she has served as Chairperson for 2 years. In her passion to strengthen Civil Society capacity in Eswatini, she has served on several NGO Boards including NATICC, SWANNEPHA and Voice of Our Voices.

Prior to that she focused on strengthening the HIV and Human Rights response at UNDP and strengthening the HIV response in the workplace under the ILO project in Eswatini.

For over 15 years, Margaret Thwala -Tembe has been a leader of note in the sexual and reproductive health space, with a focus on maternal health. She is currently the Head of Office at UNFPA Eswatini country office, a role that she assumed in 2020. Many in Eswatini may know her from her time at the Southern Africa Nazarene University, where she served as a Senior Lecturer. Indeed, she exhibited her commitment to the profession through the high skilled crop of nurse-midwives produced at the time and the alignment of the midwifery curriculum with the current needs of Emaswati.

Ms. Thwala -Tembe believes a true leader never stops learning. One would have thought that she had learned enough when she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree with Community Nursing and Midwifery from University of Zambia. However, in 1994, Margaret surprised many when her life took another turn as she flew to the UK to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education and Transcultural studies at the University of Wales in Cardiff.

Because, in her words, “midwives are people who care for others”, Margaret went even further in her learning and teaching journey upon taking over a counselling programme as the Head of the Eswatini Action Group Against Abuse. Her compassionate nature and natural empathy for others made her excel in that field of health, enabling SWAGAA’s counselling wing to grow from strength to strength.

Margaret went on to successfully pioneer an environment and health programme fin her Coordination role for the Natural Resources Management Programme at Yonge Nawe. Innovation and flexibility are some of the qualities and strengths that she demonstrated in her health and environment functions.

Meseret Teklemariam Zemedkun (Ph.D) has over 25 years’ professional experience in Earth and natural science, Energy Management, Project management. She holds a Ph.D in Earth Science, Geothermics.Her career began in Ethiopia culminating in becoming Head of Department in GSE (Ministry of Mines and Energy) managing Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology, Geothermal Divisions. She is internationally recognized and acclaimed professional with experience in renewable Energy programme management including Geothermal Energy exploration and development in Africa. She was also Programme Manager for Africa Rift Geothermal Development Facility Programme (ARGeo).
Throughout her career at UNEP Africa Office, she has demonstrated professionalism in her work with Member States and she has exceptionally managed the implementation of major projects in several countries, including South Africa and other SADC countries. These include: ( i) Regional African Rift Geothermal Development Facility Project (ARGeo); (ii) Clean Captives installations for industrial clients in Sub Saharan Africa; (iii) Energy Access and Green Transition Programme; and (iv) Women Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Energy in Africa.

Nuha Ceesay is Health Planner by profession and joined UNAIDS in 2007 as Country Officer for the Gambia and opened the UNAIDS office before taking up international duties as Investment and Efficiency Adviser in Swaziland (Eswatini) from 2013-2017, PEPFAR/Global Fund Implementation Adviser for Zambia, 2017-2019 and UNAIDS Director in Malawi from September 2019 to July 2024 and now as Country Director and Representative in Eswatini. Nuha was a founding member of the National HIV and AIDS (NAS) Secretariat of the Gambia where he served as Deputy Director and Community and Civil Society Coordinato. He is a Gambian and hails from a tiny hamlet called Amdalie, 57 kilometres from the capital, Banjul. He holds a master’s degree with distinction in Health Management, Planning and Policy from the Nuffield Institute, University of Leeds. He also holds a certificate in epidemiology and public health interventions, projects, and programmes management as well procurement for goods and services. He is co-author of more than five published articles on key and vulnerable populations and is passionate about inclusion and diversity.
Nuha is fluent in English, basic understanding of French. During his leisure time Nuha enjoys watching soccer (Manchester United and Barcelona ardent fan) reading and following global politics. He is married with three boys.