Amrita Jain, Country Lead for India, is the Chairperson of Mobile Creches, a non-profit organization championing the agenda of children under six years of age in India. During her 30 years of  association with Mobile Creches, Amrita has focused on expanding the reach of quality childcare to children of most marginalized populations by designing capacity building programs and engaging with communities and policymakers to highlight the issue.

Amrita is inspired by the words of a song in Hindi, an Indian language, which says “Raasta hai lamba bhai manjhil hai door, himmat se chalenge milkar jaroor,” meaning that the path ahead is very long and the destination is far, but if we walk together we will get there.”

Atta Ul Haq, Country Lead for Pakistan, is a professor of child development methodology at Government College of Elementary Education and founder and director of the Kids for Peace School and Peace Center in Loralai. Over multiple decades, Atta has centered his work around many education issues in Pakistan, including child rights and protection, peace education, sustainable development, literacy, and gender equality.

Bishnu H. Bhatta, Country Lead for Nepal, is Director at the Partnership at Sustainable Development (PSD-Nepal) and Treasurer at the Alliance for Early Childhood Development Nepal, a position he has held since the Alliance’s inception. Over the last 30 years, Bishnu has served with a variety of organizations, including the Students’ Partnership Worldwide (British Charity), Save the Children (UK), and the Peace Corps-Nepal. During this time, he was also appointed Country Coordinator for i*EARN (International Education and Resource Network) and served as International Deputy Coordinator for an eight-country i*EARN Project. He is also the Asia Representative for the leadership team in Nature Action Collaborative for Children-World Forum Foundation.

Bishnu has a Master’s Degree in business Administration and has presented at numerous international conferences, as well as led teacher training and mentoring programs.

Lavinia Tiko, Country Lead for Fiji, is senior lecturer and program coordinator in early childhood education and care with the University of the South Pacific. Lavinia has been a teacher educator for the past 20 years and she promotes quality as an important aspect of learning and teaching in the early years. She is passionate about children’s education, health, safety, and holistic well-being, as these are precursors to a nation’s strong and vibrant future.

Lavinia’s favorite phrase is a local slogan promoting Fijian pride: “Fiji, the way the world should be.”

Masako Kuroda, Country Lead for Malaysia, has decades of experience working within and advocating for early childhood education at various levels of K-12 education for both nongovernmental organizations and government programs. As a member of the Early Care and Childhood Education Council of Malaysia, Masako has dedicated much of her work to developing and delivering workshops and seminars to preschool teachers to prepare and motivate them in the teaching and development of children.

Masako’s diverse educational experience has afforded her a lifechanging professional journey that has taken her to Norway, USA, UK, Netherlands, Australia, and Italy.

Michelle Lalunio, Country Lead for the Philippines, is a Community Involvement Officer at De La Salle Lipa. Michelle’s work focuses on reading, environment/livelihood, and indigenous peoples programs. She is currently earning her PhD in Community Development at the University of the Philippines Los Banos and incorporates newfound ideas/learning to her programs.

Michelle lives in the province of Batangas, which is home to the Taal volcano, one of the world’s smallest active volcanoes, that recently erupted.

Ceceile Minott, Country Lead for Jamaica, is the Head of the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC) and Director for the Consortium for Social Development and Research (CSDR) at The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Open Campus based in Jamaica. Her areas of interest centers on education and counseling, particularly at the early childhood and adolescent levels. She has taught, presented, researched, and published in these areas.

Ceceile’s favorite place to be is at the beach listening to the waves.

Lisa Ibrahim-Joseph, Country Lead for Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, works full-time as Education and Research Officer for the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) and serves as adjunct faculty at ROYTEC School of Business and Applied Studies (UWI-ROYTEC). She has been an educator for over 25 years and is interested in improving the quality of early childhood service delivery in Trinidad and Tobago, while also addressing issues of equity and social justice.

One of her most memorable experiences was making it to the top of the Eiffel Tower and witnessing that breathtaking view.

Anisa Asad, Country Lead for the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an Early Childhood Consultant with an interest in trauma- and culture-sensitive practices in childcare and education settings. Anisa has worked in the Kingdom of Bahrain for over 15 years and is focused on collaborating with parents as partners and enhancing child care and education systems to support children in reaching their fullest potential in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Khalil Zakari, Country Lead for Morocco, is the coordinator of the English Department in Fes-Meknes Regional Academy of Education and Training, British Council Core Skills Facilitator, and Global Citizenship Foundation Ambassador. Khalil Zakari has worked in the field of teacher education and supervision for more than 25 years, focusing on global citizenship education, inclusive education, and the teaching of sustainable development goals in Morocco.

The most beautiful place Khalil has been to is the Highlands in Northern Scotland, a region known for breathtaking geological wonders and rich, local history.

Dr. Manal Sader, Country Lead for the United Arab Emirates, is a dynamic educational advisor in early childhood education and the Regional Director at Arabian Child in the UAE. With an impressive 12-year track record of excellence, she has a profound commitment to shaping the future of young minds, which drives her to advocate strongly for effective early childhood education and child protection initiatives.

Manal’s extensive background in education management and policy-making has made her a significant contributor to the advancement of the field. As a certified trainer and resident expert, she is dedicated to training and qualifying teachers and childcare professionals. Her passion for nurturing talent and elevating the capabilities of educators is truly unmatched, making her an invaluable asset in the realm of professional and vocational training and educational consultancy.

Dr. Nahla Gahwaji, Country Lead for Saudi Arabia, is a professor in the Early Childhood Department at King Abdulaziz University. Among other duties, she supervises masters and PhD students and teaches courses in educational leadership, professional development, and quality control management. She has a doctorate in Early Childhood Education from the University of Exeter (UK) and is a published researcher with interests in the study of assessment of learning environments, ICT utilization, and educational leadership.

Nahla is also Head of the Expert House for Studies and Consultations in Early Childhood and a Member of the Board of Trustees with the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD). She has won several prizes, including a distinguished medal of social responsibility from the rector of her university

Dr. Adefunke Ekine, Country Lead for Nigeria and Cluster Lead for West and Central Africa, is a Senior Lecturer in Childhood Education at the Tai Solarin University of Education, in Nigeria. With over 20 years of experience in school administration, she also serves as the Deputy Director for Research and External Relations at her University. Her research interests are in early years science, girl’s education, and teacher training.

Adefunke is passionate about seeing every girl achieve her dreams.

Arcard Rutajwaha, County Lead for Tanzania, is an ECD consultant with the Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN) in Nairobi, working to promote national networking among ECD stakeholders in Africa. Arcard has worked in the area of ECD for the last 18 years in Tanzania and is focused on promoting investment in young children at an early age in Tanzania and the region.

Arcard saw his best sunset while crossing on the ferry at Kigogo in Mwanza, Tanzania.

Dr. Beatrice Matafwali, Country Lead for Zambia, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zambia in the Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education. She has 15 years of professional experience as a lecturer and researcher in the field of early childhood development, disability, and children’s rights.

The most beautiful sunrise Beatrice has seen is on the shores of Lake Bangweulu in the Samfya District of Zambia.

Ingabire Julian, East Africa Regional Cluster and Rwanda Country lead, is a development professional and early childhood development practitioner based in Rwanda. Julian thrives on providing early childcare development and education technical assistance to programs to ensure that all children achieve their full potential. Julian is also the founder of the PlayHub, an organization that is increasing access to child-friendly play spaces and environments, and co-founder of the Africa Play Network.

The most beautiful sunset Julian has ever seen is on the Kivu lake shore in Rwanda.

Dr. Khama Chibwana, Country Lead for Malawi, is a Lecturer and Specialist in Early Childhood Development and Education at the University of Malawi. With approximately two decades experience at home and abroad, Khama is committed to advancing the provisioning of quality and contextually appropriate early childhood development and education services in Malawi.

Khama enjoyed his vacation in Toronto, Canada.

Liberty Matsive, Cluster Lead for Southern Africa and Country Lead for Zimbabwe, is the former National Coordinator for Education Coalition of Zimbabwe, where he drove the coalition’s agenda to promote the right to education in Zimbabwe and beyond. Liberty has extensive experience in project planning and management and education policy advocacy, with experience in the Child Protection Society and Care at the Core of Humanity (CATCH) Zimbabwe.

Liberty is passionate about education because he believes it replaces an empty mind with an open one.

Mahendranath Busgopaul, Country Lead for Mauritius, is the Founder & Secretary-General of Halley Movement Coalition. With over 40 years of experience, Mahendranath has initiated several programs in Mauritius, including research, advocacy, and training focused on child and family welfare. Mahendranath is focused on advancing the SDGs agenda in Mauritius and wishes to concentrate community actions toward early childhood development.

Mahendranath enjoys watching the colors of the rainbow at the beach.

Yukikho Amnon, Country Lead for Liberia, has held diverse roles throughout her career as an educator, with an emphasis in early childhood education. Yukikho helped develop the Liberia Early Childhood Development (ECD) Framework Portfolio and the National Inter-Sectoral Policy on Early Childhood Development. She is also a founding member of Africa Early Childhood Network (AfECN), Liberia Early Childhood Professional Network (LECPNet), and World Forum National Representative from Liberia.

Yukikho enjoyed watching the most beautiful sunset from the Hotel Paradise in Zanzibar.