Ford Program Names East Africa Regional Program Coordinator
June 3, 2013
Starting this summer, the Kellogg Institute’s Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity will have a permanent staff presence in East Africa.
Jackline Oluoch Aridi, a Kenyan with wide experience in the field of international development, will serve as the program’s first East Africa regional program coordinator, said
Ford Program Director Rev. Robert Dowd, CSC, who announced the results of an international search on May 31.
“Jackie brings superb academic credentials, a track record of getting things done, and a passion for promoting human dignity,” said Fr. Dowd. “She is a great fit for the Ford Program, the Kellogg Institute, and Notre Dame.”
Based in Nairobi, Aridi will oversee the work of the Ford Program in Kenya and Uganda and will be responsible for ensuring the integration of grassroots community engagement and research.
She will play a lead role in supporting the increasing number of Notre Dame students who are awarded Kellogg grants to conduct research or participate in internships in East Africa. Additionally, she is charged with strengthening relationships with Ford Program partners, including local universities, Catholic Relief Services, and the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Previously, Aridi was regional community health worker program coordinator for East Africa for Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Based in New York and then at the Millennium Development Goal Centre East & Southern Africa Regional Office in Nairobi, she oversaw operations and provided technical assistance for programs in six countries.
She also has worked with the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs at Columbia University, the World Health Organization, the Guttmacher Institute, GBCHealth, and the Global Alliance on Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
Aridi holds a BS in biochemistry from Egerton University in Kenya as well as a masters in public administration with a specialization in international health policy and management from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Administration.