Meet the team
Sabrina Mahtani
Co-Founder
Joy Henderson
Board Member
Joy Henderson joined the AdvocAid Board in 2019. Joy is a chartered accountant who specialises in the financial and regulatory audits of large, private companies and law firms in the UK. In 2017, Joy spent a month working with the AdvocAid finance team and is delighted to be joining the board as Treasurer.
Simitie Lavaly
Board Member
Simitie Lavaly joined the Board in 2018, after serving as the Executive Director of AdvocAid from 2014-2017. Simitie is a qualified Lawyer and Women’s Rights specialist, and her belief in women’s rights and fair legal representation drew her to work for AdvocAid in 2009 firstly as a paralegal and later as Legal Officer, where she successfully represented the country’s longest standing death row inmate. In 2019, Simitie was appointed as Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission in Sierra Leone.
Alison French
Executive Director
Alison French is the Executive Director who joined AdvocAid in September 2023 . With a wealth of experience in organizational leadership, Alison brings a strong track record of success to her role.
Alison’s career began at the Department of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone, where she started as an Information and Communications Officer and quickly rose to the position of Principal Regulatory Officer. She then transitioned to the renowned women’s rights and feminist organization, Rainbo Initiative, where she served as Advocacy and Communications Coordinator. Most recently, she worked as Communications and Influencing Manager at Plan International.
Throughout her career, Alison has developed a diverse range of skills, including organizational leadership, coordination of advocacy initiatives, building strategic partnerships, donor relations, high-level report compilation, research, and strategic communication. Her expertise has been informed by her academic background, which includes a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacology.
As Executive Director of AdvocAid Sierra Leone, Alison is committed to using her skills and experience to drive positive change for women and girls in Sierra Leone.
Juliet Mamawa Kaikai
Legal Manager (Senior Management Team)
years of experience as a lawyer and has worked for Namati and Timap for Justice before joining AdvocAid. Aware of the many challenges women face in Sierra Leone, Josephine is dedicated to working for their equal access to justice. She took up the role of Legal Officer in September 2018.
Julie Mariama Sesay
AdvocAid's Advisor
Jalahan Amara
Head of Programmes South East Region (Kenema) &(Senior Management Team)
Jalahan Amara is AdvocAid’s South-East Programme Officer. Joining AdvocAid in April 2015, she worked as a senior secondary school teacher before and as a volunteer for Amnesty International. A dedicated caretaker, Jalahan is most proud of AdvocAid’s role in upholding the rights of juvenile clients, and defending vulnerable women.
Amidu Fornah
Finance Manager (Senior Management Team)
Thabile Cele
Communications & Fundraising Manager (Senior Management Team)
Vacant Position
Finance Assistant
Ishmael Mammie
Freetown Duty Lawyer
Victoria Koroma
Western Rural Duty Counsel
Ibrahim Samba
Makeni and Port Loko Duty Counsel
Ayo Max-Dixon
Freetown Paralegal
Katumu Kamara
Kenema Paralegal
Nenny Kargbo
Makeni Paralegal
Mercy Mariama Bangura
Head of Programmes Northern Region
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Fatmata Lamarana Bah
Freetown Project Officer
Patrick Steven
Freetown Office Assistant
Umar Conteh
Northern Region Office Assistant
Hannah Mattia
Kenema Office Assistant