Following the celebration of our 10 year anniversary last year and winning the Clifford Chance Access to Justice Award, which includes 500 hours of pro bono support from legal and organisational experts, AdvocAid would like to share news of developments for the organisation in 2017.
WELCOME TO TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS
AdvocAid is pleased to welcome two new board members, Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus and Camilla McArthur, to the organisation.
Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus is Policy Manager at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). She is responsible for leading the organisation’s work on public policy issues impacting immigrants and refugees. Lisa has worked in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia and Ghana previously, and she brings a strong background in advocacy and research to AdvocAid.
Camilla McArthur has over 10 years of experience in supporting civil society organisations develop their organisational and project management capacity, expertise she will contribute to AdvocAid’s development. Camilla has worked with organisations with global reach and NGOs based in Tanzania, Senegal, Morocco, and Southeast Asia.
“We are delighted to have Lisa and Camilla joining AdvocAid. They bring new skills, experience and passion for women’s rights, which will strengthen the governance and strategic vision of the organisation,” said Board Chair and co-founder, Sabrina Mahtani.
THE SEARCH FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In June, our Executive Director, Ms. Simitie Lavaly Zorokong, will be stepping down from her role after more than six years working with the organisation. While Simitie is leaving the organisation to further develop her career, she will continue to support AdvocAid in a voluntary capacity.
Simitie has worked for AdvocAid since 2009, starting as a paralegal and then working as a Legal Officer before she became Executive Director in 2014. Under her strong leadership AdvocAid stayed operational throughout the Ebola epidemic and expanded operations in the provinces. For her selfless effort for women’s rights, Simitie was awarded the 2016 Human Rights and Social Justice Award by Sierra Leone’s first Illuminessence National Women’s Award.
“I have enjoyed working at AdvocAid over the past 6 years and have particularly felt elated when helping clients overturn convictions for murder or appeal against severe sentences. However, it is now time for me to move on in my career. I do so knowing that AdvocAid is stronger with new Board members and a hardworking Senior Management Team, and I look forward to working with them to recruit the new Executive Director,” says Simitie Lavaly Zorokong.
Sabrina Mahtani, Board Chair, said: “AdvocAid is sad that Simitie is stepping down as Executive Director and grateful for all she has done to make the lives of women and girls in Sierra Leone better. She has left a long-lasting legacy at AdvocAid and in Sierra Leone. We look forward to supporting Simitie as she takes new steps to fulfil her dreams and career goals, and we are comforted knowing that she will continue to be part of the AdvocAid “fambul” (family). We are excited about the next stage of AdvocAid’s development and are looking forward to finding the right Executive Director to lead the organisation forward in the coming years.”
WORK WITH US
AdvocAid is now searching for our next Executive Director. The Executive Director must be a strong female leader, who is able to take the organisation forward in our eleventh year of operation and to bring in new ideas and energy to our team of dedicated paralegals, lawyers, programme officers and support staff.
AdvocAid is also seeking an extra member to join our Senior Management Team in Freetown. After a period without a Legal Officer, we are now able to recruit a Deputy Director & Legal Officer to manage our legal work and support the new Executive Director in developing the organisation.
Please go to advocaidsl.org/work-with-us to find job descriptions for the Executive Director and Legal Officer positions.
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AdvocAid works with vulnerable girls and women caught up in Sierra Leone’s often unjust legal system. Founded in 2006, it is the only organisation in Sierra Leone providing a holistic service including free legal representation, education, welfare and rehabilitation support to women and girls in conflict with the law. AdvocAid works in ten towns across Sierra Leone to ensure women and their children have access to justice, are educated on their legal rights and offered rehabilitation support upon release.
For more information visit advocaidsl.org | facebook.com/advocaidsierraleone | twitter.com/advocaid