Kabul, Afghanistan; Dubai, UAE

The SALMA CONSULTING team

AT SALMA, WE ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE VOICES, EXPERIENCES, AND HISTORIES OF THE MOST VULNERABLE

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Ms Rasheed is a globally recognised MERL expert with over a decade of experience in research, monitoring, and evaluation, particularly in Afghanistan. Her work focuses on gender, education, and service delivery, and she has collaborated with leading organisations such as UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, the Asia Foundation, and Save the Children. She has conducted over 170 studies and authored analytical reports based on both quantitative and qualitative research, with a strong focus on design, analysis, and evaluation.

 

During her time in Afghanistan, Ms Rasheed has worked across all major development sectors, highlighting the voices of vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls. Her work addresses disparities between rural and urban communities in access to quality education and learning opportunities. With a strong academic foundation in education and gender, she applies established frameworks to explore intersectionality, gender regimes, and institutional dynamics, including within schools and policy structures.

 

Ms Rasheed is completing a PhD in Gender and Education in Afghanistan at the University of Sussex. She also holds a Master’s in International Development (Monitoring and Evaluation) from the University of Melbourne and an Honours Bachelor’s in Arts from Monash University, Australia.

 

lee@salmaconsulting.com

Dr Rasheed’s projects are characterised by his active involvement at every stage, including direct management of data collectors, rigorous quality control, and transparent client communication. His extensive networks across Afghanistan ensure effective access to targeted communities, facilitating impactful research.

 

He has significant expertise in programmes addressing marginalised populations and has led complex monitoring efforts, particularly in education-focused initiatives, for organisations such as UNICEF and the FCDO.

 

Dr Rasheed holds a Medical Degree from Nangarhar Medical College and a Master’s in Research, Demography, and Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. With specialised training in statistics, he brings extensive skills in data management, collection, and cleaning.

 

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Ms Natalie Coste is an experienced researcher with over a decade of involvement in research, monitoring, and evaluation across Sudan, South Sudan, and Afghanistan. Her work has focused on social interactions, identity construction, and how political climates shape behavioural change within communities.

 

Ms Coste is committed to amplifying the voices of programme beneficiaries and implementers, with experience assessing service access and quality in sectors such as governance, health, education, and agriculture. She has contributed to several significant initiatives, including co-leading a national mental health assessment for UNFPA and conducting gender-based violence and gender norms analyses for organisations such as UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF, and UNFPA. She has also supported efforts to improve health discourse and address health disinformation in Sudan.

 

Ms Coste applies a gender perspective in her work, taking into account the intersecting factors that influence vulnerabilities and shaping more inclusive approaches to development interventions. While her strengths lie in qualitative research, she also works with quantitative data analysis and visualisation to communicate findings effectively.

 

Ms Coste holds a Master’s in International Affairs and Political Science from Sciences Po Paris.


natalie@salmaconsulting.com

Sara has been working in an advisory capacity and as a qualitative data analyst with Salma on a variety of education, gender, and livelihoods studies in Afghanistan for the last two years. She has 20 years’ research experience and specialises in qualitative and ethnographic research, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in other contexts in South Asia and Latin America.

 

Sara has a PhD in gender and education from the Centre for International Education at the University of Sussex, where she is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow. She is a speaker of English, Spanish, and French.

University Profile

Dani is an experienced editor with a background in research. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Aarhus University, and a Masters in Democracy and Comparative Politics from University College London. Her research focuses on political parties, party funding, and institutional corruption, and is published in the esteemed journal Party Politics. She has also worked in the humanitarian sphere, with IDPs in Iraq and Afghan asylum seekers in Greece. She is a speaker of English, as well as intermediate Danish, French, Spanish, and Farsi.

Alice is a highly experienced geography lecturer and researcher at Sorbonne Université in Paris, specialising in livelihoods, urban dynamics, land conflicts, and social geography, with deep expertise in Sudan, particularly Khartoum. With over two decades of focused research and extensive time living in Sudan, Alice has built a strong local network and is fluent in Sudanese Arabic. Her work addresses themes such as urban agriculture, land-use conflicts, and the adaptation of rural labourers in fast-growing Saharan cities shaped by forced migration. Her research also explores the economic shifts impacting Khartoum’s urban landscape, including the transformation of central agricultural lands driven by oil revenue. As co-lead of the ANR Thawra-Sur project, Alice has been focusing since 2020 on alternative futures in the context of Sudan’s recent revolution and actively collaborating on participatory research with exiled communities, bringing both nuanced regional insights and deep-rooted experience to her field.

University Profile

Géraldine is a distinguished geopolitical expert and consultant specialising in international migrations, with a particular focus on the Horn of Africa and Somaliland. Holding a PhD in Geography with a concentration in geopolitics, Géraldine has advised high-profile organisations, including the UNHCR, IGAD, IOM, and the World Bank, on refugee policy, migration management, and strategic analysis. Her extensive field experience spans countries like Djibouti, Somaliland, and Ethiopia, where she has led major studies,  capacity-building initiatives, and policy implementations. With years of experience living in Somaliland and fluency in Somali, she offers an unmatched local network and deep contextual insights, bringing a unique blend of academic rigour and practical expertise to her work. Géraldine’s contributions are significant, reflected in her publications, research, and consultations on regional security and migration.

Ahmed is a seasoned professional with over 13 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sector, specialising in International Development, social and behaviour change (SBC), and stabilisation policy. Currently a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, Ahmed’s research centres on maternal health practices within pastoral nomadic communities in Somaliland, examining the intersection of traditional and biomedical approaches. His field experience includes pivotal roles with organisations such as UNICEF, NRC, and THET, where he has developed SBC strategies, managed complex project portfolios, and ensured effective resource allocation. Ahmed is also a pioneer in Somali higher education: he founded Somaliland’s first School of Social Work at the University of Hargeisa and co-founded Maandeeq University, dedicated to advancing Somali studies and fostering locally grounded knowledge. His consultancy work has supported Oxfam, UNICEF, WFP, and others in developing conflict mitigation strategies, social mobilisation efforts, and programme evaluations to drive sustainable impact. With a master’s degree in Human Rights focused on International Development from the University of Sussex and extensive field expertise, Ahmed combines cultural insight, academic depth, and practical experience in his commitment to sustainable development and community-centred solutions in fragile contexts.

Abdiaziz is an experienced Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) consultant with over nine years in the humanitarian and development sectors. Specialising in migration, human trafficking, governance, and local economic development, he has worked with organisations such as UNICEF, Expertise France, GIZ, and the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO). Abdiaziz has developed strong local networks across Somalia, which allow him to approach challenges with a deep understanding of the region’s complexities. He also has played a key role in several government-led initiatives across Somaliland. Skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research, he uses advanced data analysis tools, including R, Python, and Power BI, to support evidence-based decision-making. Fluent in Somali, Arabic, and English, Abdiaziz is dedicated to delivering sustainable and context-sensitive solutions while continuing his studies in Data Science to enhance his expertise.

Shoaib is a skilled research coordinator with 13 years of experience in research and evaluation across Afghanistan. A journalism graduate, he has worked extensively with national and international organisations, including UNICEF, UN Women, BRAC, The Asia Foundation, UNDP, DRC, and Yale University. A native of Nangarhar province, he is fluent in Pashto, Dari, and English, as well as proficient in Urdu and Arabic.

 

Mr Ahmad specialises in managing fieldwork and data collection in some of Afghanistan’s most challenging environments, adhering to strict safeguarding protocols. His expertise includes mixed-gender and sensitive data collection, particularly with children and on gender norms, as well as negotiating access to remote locations. He has also played a key role in education programming, supporting monitoring and evaluation efforts nationwide.

 

In addition to his research expertise, Mr Ahmad is a professional translator and leverages his linguistic and technical skills to ensure the accuracy and reliability of data, contributing significantly to the success of complex research projects.

Madara is a versatile graphic designer with 15 years of experience. She has experience in in-house, agency, and freelance roles working on designs for commercial companies, NGOs, social enterprises, and more. Madara is a creative graphic designer with close attention to detail and a passion for brainstorming and exploring different ideas for inspiration. She is particularly skilled at creating engaging visuals, graphs, and infographics to help present Salma’s findings in an accessible and easy-to-grasp manner. Madara is a speaker of English and Estonian.

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