Trustees
Mariam Diakite, is the Founder of REFEO and Chairperson. She is a qualified Senior Programme Manager with extensive experience leading UK programmes as well as international programmes that support refugees access to employment, education, legal advice and healthcare.
The idea of setting up a charity that helps UK refugees get access to higher education and employment came to her in 2016. At that time, her partner who is a refugee faced several challenges while trying to pursue higher education in the UK.
“Studying should be a right for all, not an unattainable dream for refugees.”
Tiphaine Valois, is the Co-Founder and Treasurer of REFEO. She is a professional in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning of International development and Humanitarian projects with experience on projects implemented in several countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America and the Caribbean. Tiphaine has always truly believed that everyone should have equal opportunities to succeed in life. For several months she volunteered at the Hackney Migrant Centre in London and as she was stunned by refugees and migrants’ difficulty accessing education and job matching their qualifications, she decided to take action.
Axelle Fidelin, is the Co-Founder and Secretary of REFEO. She has been working in International Development for the past seven years. She is now acting as an Evidence, Learning and Impact Specialist with a major International NGO. Additionally, Axelle has increasingly improved her knowledge and expertise in Diversity and Inclusion, local governance and development, and social justice. Axelle gained experience working with national and international organisations in several countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean islands.
Axelle believes that all refugees despite their origin, sexual orientation, race, disability and gender should get equal opportunities to blossom their full potential.
Natalia Equihua is the Communications Lead and Co-Chair of REFEO. She has expertise in various aspects of communications and for the past two years she has led the communications activities of a women’s charity in Scotland.
Natalia has a master’s degree in Cultural Studies from Queen’s University, Canada where she researched the experiences of migrant women. She has volunteered supporting migrant women in Mexico and providing crisis support for survivors of sexual violence in Scotland. She is particularly interested in migration processes, women’s rights and their intersections. She believes that everyone should have access to good quality employment and development opportunities, and is excited to support refugees and asylum seeker’s to achieve this through REFEO.
Mohamed Fagir Secretary & Operations Specialist of REFEO.
Mohamed is a UK refugee who is originally from Sudan and has expertise in logistics and marketing. Accessing higher education in the UK has not been easy for Mohamed but he nonetheless obtained a Master’s in marketing and logistics.
His lived experience as a refugee motivated him to join REFEO to support other refugees.