MAIMBO MABANGA MALESU

Mr. Maimbo Mabanga Malesu is a Zambian Agricultural Engineer with a Master of Science Degree from Cranfield University (UK), Malesu is an expert on Soil and Water Engineering with many years of experience in the field of land management, conservation farming, soil and water conservation, small scale irrigation and rainwater management. Prior to his appointment as the first Regional Co-ordinator of the GWP-AP in Eastern & Southern Africa, he was working as a National Training Advisor in a Sida-funded Land Management and conservation Farming project in Zambia.

In collaboration with RELMA, Malesus training courses led to the formation of the Zambia Rainwater Harvesting Association (ZARHA), which he led as National secretary.

Mr. Malesu has extensively used his specialized skills in the hands-on design and construction of soil and water conservation structures, which include the design and construction of earth dams and other village-level water harvesting structures for domestic purposes. He has also promoted various farmer-to-farmer participatory extension techniques and facilitation concepts. Four years of consultancy experience has enhanced his skills in preparing project proposals, conducting and developing Terms of Reference (TOR) and supervising short-term consultancies.

On the international scene, Mr. Malesu has had several short-term assignments and both short and long-term training, conferencing and networking in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.


ALEX RAYMONDS ODUOR

Mr. Oduor is a Kenyan citizen, with a Master of Science degree in Water and Environmental Resources Management, obtained from the UNESCO International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering in Delft, The Netherlands.

He holds the position of Information Officer for the Global Water Partnership Associated Programme.

Mr. Oduor has considerable experience in agricultural extension and research technology, with special interest in soil and water engineering for the semi-arid savannah. His skills are more pronounced in the design and construction of terraces, earth dams, rehabilitation of denuded lands and river-bank protection.

Previously, Mr. Oduor was also in charge of the Steepland Research Station for the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with developing countries. Incidentally, that was part of a postgraduate programme in Soil and Water Engineering, at the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Nairobi.

Mr. Oduor was the Information Officer at RELMA from its inception in 1998 until 2001. In that capacity, he presided over the production and distribution of a variety of educational materials, such as technical handbooks, technical reports, pamphlets, posters and brochures. He was also a consultant with UNESCO and UNHCR on the production of environmental education outlines for refugees. Added to all this was his participation in the joint production of RELMA publications with UNDP on traditional systems and farmer initiatives in land husbandry.

Mr. Oduor is widely travelled. His trips have taken him to Sweden and China to participate in Soil and water courses and to Brazil for a convention to combat desertification. In addition, Oduor has had technical exposure in Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia , Zimbabwe India, and his home country Kenya.

SUSAN NASERIAN YIAPAN

Ms. Susan Yiapan has been appointed the Programme Assistant for the SearNet Secretariat.

She has 9 years progressive experience in general office and programme administration and management, streamlining of procedures and logistics support, with extensive experience in partnership support, in NGO setting. Susan has also worked in the private sector as an Executive Assistant to a leading corporation.