Our people 

United Kingdom

Jawaahir Daahir

Chair of the Board of Directors

Jawaahir Daahir, MBE, is the founder of Somali Development Services and since 2017 she has been the elected Chair of GSD. She was recently awarded the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty, The Queen, Elizabeth II of United Kingdom. Jawaahir has an extensive experience spanning over 28 years in management and leadership, community development, education, media and research. She was also the winner of Woman in The Community Award, Leicestershire, 2008. 

In 2003 she was elected as a women’s representative in Leicester’s Strategic Partnership, where she served for 4 years. She is a part of a number of committees and forums including ITV Midlands Diversity Advisory Panel, Leicestershire Multicultural Advisory Group, Leicestershire Police Independent Advisory Group, Voluntary Action Leicestershire and Community Governor in Upland Junior Primary School. 

Before coming to the UK in 2000, Jawaahir was a social worker in The Hague, Netherlands, where she managed cases for refugee children who came to the Netherlands without biological parents. Jawaahir was the Vice-Chair of Somali Women’s Collective in The Hague, and a representative of Somali Women’s Forum in the Netherlands. In Somalia,  Jawaahir was assistant professor at Mogadishu University, the Faculty of Languages and Literature. She was also a journalist in Radio Mogadishu. Jawaahir Holds 2 BAs in Social Work and Languages and Literature, an MA in Teaching French Language, and MA in Islamic Studies, as well as a Level 5 Diploma in Management & Leadership. 

Jawaahir is co-author of different publications including Somalis in Leicester, 2014; Somalia to Europe, Leicester, 2011; Somali-Dutch migration to Leicester-UK, 2006; Mapping Somali Children’s Educational Needs, Leicester, 2004; Somali Community Development Needs, Leicester, 2002; My Flight: published in Dutch and Somali language, The Hague, Netherlands, 1998.

Australia

Ahmed Tohow

Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors

Ahmed’s passion is to enhance peacebuilding and nation-building capabilities by bringing together international agencies, governments and local communities through education, cultural alignment, and business. He has expertise in international trade, including mining and food resources. He has cultivated personal relationships with senior officials in national governments, tribal groups, commercial organisations, key influencers, and education institutions.  He has over 15 years-experience dealing with civil and security affairs during the civil war in the horn of Africa.

Ahmed serves as the co-founder and vice-chair of the board of directors at Global Somali Diaspora. In the past, he has provided services to international agencies, including UNITAF, UNISOM, Red Cross, UNHCR and IOM in Africa and UNISOM’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia and around Africa during the 1990s. He is the co-founder of a Somali corporation which holds a mining tenement in the Federal Republic of Somalia. The corporation also promotes business networks and increases trade, and investment between Australia and East Africa, while exploring collaborative ventures for global investors requiring strong government and security.

Ahmed co-founded the East Africa Security and Policy Forum (EASPF), an organisation that facilitates forums that promote the value of peace, stability, and security in East Africa. He was also involved in arranging meetings with key Somali officials to discuss security matters.

He has collaborated on several pivotal research reports undertaken by leading Australian universities in the subject of ‘resilience to violence’ in the Somali-Australian community.  He has developed a standardized measure to evaluate youth resilience to violent extremism, while also intersecting peacebuilding and gender in Somalia and the needs and challenges of the community, such as unemployment, peacebuilding, stability, and social wellbeing.

He was awarded the Ambassador for Peace prize by the Universal Peace Federation of Australia in 2018, in recognition of his international activities to promote peace in Somalia and working with the diaspora. He is also the co-founder and secretary of the Australian Somali Chamber of Commerce. The aim of this organisation is to promote and accelerate the growth and development of trade ties between Australia and the Federal Republic of Somalia and also to provide its members with a wide range of services targeted at promoting bilateral trade, investment, and joint ventures between the two nations.

Ahmed has two master’s degrees, one in Security and Terrorism and the other International Development Studies, from Charles Sturt University and RMIT University in Australia. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Social Science (International Development Studies) from La Trobe University, Australia. He is a sought-after international speaker and author of several publications, reflecting on his deep international understanding of the cultural underpinnings of East Africa and advice on how to successfully navigate this region.

Norway

Hamdi Sheikh

Member of the Board of Directors

Hamdi works in consumer guidance in Stockholm, Sweden. He’s also an entrepreneur, as well as the Chairman of th Somali National Cofederation of Sweden.

United Kingdom

Bazi Bussuri Sheikh

Member of the Board of Directors

Bazi was born in Mogadishu, where he grew up and finished his early education, before getting a BA in Accounting and an MSc in Development Studies in the United Kingdom. 

He is the founder of Horumari Umaddaada Channel, on Facebook, as wella s the charity Help Yateem,  which helps the orphan and needy children of Somalia.

The netherlands

Ali Ware 

Member of the Board of Directors

Ali has an MA in political science and public administration from the Free University of Amsterdam (VU). He works as a policy adviser for integration and participation in the municipality. 

He has training in human rights, nationality law, international law, intercultural communication, local government, diversity, moderating, training methodology,  social activation, leadership, and teaching. He is a consultant for refugee organizations, and the Institute for Public and Politics. He teaches course in ‘Political Participation for Migrants and works as a policy officer for the local government, as well being a social worker, and interpreter (Somali and Dutch language). 

Ali was the director of Somalian Association of Amsterdam SOMVAO). He is currently a leader of Somali community in the Netherlands and chairman of the Somali Umbrella organization in Holland. Ali was involved in several studies/research on integration and participation of migrants and refugees (Somalian in European cities in 2014, Somalian in Netherland in 2015, Somalian in Amsterdam in 2014, Integration for refugees in 2011, integration for migrants in 2016). Ali holds BA (International relation) at Somali National University. He is a Board member of Global Somali Diaspora.

Uganda

H.E. Jibril Afyare​

Member of the Board of Directors

Jibril is the current Consul of the Somali Embassy in Uganda. He worked for 19 years as a Software Engineer for IBM in the United States.

He is a member of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). He is the executive director of the Somali American Citizens League. Prior to that, he was a member of the Advisory Committee of Policy and Community Relations in the city of Minneapolis. 

Finland

Nimco noor

Member of the Board of Directors

Nimco Noor is a teacher at the Finnish Ministry of Education in the City of Helsinki, and the former Vice President of the Finnish Somali Network.

Nimco has written 4 books and for the first time, is preparing free Somali Memory Games and Learning Applications for children in their mother tongue. It will soon be available to downloaded to all smart phones.

She is the recipient of the Golden Women Awards in Helsinki2016 and Vuosaari Vuokko 2018.

Austria

Dr Suad Mohamed

Member of the Board of Directors

Founder Somali Health Club, CO-Founder SDG 5 thrive. She speaks six languages: (Somali, Arabic, German, English, Hindi and Urdu).

Suad graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Karachi/Pakistan. She works as a Social Medical Consultant (including psychological counseling) at Diakonie Österreich and as an Assistant Consultant at the Austrian Red Cross .She aims to spread awareness about Refugee and migration issues and to improve the healthcare and pharmaceutical systems in developing countries.

youth wing


  • Mandekh is driven by initiatives grounded in collaboration, sustainability, and ownership. She takes part in efforts centred on equipping individuals and communities with the resources, skills and opportunities to actualize their vision, find new opportunities and widen their horizons. Currently, she is a Lecturer at Brunel University in the BASc Global Challenges Programme; a Strategic Consultant, focused on addressing health inequities through critical co-production and is an Education Consultant, working on the nexus between community transformation and EduTech.

    Mandekh is committed to the amplification of stories of side-lined and oppressed persons. Mandekh sits on the board of several charities driven to meeting the sustainable development goals and speaks on issues related to power and trust globally.

 


  • Kadra is a member of We Are One, a youth driven movement. Board member of East Africa Association for Research and Development, based in Istanbul, Turkey. She did her undergraduate and master's in Turkey, where she volunteered at different community services.

    She is passionate about promoting gender equality.

    She’s working in Mogadishu with the Somali Government.

 


  • Mahad is pursuing a bachelors degree in Business Management Marketing. Besides his studies he is active in the creative industry. Where he hosts events and moderates panel discussions.Founded TheMahadShow which is a talkshow that showcases African Succes Stories.

 


  • Omar is a Influencer, Motivational speaker, an author of book “Jaceyl aan dhammaad laheyn”

    Omar a Bachelor Network Management and Islamic Studies BS graduated. Also he is Chairman of Xiddig Organisation.

 

  • Samira is Multipotentialite business owner and Director at Samark consulting Ltd . She has 15 years of HR experience, both in-house and as a consultant. She has worked across variety of top companies across all sectors such as Education, charities , Private and finance. Samira is business mentor and co founder of SPN (Somali Professionals network ) organisation that’s empowers local communities by offering career and mentorship opportunities.

 


  • Faiza is a Bachelor of International Relations graduate with experience in youth engagement and community services. She is passionate about inspiring the Somali youth in her community and is currently volunteering on our Youth engagement committee.