Teams
Meet our teams across Scotland, Ethiopia, Malawi and Tanzania.
We’re a growing organisation- want to join our team? Check out our vacancies here
WATER WITNESS INTERNATIONAL (Scotland)
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Dr Nick Hepworth
DIRECTOR
Nick is the founder and Executive Director of Water Witness International- an organisation of 28 staff based across Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and the UK.
He has worked for sustainable water management and social justice for 30 years as a scientist, government regulator, consultant, practitioner, and NGO leader. He advises governments, multi-national corporations, and International Finance Institutions on water security and is co-founder of the Alliance for Water Stewardship, whose standard is now used by Apple, Unilever, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Diageo and others to guide and recognise corporate best practice on water. Nick is an active Research Fellow with the University of East Anglia, and the University of Glasgow. He is also the author of the Glasgow Declaration for Fair Water Footprints.
nickhepworth@waterwitness.org
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Dorcas Pratt
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Dorcas, our Deputy Director, brings a broad range of experience across international development, programme management and organisational leadership to the team. With a background in natural resource management, she has worked for many years leading teams and successful development programmes around the world.
Dorcas leads programme and operational delivery across Water Witness, working with our teams across Scotland, Ethiopia, Malawi and Tanzania.
dorcaspratt@waterwitness.org
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Lexi Parfitt
DIRECTOR OF CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Lexi leads the campaigns and communications strategy for Water Witness, mobilising public and political action on the global water crisis.
She has 20 years’ experience leading public engagement and advocacy campaigns for NGOs including WWF, SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) and SCIAF (Caritas Scotland) on climate change, tax justice, gender, and health inequalities.
Lexi has a masters in Gender, Rights and Development from the University of Glasgow, and has previously served on the boards of the Scottish International Development Alliance and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.
lexiparfitt@waterwitness.org
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HELEN GREENE
BUSINESS MANAGER
Helen leads the financial and administrative operations and people- related management for Water Witness International.
With over two decades of experience in the Scottish third sector, Helen moved from Yorkshire to Scotland in 1999 and has previously worked for national charities including Age Scotland and The Donaldson Trust. Passionate about helping out locally, she volunteers in her community and is a Trustee and treasurer on the board of The Fisherrow Harbour and Seafront Association. Helen also sits on the board of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.
helengreene@waterwitness.org
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JODY RAE
BUSINESS SUPPORT OFFICER
Jody works closely with Helen supporting the financial and administrative operations for Water Witness International.
He has worked in project management and business support roles in Scotland’s charity sector for over a decade, with organisations such as ACOSVO, Scotland’s Third Sector Governance Forum, Positive Realities and the Scottish Youth Parliament.
In his free time, you can probably find Jody at a local cinema or theatre, strumming away at a guitar, or playing Dungeons and Dragons.
jodyrae@waterwitness.org
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Paz Gonzales
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER (SOCIAL, DIGITAL AND CONTENT)
Paz leads on developing social media and communications strategies, telling the stories of our work, boosting engagement, and supporting advocacy.
With 7+ years of experience and a background in Communications and Media (BA) and Film Directing (MA), she brings a strong understanding of storytelling and creative content development.
Her work spans Climate Change, Gender, Identity, and Human Rights initiatives. Paz has collaborated with IDB Lab, CARE International, and UN agencies like UNDP and UNICEF.
mariapazgonzales@waterwitness.org
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Gina Belk
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME OFFICER
Gina supports the Fair Water Footprints programme which aims to help companies, governments and financial institutions to deliver fair water usage in their supply chains.
She has worked on climate justice policy, including loss & damage and climate finance with the Scottish Government and international think tanks. Prior to that she supported the delivery of Scotland's Climate Assembly. Gina is on the boards for Edinburgh Refugee Sponsorship Circle and the Community Sponsorship Alliance.
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JESSICA LEeCH
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME OFFICER
Jessica supports a range of Water Witness programmes including BASIN and Climate Just Communities.
Jessica has a range of experience working in international development and public health, with a particular focus on the inclusion of rural and marginalised communities in global health initiatives. Her recent career has focused on global drowning prevention, during which she worked for the RNLI and the WHO to conduct research and design guidance for the prevention of drowning in low-resource settings across the world.
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Rianna Gonzales
PROGRAMME MANAGER- FAIR WATER FOOTPRINTS
Rianna leads the Fair Water Footprints Programme for sustainable water use in global supply chains- part of the Just Transitions for Water Security programme.
She has over 15 years of experience spanning government, private sector, civil society, and intergovernmental organisations. Rianna specialises in water resources management, climate change adaptation and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Rianna has worked and collaborated with organisations including GWP, SIWI, IWA, UNESCO, and WMO, to address water governance challenges. She is committed to delivering impactful change in global water sustainability.
riannagonzales@waterwitness.org
WATER WITNESS MALAWI
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Walter Chinangwa
COUNTRY LEAD, MALAWI
Walter is Water Witness country team lead for Malawi, leading the team working across climate adaptation, water stewardship, and community engagement.
He is passionate about the opportunities of environmental management and education to help unlock development potential. Walter is currently completing an MA in Development Studies.
walterchinangwa@waterwitness.org
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Gloria Kanyumba
PROGRAMME OFFICER
Gloria has been working in the WASH sector since 2016. She began her career at World Vision Malawi. In her previous role as WASH projects officer, she worked in collaboration with government structures towards attainment of 100% WASH coverage in Chiradzulu district, Southern Malawi. She is currently a Programme Officer at Water Witness International under the BASIN programme, which is a part of the CLimate Adaptation and REsilience (CLARE) programme jointly set up by the UK and Canadian governments. Her role focusses on research and advocacy towards climate adaptation and resilience for water security. In her spare time she likes to travel and explore new places.
gloriakanyumba@waterwitness.org
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Lester Ray Nanjala
PROGRAMME OFFICER
As programme officer, Lester works on building resilience for individuals, communities and institutions to better understand, prepare for, and withstand the effects of climate change and interrelated water challenges. He has a strong passion for youth engagement and empowerment.
In his spare time, Lester enjoys watching football, gym, bird watching, hiking, and nature trails in pristine landscapes. He has a BSc in Natural Resources Management from Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources (LUANAR) and is currently studying for a MSc in Biodiversity Informatics at Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST).
lesternanjala@waterwitness.org
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Baleke Banda
PROGRAMME OFFICER (CLIMATE JUST COMMUNITIES)
Baleke is a Programme Officer for the Climate Just Communities (CJC) Programme.
She brings a comprehensive understanding of environmental health principles, water quality management, sanitation practices, and public health policies. She believes in the power of community engagement and education to drive sustainable change.
She has over 6 years’ experience collaborating with local and international non-governmental organisations, enterprises, and programmes around WASH and research in Malawi, and holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health from University of Malawi, The Polytechnic.
balekebanda@waterwitness.org
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Bridget Chisale Maganizo
PROGRAMME ASSISTANT (CLIMATE JUST COMMUNITIES)
Bridget is the Programme Assistant for the Climate Just Communities Programme in Malawi, supporting and coordinating programme activities, fostering community engagement and developing sustainable practices. She is also responsible for the programme’s monitoring and evaluation.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences from the Catholic University of Malawi and has over four years of experience working in community development projects and managing volunteers.
bridgetmaganizo@waterwitness.org
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Sangwani wanda
PROGRAMME SUPPORT OFFICER
Sangwani leads the financial and administrative operations for Water Witness Malawi.
He is a chartered accountant with ACCA. He is a Senior Finance Specialist with over 10 years of experience in international accounting, auditing, and supporting donor funded programmes in the WASH, health, education, and other sectors. He enjoys a variety of pursuits including watching football.
sangwaniwanda@waterwitness.org
WATER WITNESS ETHIOPIA
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Esayas Samuel
REGIONAL PROGRAMME MANAGER
Esayas leads Water Witness programmes in Ethiopia, and Fairwater Footprint engagements across Africa.
He has over 15 years’ experience in high-level operations and management of environmental, WASH, and water resources programs. He has led the implementation of over 14 multi-stakeholder projects financed by international NGOs and governments.
esayassamuel@waterwitness.org
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Brikti Mesfin
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICER
Brikti is the finance and administration officer for Water Witness in Ethiopia. She spent over two years working as a finance professional in WASH programs. Brikti is currently an ACCA candidate working on getting her accounting certification.
briktimesfin@waterwitness.org
SHAHIDI WA MAJI TANZANIA
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Eng. Herbert Kashililah
PROGRAMME MANAGER (AFRICA)
Kash is a renowned water expert in Tanzania and East Africa with over 30 years’ experience of working with civil society, government and communities.
He has been instrumental in formulating national water policy and legislation, and advocates for the right to water. He is a founder member and current Chair of Shahidi wa Maji and member of the Tanzania National Water Board.
herbertkashililah@shahidiwamaji.org
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Abel Dugange
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Abel is a social scientist with 19 years’ experience in leading and managing development programmes in the WASH, health, education, agriculture and food security sectors.
Abel leads SwM’s work in collaboration with government and other development partners to address water insecurity issues for sustainable development, focusing on policy research and advocacy, sector strengthening, climate resilience, water stewardships and social accountability monitoring.
abeldugange@shahidiwamaji.org
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Pendo Hyera
MANAGER, FAIR WATER FUTURES PROGRAMME (TANZANIA)
Pendo leads our Fair Water Futures work in Tanzania.
She is a Senior Community Development Expert, with over 10 years experience in community engagement work in the area of water resource management, climate change and environment.
pendohyera@shahidiwamaji.org
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John Emmanuel
PROGRAMME OFFICER
John has over 7 years of experience working with communities, focusing on promoting effective responses to climate change, empowering women and youth economically through training, and specialising in gender equality and water resources management. John has extensive research experience, particularly in issues related to accountability and climate change. He has participated in research projects in Nepal and Norway and has worked with both national and international organisations, including Tengeneza Generation, Waridi (USAID), and Raleigh International Tanzania.
johnemmanuel@shahidiwamaji.org
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MAGRETH C. NJIKU
FINANCE AND ADMIN OFFICER
Magreth is an experienced accountant who has worked on several funded projects in different organizations in Tanzania for more than five years.
She holds a BA in Accounting and Finance – Public Sector (BAF-PS) from Mzumbe University in Morogoro.
Magreth supports all matters related to finance and administration for our Fair Water Futures programme.
margarethnjiku@shahidiwamaji.org
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Vitus Tondelo Gungulundi
COUNTRY RESEARCH COORDINATOR
Tondelo oversees the climate-resilient water security research program in Tanzania. He is an accomplished environmental and climate change professional with 16 years of extensive experience in community-based Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (CVCA), climate and health security, net-zero initiatives, climate adaptation research, water resources management, nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based adaptation, renewable energy, climate information services, loss and damage, and livelihood resilience.
He holds an MSc in Applied Climate Science and Society as well as a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Planning and Management.