Our people

The board

Stan Dronsfield

Stan Dronsfield is a hydraulic engineer. For twenty years, he was the Managing Director of Boode UK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of PVC casing and screen systems and equipment for the water well drilling industry globally, and has operational links to over 20 countries in Africa where water well and water pumping materials are used for both humanitarian and development purposes. Now acting as a consultant to Boode UK, his work also includes the promotion of the reliable and low cost maintenance Fairwater Bluepump, considered by leading international NGOs as the most reliable and sustainable hand pump solution for Africa.

Ayesha Kamal

A qualified doctor, Ayesha has spent much of her professional life working with non-government organisations to deliver health programmes to the most disadvantaged. As a Health Programme Manager in Azerbaijan, she managed reproductive and primary health care projects which focused on community health education, training of health workers and rehabilitation of health infrastructure and services. She has also spearheaded work in disability in Central Asia where she is raising awareness about disability issues, advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, and supporting local civil society groups in their efforts to lobby for policy reform and mobilize communities.

Ayesha has also served as a research fellow in various academic institutions, where she was responsible for the co-ordination of research studies involving both, quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. She has designed, analyzed and reported field based research, conducted situation analysis and developed monitoring and evaluation systems for health projects in an international development context.

Peter O’Hara

Peter has 17 years working with local communities in low income countries on good forest governance, including the full cycle of programme management, with specialisation in governance analysis, forest policy and legislation support, associated capacity building and workshop facilitation.

Peter is considered to be a leading innovator in multi-stakeholder approaches to forestry.  This includes supporting the scaling up and institutionalisation of community forestry (particularly in relation to policy reform) and community forestry consolidation, linking field experimentation with policy and legislation reform.  Peter has supported community forestry and policy reform in over 20 countries and has conducted related trainings for more than 500 professionals from 30 different countries.

His current work includes policy reform and forest enterprise support for EU-funded community forestry projects. He also works as an international advisor to FAO Rome on effective forest policy development and enhancing participation in national forest programmes. He works as an advisor to DFID to support strategy for future forestry support in Ethiopia.  He is currently employed to teach modules as part of an International Masters in Forest Policy and Economics at Belgrade University.

Sharon Pearson

Sharon Pearson has extensive experience in operational management, particularly in the NHS.  She was responsible for the roll out of the Knowledge and Skills Framework appraisal system for the NHS to her teams, and was active in the development of job descriptions under the Agenda for Change pay structure introduced nationally.  As well as line management and project management experience, Sharon has lead teams of volunteers and conducted event management as part of the Women in Management Scotland network, affiliated with the CMI. She has undertaken a qualification in Knowledge Capture, Analysis and Organisation with the University of Edinburgh and gained a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Administration, Leadership and Management with the Association of University Administrators and Nottingham Trent University.

Her recent work experience includes working for the University of Edinburgh with responsibilities in admissions and on programme administration for postgraduate students in College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.  She is currently Project Manager for Faclair na Gàidhlig, which is based at Scotland’s Gaelic College on the Isle of Skye.