My hope for Project Didi is that it can continue to be at the forefront of generational change for women and girls in Nepal. Project Didi has proved that the smallest idea can change people’s lives. From the beginning, all three of us founders said “even if we can change one girl’s life, it’s worth it”. That seed of an idea has grown into a magnificent tree, nurtured by so many extraordinary people. Fiona Toll, co-founder |
Chloë Spackman, President
Chloë’s curiosity and care for humanity started at a young age when she accompanied her mother to the homes of recently arrived female refugees to teach them English and support their transition to Australian life. She is fascinated with how we can all lead and contribute through the lens of values and this has informed her work across the higher-education and non-profit sectors, including her current leadership of a not-for-profit working ensure we maximise and share our successes across generations. She has a long-standing commitment to women and girls across a variety of roles, including the initiative she started in 2022 “Improving Democracy: Transforming Parliament for Women”. |
Clare Bartram, Vice-President
Clare strongly believes that when women and girls live with freedom and equality we all benefit. This belief has driven her to a career raising awareness of modern slavery risks in investments, government and higher education. She inherited a deep connection with Nepal from her mother, PDA’s co-founder, and has been lucky to learn from our local partners through stints working in-country. She volunteers with PDA in between her work with the University of Sydney’s anti-slavery team and hanging out with her little guy, Felix. |
Alison Thornburn, Secretary
Alison’s passion for social equity inspired her to give up her corporate career and move to Cambodia, where she has worked for eight years promoting disability rights, gender equality and social inclusion. She has seen first-hand the power of locally-led development driven by the needs of the communities it serves, which is central to PDA’s mission. As an alumni of Australian Volunteers International, she believes strongly in responsible volunteering, and is proud to be part of the dedicated team of volunteers at PDA. |
Merry Cloutier, Treasurer
Having worked for many years as an international consultant, Merry understands the power of listening to those directly involved in a situation to identify the root cause of issues and the best way to deal with them. She believes this must also apply to social issues, such as modern slavery. With a commercial background, her goal is to enable Project Didi to increase their support for their Nepal partners. |
Kira Osborne, Board Member
Kira has built a career in gender equality and child protection on the foundation that women hold up half the sky. With more than a decade of international development experiences across Asia and the Pacific, Kira is continually inspired by the stories of strength and perseverance generously shared by the communities she has worked with. These stories and the belief that ‘when we know better we do better’ drives Kira to contribute to futures of dignity and hope for women and girls in all their diversity. |
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