Team
Olivia started with DIG in 2013 with a vision for adapting and expanding our programs in Western Kenya. Her expertise is in sustainable agriculture, environmental management, community based agribusiness, gender equity, and monitoring and evaluation. Olivia has brought immeasurable benefits to both the organization and our farmers in the region. She has a Bachelor of science in agriculture and a Masters in project planning and management. She is married and the mother of 2 exceptional boys who are proud to see their mother leading other women towards improved health and empowerment through nutrition sensitive agriculture.
Gloria is the Program Coordinator for the U ganda DIG program. After graduating with a diploma in business from the Uganda College of Commerce in December 2017, she joined the DIG team as a facilitator the next month. Using lessons her mother taught her from childhood, Gloria’s skill and knowledge of organic agriculture made her a great teacher. Her ability to engage communities personally, commitment to high quality work, and strong leadership at staff meetings made her a standout choice for coordinator. She has seen 20 groups through farmer field sc hools and she is motivated to continue expanding the reach of the program to more communities
Salam Sawadogo joined DIG in 2013 as a Project Lead in his home country, Burkina Faso. He holds a Masters Degree in Agronomy, Project Management, Environmental Management, and Sustainable Development. Salam is one of only a few West Africans who have received a Master Trainer Certificate from the Farmer Field Schools (FAO). Salam brings over 16 years of experience in supporting community food systems and working with farmers. He has led several programs including Regional Coordinator for the FAO, leading their Agro-pastoral and Climate Change Adaption Field School Program, Regional natural resource Manager for an USAID program, consulting as a post-harvest specialist for AGRA program, and leading a Multisectoral team for Action Against Hunger. In his free time, Salam enjoys spending time with his wife and his two children.
Sarah co-founded DIG in 2006 while serving in the US Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa. She is passionate about centering communities in their own solution building and is always working to better understand her role in that. She was awarded a Youth Action Net fellowship, is a LEAD Atlanta alumnus, and Cordes Fellow. Most recently, she is an alumnus of Santa Clara University’s Global Social Benefit Institute run through the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship and was recognized as one of Georgia Trend Magazine's 2019 40 under 40.
Lauren joined DIG in 2016 to launch our program in Southern Uganda. Lauren holds a Master’s Degree in Global Policy Studies and a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Texas at Austin and a BSc in soil science and forestry. She has over eight years’ experience, leading outreach programs in conservation, sustainable agriculture, and wildlife protection under USAID, the US Peace Corps, and Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Lauren is passionate about co-creating food systems alongside farmers, families, and communities.
Noah Derman holds a Master in Public Health from the Global Health Department at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health and an International Development Certificate from the Evans School of Public Affairs. He is a professor of Public Health at the University of Vermont. He has eight years of experience working on public health issues in the public and private sectors both domestically and internationally. He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer and served communities impacted by HIV/AIDS in Northeast Thailand.
