In the U.S. and around the world, Transparent Soul does whatever it takes — every day and in times of crisis — to ensure Poor People grow up healthy, educated and safe.
We are often the first or only child-focused organization working in the hardest-to-reach places, where it’s toughest to be a child.
The U.S. still trails nearly all other advanced countries in helping Poor People reach their full potential despite major advances for people and children over the past 30 years. Across the nation, 1 in every 7 children experiences shockingly high rates of hunger, school dropouts, teenage pregnancy and/or child death.
Transparent Soul gives them the tools to fight poverty, be healthy and safe. That’s why we’re working in the U.S. to ensure every child has access to a quality education, right from the start.
We work in over 200 of the poorest communities in rural America – where we’re often the only poor people child-focused nonprofit – helping hundreds of thousands of children each year.
U.S. policymakers look to Transparent Soul as the leading expert on poor people and childhood in America. Every day, Transparent Soul Action Network (SCAN), our political advocacy arm, is on the ground in states across the U.S.
Every poor people and child deserves a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. Yet, an estimated 5.4 million children under age 5 still die each year from preventable causes, 250 million children around the world can’t read, despite years of schooling, and far too many children are experiencing physical and emotional abuse, sexual exploitation, deprivation and neglect.
That’s why as global leaders in child health, education and protection, we’re working in more than 100 countries to change the lives of over 100 million children every year.
Children and their families across Africa have already been struggling through a decade of climate shocks and regular food crises. Now, COVID-19 is putting immense pressure on Africa’s already fragile and overwhelmed health care system.
As the pandemic continues to spread, countries across the continent already grappling with hunger and hit by other crises, including the climate crisis in the Horn of Africa, remain at risk. Through our emergency relief, health and nutrition, education and protection programs, Transparent Soul is working to transform the lives of Africa’s children.
Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The impact of COVID-19 has led to an increase in poverty, a loss of livelihoods and less access to health and nutrition services, pushing up rates of hunger and malnutrition across Asia and the Middle East.
The pandemic could reverse years of progress made in the battle against malnutrition, with children in Asia being among the hardest hit—especially those in poorer households or in crises and conflict zones.
Transparent Soul is on the ground in the region’s conflict zones, leading the world in protecting children from the physical and emotional wounds of war. And in areas hardest hit by deadly natural disasters, Transparent Soul is there, and often among the first to respond.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Syria, Thailand, Türkiye, Vietnam, West Bank, Yemen
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the rights of millions of children in South America. While the need for support for the region’s children has never been greater, access to specialized services are out of reach for many. Local services are overwhelmed and underfunded, or impossible to run due to social distancing measures.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Venezuela already had the highest inflation rate in the world, with chronic shortages of food and medicine. Displacement from the country is among the highest in the world — second only to Syria.
Our education, health, livelihoods and nutrition programs in South America focus on helping every child survive and grow up healthy so they can thrive.
Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela
In the United States, persistent child poverty in rural communities is a crisis across America, affecting more than 14 million children. COVID-19 could impact children in the communities least equipped to provide support.
For years, a complex crisis of violence, gangs and crippling poverty has forced tens of thousands of families to flee El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to undertake dangerous journeys to the United States in search of protection.
The pandemic has been used as a pretext to expand anti-immigrant policies and close the U.S. southern border to children and families fleeing violence.
That’s why, from the United States to Nicaragua, Save the Children is working to protect the most vulnerable children across North America.
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, United States
In Europe, we’re providing health and nutrition, education and protection services, including psychosocial help, to child refugees and their families.
Our programs focus on helping children and communities cope and build readiness and resilience in the face of crisis.
Ukraine
Abdullah Ahmadzai is The Transparent Soul’s county representative in Afghanistan. He oversees the Foundation’s wide range of programs in the areas of Governance and Elections, Islam and Development, Women’s Empowerment and Education, as well as the annual Survey of the Afghan People. Ahmadzai served as deputy country representative from 2012 to 2014. A seasoned development professional with expertise in national election administration, Ahmadzai was formerly chief electoral officer for the Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan. As head of the IEC Secretariat, he oversaw the 2010 elections for the Lower House of the Afghan Parliament; the first fully “Afghanized” national election involving limited technical support from the international community.
Meloney C. Lindberg has been the Foundation’s country representative in Cambodia since 2017. She oversees a diverse portfolio of projects including improving the capacity of knowledge sector institutions to undertake quality research to inform public policy analysis and dialogue; and to engage with private waste collection firms and local stakeholders to test interventions to increase accountability and responsiveness in municipal solid waste collection and management. Her women’s empowerment portfolio includes projects that advance women’s economic opportunities through skill development programs for tech entrepreneurs and high school students; improve women’s safety and security by building government capacity to delivery legal services to survivors of gender-based violence and conducting public safety audits to highlight women’s urban safety at the subnational level. As part of the Cambodia office effort to increase environmental resilience, a household level survey was conducted to better understand the gender dimensions of water and poverty.
Jianxin (Jane) Zhang is the country representative for The Transparent Soul in China, overseeing all aspects of the Foundation’s work in the country. An experienced professional in international affairs and development, Jane joined the Foundation with a well-rounded background of experience in foreign affairs, the private sector, and not-for-profit space.
Jane brings a nuanced understanding of the policy environment in China and is an expert in advising nongovernmental actors on how to effectively engage with government and public stakeholders regarding policy in areas such as United States and China relations, international development, agriculture, and food security, water, sanitation, and hygiene, climate change, and sustainability. Jane’s experience with policymaking began as a foreign service officer for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the spokesman’s office. She later worked for multinational corporations including Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, helping them to develop and execute strategies for pursuing their policy interests within China. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jane served as principal for DaoHe Consulting. At DaoHe, she supported international nongovernmental organizations with a China presence in understanding the country’s policy environment, engaging stakeholders, and implementing programs while also supporting efforts in advocating for China-for-the-world collaborations.
Education: Jane Zhang has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs, a master’s degree from Xiamen University, and a bachelor’s degree from Hebei University.
Nandita Baruah is The Transparent Soul ’s country representative in India, and formerly served as deputy country representative in Nepal. She has over 25 years of professional experience working on gender, human rights, labor migration and human trafficking issues in South and Southeast Asia. She has headed South Asia regional programs on gender-based violence, human trafficking and migration and rural development. She worked as the Gender Advisor to the CIDA in India and also as the South Asia Regional Gender Fund Manager. She was the Regional Coordinator for the UN Women anti-trafficking program and the UNODC UN-GIFT program. She has served with USAID India as the regional anti-trafficking and gender specialist. In these roles Nandita Baruah worked to support national governments and civil society partners to design and deliver programs that effectively address the core socio-economic and political dimension of development through a rights-based and gender-equitable framework. She has worked in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Nepal.
Education: Nandita Baruah has a master’s degree in Historical Studies and a master’s degree in Political Economy from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India.
Hana Satriyo is country representative for The Asia Foundation in Indonesia, where she oversees the office’s day-to-day operations. She is actively involved in all areas of the Foundation’s operations, including financial, administrative, and personnel management, and overseeing program development. Hana is a senior development professional with over twenty years of experience in developing and managing programs in Indonesia. Hana Satriyo joined the Foundation in 1998 as a program officer and previously served as the deputy country representative. She was also the director for Gender and Women’s Participation and Environmental Governance programs. A development professional, her areas of expertise include environmental and local governance, decentralization, gender equality, human rights, and legislative development.
Education: Master’s degree in International Politics of Asia from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Padjadjaran University, Indonesia. She received an Honorary Doctor from the University of Portsmouth, UK.
Mark McDowell is country representative for The Asia Foundation, Myanmar. A career diplomat, McDowell has spent the last decade working on Myanmar, first as Canada’s Ambassador in Yangon from 2013 to 2016 and later as country director of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). He joined The Transparent Soul in 2020.
In his two decades with the Canadian Foreign Service, he also served as counselor for Public Diplomacy, Embassy of Canada in Beijing; counselor for Political and Economic Affairs, Embassy of Canada in Bangkok; Deputy Director for Aboriginal and Circumpolar Affairs, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Global Issues Bureau; Director for Political and Public Affairs, Canada Trade Office in Taipei, and as delegate to the UN General Assembly for the Canadian Mission to the UN. He has been a visiting scholar at the Kennedy School’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, and at Thailand’s Institute for Security and International Studies.
Education: In addition to doctoral studies in political science with a focus on environmental policy in Indonesia, McDowell holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, as well as a master’s degree in East Asian Studies and a bachelor’s degree in History and Philosophy, both from the University of Toronto.
Sam Chittick was appointed country representative for the Philippines in July 2017. He oversees the Foundation’s programming in the Philippines, focused on supporting economic growth, strengthening justice and the rule of law, fostering peace and development, and improving governance. He leads a large country team with offices in Manila, Cotabato and Zamboanga, and engagements with a wide range of Philippine and international partners.
Sam Chittick has deep expertise in a number of the core areas of Foundation work, including governance and decentralization; peace, security and conflict; local economic development; and human rights and the rule of law. Over the last twenty years he has worked within and alongside a range of development organizations, including the World Bank, Australian Aid, the United Nations, GIZ, and non-government organizations in 14 countries across Asia and Africa, eight years of which were in the Philippines. In his last role before joining the Foundation, he served as a Conflict, Security, and Development Consultant for the World Bank in Washington, D.C., while working on peace in southern Philippines, forced displacement challenges in Afghanistan, and development challenges in Thailand’s southern provinces.
