In the fall of 2019, Andrew published an article about twin Cambodian boys who were separated in childhood by the violence and reunited more than four decades later.  Read the story of resilience and hope here. Andrew commented: The education sector still bears the scars of the Pol Pot regime. In my work here, I know so many families whose relatives were either killed or separated. [11/19]

Since 2014, I have been working in the Education sector in Cambodia. As a Technical Education Manager with World Vision, I developed a partnership with World Education on Early Grade Reading and together with them implemented “Total Reading Approach for Children, Plus” (TRAC Plus) in about 170 schools. During the design process, I worked with James MacNeil and Jacole Douglas (CIE colleagues) and learned that partnerships can stretch the sponsorship resources of NGOs for technical programs.

I then moved to USAID Cambodia and helped design a national Early Grade Reading project. Later, I planned an international conference on “Unrestricting Space for Peace Building” in Siem Reap, Cambodia with American Friends Service Committee for practitioners from 40 countries. Currently, I consult with local NGOs.

Previously, I have worked with NGOs to provide education during and after conflicts. In Pakistan, I managed a World Learning education portfolio for 10,000 Afghan refugee families. In Kosovo, I worked with Catholic Relief Services after the 1999 conflict and designed education interventions for Serbs, Kosovar Albanians and Romas. Also, in Pakistan, I worked with Aga Khan Education Service and managed a girls’ education project which focused on quality and sustainability of girls’ education in the Northern Areas of the country.

While at CIE, I was awarded a Boren Fellowship which inspired me to learn Tamil and to do my doctoral research in Sri Lanka.  In South East Asia, I have run into Toon Fuderich in Thailand and James MacNeil in Cambodia. In Pakistan, I had lunch with Majid Khan. In my free time, I practice Ashtanga yoga (asanas) with a very good teacher in Indonesia. [9-19]

Email: jilani.andrew@gmail.com