Nathalie Nikiema

Nathalie Nikiema has over 15 years’ experience in various community development sectors, especially in governance, democracy, and citizen participation. Nathalie is currently a national program’s officer in the Swiss Development and Cooperation Office in Burkina Faso. She is team leader and heads several thematic programs. Through these programs, she supports regions and municipalities to plan and implement their priorities, and she organizes training for civil society organizations as they control the actions of the national and local authorities. Nathalie Nikiema holds a master’s degree in Macroeconomics and Development Management from the University of Ouagadougou. Besides her professional work, Nathalie is the founder of an informal association in her community, addressing girls’ education in relation to early marriage issues. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship(Africa), Nathalie plans to use her new skills to continue her work of strengthening citizen participation in her country and mentoring girls to avoid early marriage.