Rhoda Ibrahim is the Co-Founder and Treasurer of the Foundation. Additionally, she is a community leader, CEO and the founder of the Somali Advice and Forum of Information (SAAFI) in the UK (An award-winning community organisation in London). Rhoda has more than 35 years of extensive hands-on management experience in gender, resilience, organisational capacity building, conflict understanding, peacebuilding, and rehabilitation for war-torn communities in the Horn of Africa.
Rhoda holds a BSc in Social Sciences from the College of Education Lafoole in Somalia, Diploma of Women and Development at IDS of Sussex University in Brighton and a Diploma in Working with Conflict (WWC) at Woodbrook College of Selly Oak, Birmingham
Rhoda has worked for various charities and organisations including UN agencies, Oxfam, the Somali Relief Association, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Cooperation for Development (ICD), London Refugee Voice (LRV) and many others.
Some of the remarkable achievements and recognition include:
In 2019, Rhoda Ibrahim was among 160 guest leaders from the UK Faith and Voluntary sector organizations who were invited to a reception hosted by The late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham for their contribution to the communities.
In 2020, Rhoda spoke out about the ‘brutal injustice’ of the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking in the Guardian after a high number of residents died of coronavirus in the Church End estate in north Brent, where there is a large British-Somali population. She boldly addressed the harsh realities of the Covid-19 pandemic, advocating for those in need. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/27/uk-volunteers-brace-for-a-covid-winter-everything-was-depleted-by-the-first-wave
Her activism prompted a remarkable response from across the UK, with donations pouring in to support SAAFI’s cause. As a result, an innovative new program to tackle health inequality, Brent Health Matters, was launched in partnership with the local council and community organisation. More than £1m of additional NHS funding was secured for primary care in Church End and Alperton, and Brent council received Community Champions funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/13/theres-a-big-community-spirit-how-brent-is-tackling-health-inequalities-during-covid)
In 2022 – Rhoda’s impactful work led to her recognition to be one of 220 women and non-binary people in the City of Women London Map in 2022 and the naming of Stonebridge in Brent after her. https://www.cityofwomenlondon.org/
