Field Staff
Alyssa Pyke - Camp Operations Coordinator
Alyssa Pyke joined FORGE in 2008 as the Lusaka-based Camp Operations Coordinator. Before joining FORGE Alyssa worked with the Community Service's Officer at UNHCR in Malawi and with the HIV/AIDS Branch of UNFPA in New York. Alyssa has also worked as a Testing and Counseling Specialist for high-risk populations at HIV Alliance, a NGO in Oregon. Alyssa holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and German from the University of Oregon, and a Master of Public Administration in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
Healther Falenski - Kala & Mwange International Communications Manager
After several years of experience as an international volunteer and photographer, Heather Falenski joined FORGE as a 2008-2009 International Communications Manager for the Kala and Mwange Refugee Camps. Heather graduated from the University of Denver with a B.A. in Languages and International Studies. She has worked in Vares, Bosnia as a children's summer school teacher with the goal of facilitating the integration of the town's three major ethnic groups. Later that year, Heather studied abroad at the Universitaet Tuebingen, concentrating on French and German linguistics. In the summer of 2006, Heather served as a delegate for the United Students for Fair Trade trip to East Africa, where she worked with farmers from Tanzania and Uganda. Heather is a Colorado native who enjoys languages, aviation, and the outdoors.
Sherie Gertler - Meheba Project Manager
Sherie Gertler is a FORGE Project Manager for Meheba Settlement. Having recently completed her Master's Degree in African Studies from Stanford University with a concentration in Political Economy and Security, Sherie brings an extensive academic background to her work on-the-ground. Before coming to FORGE, Sherie had worked as an intern for Scholars at Risk and as a Research Assistant on the book "War in Africa." With an interest in human rights journalism, Sherie spent 3 years as a volunteer copy editor and contributing writer for Six Degrees: A Stanford Journal of Human Rights and spent semester at Oxford focusing on International Human Rights Law. Sherie also holds Bachelor's degree with a double-major in Political Science and English from Stanford University.
Sabah Khan – Meheba Project Manager
After several years of experience working for the United States Department of Justice, Sabah Khan joined FORGE as a 2008-2009 Project Manager for Meheba Refugee Settlement. Sabah graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She has worked for the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and as a Research Assistant in the White House, as well as for several law firms. With family in Pakistan, Sabah has spent significant time volunteering in southern Asia and speaks fluent Urdu and Hindi. In order to help eradicate illiteracy in Pakistan, she co-founded the San Francisco chapter of Youth Outreach, Developments in Literacy and raised several thousand dollars toward the cause.
Carol Maambo - Kala Project Manager
Carol Maambo currently works as a Project Manager with FORGE in Kala Refugee Camp. She oversees operations of three FORGE projects including Kala Health Services, the Kala Peace Library, and the four Kala Preschools. Originally from the Southern Province of Zambia, Carol joined FORGE after working with Sisters of Charity in the Meheba Refugee Settlement, where she worked especially with vulnerable refugee populations. Maambo left Sisters of Charity to pursue a degree in Social Services via correspondence courses while she works with FORGE in Kala.
Laura Messenger - Mwange Project Manager
Laura Messenger joined FORGE as a 2008-2009 Project Manager in Mwange Refugee Camp after graduating summa cum laude from Lesley College in 2008. At Lesley, Laura was the presidential scholar of her class, where she worked towards a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and European and World History, with an individually designed specialization in comparative education. Prior to her studies at Lesley, Laura worked as a paraprofessional at a New Hampshire elementary school during the 2003-2004 school year, designing and providing instruction and services to students ages 5-12 in individual, small group and classroom settings. Laura was also a member of AmeriCorps*NCCC class IV in Charleston, South Carolina, serving the Southeast Region of the United States from 2002-2003.
Audrey Reese – FORGE Education Fund – University Project Manager
As a Project Manager for the FORGE Education Fund – University program, Audrey Reese brings to FORGE her strong academic and applied background in education. Audrey graduated in 2003 from the Boston University School of Education, where she received a Masters of Education in School Counseling. Prior to that, she had graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston University with a BA in Psychology. Before joining FORGE, Audrey spent two years as a Teacher at Denver Academy, working with the educational and emotional needs of kids who learn differently. Before that, Audrey was the General Manager of Boston Sports Club where she managed 30 employees and 17,000 members. Audrey has also spent two years volunteering for Lutheran Family Service where she helped recently-arrived refugee families find jobs and integrate into the local community.
Nick Reese - Meheba Project Manager
After years of experience in the non-profit sector, Nick Reese joined FORGE as a 2008-2009 Project Manager in the Meheba Refugee Settlement. Having graduated from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies with a Master’s Degree in International Development, Nick worked for the OMNI Institute – consulting with nonprofits on how to improve their monitoring and evaluation methods. He has also worked as a Community and Coexistence Coordinator for the Center on Rights Development, as the Educational Programs Support Coordinator for the University of Denver Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, and as a Protection Intern for the American Council for Voluntary International Action (InterAction). Nick received a BA in International Relations from Boston University in 2002, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with Distinction and was awarded Phi Beta Kappa. He has spent six months studying at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.