Team
Our Team
Meet Añañau’s dedicated team that’s working towards education and sustainable development!
Our background story
NGO Añañau was founded in December 2014 by Sadith Paez Montesinos and Ellen Bosch in a Peruvian-Belgian cooperation. They met in 2010 during their previous work in a non-profit organization, where they were responsible for the coordination and organization of the project and its functioning. They also vouched for the pedagogic guidance of the children in their development and learning process. After 4 years of working together, they decided to start a educational project together. Asociación ONG Añañau was born. Now lets meet the team!
"Our mission is to create an inspiring and safe learning environment in which Peruvian children and adolescents can discover, learn, develop, share and connect their talents and dreams."
Meet the team
Our story
Our first team member is Sadith Paez Montesinos, from Cusco, Peru. Sadith studied Midwifery and the Development of the young child at the Andina University in Cusco. She continued specializing her profession with additional studies on Prenatal and Postnatal Stimulation. After completing her studies she started working as a midwife in the Regional Hospital of Cusco. This hospital is run by the state and this is where the poorest population of the region is admitted for medical care. After several years of working there, Sadith started to work at the health center of the Ttío district in Cusco for about two years. Because of a permanent deficiency in means and staff, the working situation got too complicated and she decided to start another challenge.
In 2008 Sadith started working for the organization Máximo Nivel. There, she was responsible for the international coordination. She got to know an ample social network in the world of developmental aid. In 2010 she started to work full time in a non-profit organization in Cusco and got to know Ellen, who was working there as well.
At Añañau Sadith is responsible for the educational aspect of the organization. Together with Ellen she coordinates the educational programs and activities. Meanwhile she is responsible for the follow-up of the childrens’ fysical and emotional development, as well as the organization’s health campaigns.
The Belgian Ellen Bosch studied at the PXL University College at the faculty of Education (Education, Art and Languages). During her final year she specialized in the development of educational programs or workshops for children and youths. She elaborated her final work on this. She created educational programs for the center of contemporary art Z33 in Hasselt and other different museums in Belgium. In 2010, after being a teacher for 7 years and due to a growing interest by getting involved in social work, she travelled around Peru. She got to work for a nonprofit organization for development aid in Cusco, first as a volunteer. Later she became the responsible for the coordination of the educational programs and the coordination of the project. In 2015 Ellen followed additional studies on development cooperation and the nonprofit sector.
At Añañau, Ellen stands for the international coordination of the organization and the educational programs. Meanwhile she is responsible for the international contacts, cooperations and fundraising. She also accompanies and follows up the trainees during their internship in the project.
From January 2019, with the start of the second project of Añañau in Huancaro, the Peruvian Gilmourd Cardeña Perez also joined to strengthen the team. Gilmourd has a degree in Tourism as well as in Law and Political Science and has extensive experience in participating in social campaigns in the city as well as for communities in remote rural areas. In Añañau, Gilmourd is involved in the general coordination of the project and he is the responsible for the second project of Añañau in the local primary school in Huancaro. Gilmourd is very enthusiastic to help the children in their learning process, but also to learn from them! According to him, education is a very important tool that helps to achieve many goals in life. Gilmourd is also responsible for guiding and supporting volunteers during their period in the project.
Finally, the team is assisted on a daily base by volunteers and students from Peru or from abroad. They offer support in the project for a period of time by helping in the after school program and the other educational projects, or by the elaboration of an internship project, dissertation or thesis.