Our team

Dr. Saskia Ravesloot is the founder of Saraco and oversees the organisation’s strategic engagements. She brings over 30 years of experience in international cooperation, with a particular focus on gender and human rights. She worked for bilateral and multilateral organisations in over 30 countries, primarily in Africa. Her expertise spans all phases of project and programme management – e.g. design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation – as well as gender mainstreaming, policy analysis and action plans, gender-responsive budgeting, multilateral coordination and evidence-based advocacy. She also provides strategic advice to organisations seeking to improve their human rights and gender approaches: this includes capacity-building, employee trainings and organisational development. Dr. Ravesloot is a permanent lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, where she teaches courses on gender equality, sexual orientations and gender identities in development cooperation. She holds a PhD in Sociology, LLM in International Human Rights Law, MS in Political Sciences & International Politics, and a BA in Political & Social Sciences.

Dr. Gabriel Sangli is a senior data analyst, geographer (PhD) and demographer (MsC), with more than 25 years of research experience in demographic research and population studies. He is currently an Assistant Professor (Teacher-Researcher) at the Higher Institute of Population Sciences (ISSP) at Joseph KI-ZERBO University in Burkina Faso (U-JKZ), where he is associated with the Demographic Education and Research Unit (UERD). As part of his main research stream, Dr. Sangli collects survey data on health and migration topics. His expertise also extends to cartographic and spatial analysis; the design of data collection tools; field team organisation, training and supervision; all things related to the analysis and interpretation of data – quality control, security, codification and treatment. Dr. Sangli has also collaborated with international organisations, such as the OECD, to critically examine the migration-demographics-development nexus

As a Saraco associate and long-time collaborator, Antoine is focused on identifying new opportunities for the team – specifically programme and project collaborations with NGOs, bilateral and multilateral organisations. He brings more than 10 years of professional experience in analysis, programming, planning, implementation and monitoring & evaluation of projects in bilateral and multilateral settings. Antoine is passionate about migration issues and works on various related topics, such as mixed migration, diaspora, remittances and economic development within Africa. His professional and personal interests also include gender equality, poverty reduction, climate change, social protection and human rights. “Without Saraco, I wouldn’t be able to manage and direct more significant projects on migration. Saraco gives a professional framework to evolve and learn constantly”.

Patricia Acosta is a gender and financial inclusion expert, bringing over 6 years of professional experience in international organisations and development cooperation agencies in Latin America. She specialises in project management, strategic planning and monitoring & evaluation. Patricia’s thematic work focuses on social finance and financial inclusion. Social banking is her passion – her portfolio includes microfinance, women’s financial inclusion and women’s entrepreneurship. Previously, Patricia worked in the banking sector as an account manager for social entrepreneurship projects. She enjoys organising and implementing training programmes and seminars, both in-person and online.

Rachel leads Saraco’s Communications & Advocacy work – with a particular focus on amplifying issues and voices that are often silenced or ignored. She brings over 3 years of professional experience in international organisations and research institutes, with specialisations in 1) gender research & data analytics, 2) public-private partnerships to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, 3) freelance journalism focused on cultural analysis, environmental humanities and literature & cinema. Rachel holds a MA in International Development from Sciences Po Paris and a BA in International Relations and French & Francophone Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Gabriela Avecedo (‘Gabs’, they/them) is an intern at Saraco and a Master candidate in International Development at Sciences Po Paris. Hailing from Chile and with a background in philosophy & political science, Gabs hopes to dedicate their professional career to the empowerment and advocacy of the LGBTQIA+ community in international cooperation. Their specialisation is in gender and human rights, particularly trans and non-binary human rights in international processes. In addition to working in international collaborative environments, Gabs enjoys traveling widely; reading English literature, drama and crime; and respecting themselves and other living things by practicing yoga and being a vegan. “Gender should be a world of possibilities, not a cage.”

Ms. Khadija ASSARI, Human Rights and Social Inclusion expert has extensive work experience with public institutions, bilateral and multilateral cooperation as well as with civil society. She has solid experience in the analysis, formulation, planning, and management and monitoring-evaluation of programmes and projects in the areas of Human Rights, training and communication. As an advisor, she has supported several institutions for the promotion of Human Rights and the mainstreaming of the gender in public policies, programs and projects. She also has extensive experience as a manager. She managed projects of international cooperation (United Nations, European Union, bilateral cooperation, etc.), research, training, communication and development. She has particularly supported several institutions in the development and implementation of strategies and action plans in the areas of Human Rights, training, communication and development. She also has solid experience in capacity building and team coaching and mentoring. Her multidisciplinary educational background and more than 40 years of professional experience have allowed her to develop great analytical, drafting and synthesis abilities as well as an in-depth knowledge of the development and human rights issues. She has a Master in journalism and communication, a master in management, a bachelor in English literature, an agronomy diploma as well as the certificate of the 'International Institute of Human Rights”. Khadija ASSARI is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Paul Roosen is co-founder of Saraco. He manages contracts and finances and ensures the administration that comes with the projects run by the team. Paul spent the majority of his career in finances and banking and built a sound experience in managing IT processes. As head of Office he supervised communication channels with third parties and clients. Relying on his professional experiences, his human resources management skills allowed his teams to excell and thrive during change processes within the organisation. Paul's expertise in organisational development is extremely valuable for Saraco's future busness plans.