Our Team
Our team consists of highly qualified and motivated professionals with many years of work experience with Afghan community, understanding of Afghan culture and the socio-economic determinants of health among Afghans.
Trustee
(General Management)
Shaqaieq Ashrafi Dost
MD, MPH, AFHEA, PhD-Health Policy & Management
Shaqaieq graduated as a Medical Doctor from Afghanistan. She has a public health background with extensive experience in community health, maternal and child health (MCH), Early Childhood Development (ECD) and IYCF. She was awarded the Aga Khan Higher Education Scholarship which supported her to start her MPH at the Bournemouth University. During her study, she achieved the Santander Mobility Award, Postgraduate Development Gold Award, Outstanding Contribution to Achieving the Postgraduate Development Award and the Associate fellowship (AFHEA). She has presented at national and international conferences in Afghanistan, Germany, UK and Malaysia. In 2021 she got the Woman of Excellence Award by the Women’s Information Network (WIN), California, USA. She is interested in health management and organisational performance and how leadership competence has an important role in the success of organisations. She pursued this topic in her PhD at the same university. Elimination of poverty and inequality interests her which is why she joined many charities and served voluntarily. She believes that charities are genuine sources that work for the elimination of poverty and inequality by receiving from genuine people having high source transforming them into the services to serve the people with limited source. This belief made her to establish Afghan Health Organisation (AHO).
Trustee
(Communication/Social Media)
Emily Underwood
Emily has over 13 years of experience in volunteering and working within the voluntary sector. Guided by a strong commitment to justice and advocacy, she has worked with various organisations supporting refugees, asylum seekers, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people in detention across England, Mexico, Greece, and Jordan.
Over the past five years, Emily has focused on supporting refugees and asylum seekers through roles such as Youth Advocate for Paiwand Afghan Association and Adult Caseworker at CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers). She also contributed to developing casework provision at Groundwork as the Caseworker for the Together Healthy Minds pilot project.
In her role as Caseworker with Groundwork’s Afghan Response Project (AR), Emily supported Afghan refugees arriving under the ACRS and ARAP schemes, providing guidance on accessing healthcare, education, employment, welfare benefits, and housing. She has also volunteered with Detention Action as an Advocacy Caseworker, assisting individuals in immigration removal centres, and with CLEAR as an Employment and Education Caseworker for refugees.
Emily is a CELTA-certified ESOL teacher, with experience teaching in Greece through Refugee Education Chios and in Amman, Jordan, with refugees. Her work with Médecins Sans Frontières in Mexico involved supporting Central American asylum seekers. Her Spanish and Arabic language skills have helped her bridge communication gaps and create more inclusive and supportive environments for those she works with.
Deeply passionate about equity and inclusion, Emily strives to ensure that individuals are not defined or constrained by their circumstances.
Trustee
(Safeguarding, Finance)
Farzia Hussaini
Farzia studied Financial Mathematics and began her career in the education sector in 2022. Starting as a Finance Assistant through an apprenticeship, she has progressed to roles such as Assistant Accountant and Finance Officer. Farzia has worked with a variety of educational organisations, including Multi-Academy Trusts, school hubs, maintained schools, and various charities. Her responsibilities include working closely with senior leadership teams to set and monitor budgets, manage cost centres, and ensure compliance with financial regulations. Farzia plays a key role in financial planning, forecasting, and reporting to ensure sound financial health. She also oversees financial audits and provides strategic advice to help schools and charities maximise their resources and operate on a value-for-money basis. Additionally, she is responsible for ensuring financial transparency, safeguarding public funds, and supporting initiatives that promote cost efficiency.
Trustee (Equality/Diversity/Data protection)
Farzana Adell
Farzana Adell is a dedicated Gender Studies researcher and advocate for women’s rights, renowned for her commitment to advancing gender equality. As the founder of the Gender Equality Research Organization in Afghanistan, she has played a pivotal role in championing women's rights within the region. Farzana currently serves on the Core Advisory Group of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), where she collaborates on strategies to foster a diverse, strong, and responsive feminist funding ecosystem in South Asia. She is also a researcher with the Global Diversity and Inequality Research Centre (GDIRC) in London, focusing on Afghan migrants' experiences.
In her role as Senior Researcher at ASPIRE, a UK-based consultancy, Farzana contributes expert research and consultancy services. Since 2005, she has worked extensively on women’s capacity-building projects in Afghanistan, partnering with local and international organizations to empower women and advocate for their rights. She has also served as Chief of Staff to the senior advisor to the President of Afghanistan on United Nations Affairs, addressing critical UN-related issues.
Farzana holds an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University and an MA in Women and Child Abuse from London Metropolitan University, where her dissertation examined domestic abuse among Afghan women in the UK. Her research is widely published in international journals, addressing topics such as religious fundamentalism, gender roles, and femicide. Her scholarly profiles can be accessed on Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.
A globally respected voice for gender equality, Farzana Adell continues to make an indelible impact on the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan and beyond.
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