Our People
Nama Keenna
-
Steering Committee | Dubartota
Led by a collective of Oromo women in North America, our Dubartota mobilize horizontally, primarily connecting with Oromo women from across the global diaspora, and building grassroots networks of fundraising to develop, launch, and support food access projects in Gadab Hasaasa.
-
Community Outreach Committee | Haawwota
10 women from 10 districts in Gadab Hasaasa make up this core committee. Using local mosques as anchors within their respective districts, our Haawwota are insightful ambassadors of their neighbourhoods. Their critical feedback, community knowledge, and capacity for relationship building ensures the most vulnerable folks in the region are at the centre of our efforts.
-
Volunteers | Dardarran
Mostly comprised of youth, our Dardarran are essential to the success of our Emergency Food Hampers Program. Organizing and distributing thousands of food hampers to thousands of families, our work would not be possible without their frontline support. We offer folks a modest honorarium for their efforts, with the hopes that they feel both empowered by their support of community, and galvanized to contribute to future food access work in the region.
-
Elders | Manguddoota
We are indebted to our Manguddoota—both in Gadab Hasaasa and throughout the Oromo diaspora—for rallying behind our work from the very beginning. Several elders have come onboard as mentors to support our mission, offering invaluable insights, cultural wisdom, and spiritual guidance, as well as ensuring our efforts are grounded within community.
In Memoriam: Hajj Muhammad Said Jilo
In early 2024, we lost one of our most beloved elders. A man of deep faith, Hajj Muhammad Said Jilo was a mentor, mediator, and facilitator, whose lifelong and community-first efforts in uplifting the conditions of his people were nothing short of exemplary. A hero in many ways, Hajj Muhammad was a pillar of his community, and a giant of this ummah. We continue to grieve his loss. We deeply miss his voice, wisdom, and presence everyday, and it is clear that—in the wake of his death—there is an even greater urgency to the work we do in Gadab Hasaasa.
To Allah do we belong. To Him do we return. To learn why Hajj Muhammad meant (and continues to mean) so much to us, please read on.