OUR STAFF

Dr Nadine Shema
(Co-Founder and Settlement Operations Manager)

Dr Shema is the co-founder of Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International (GLAPD). She serves as the agency‘s Settlement Operations Manager and Public Relations Officer.

Dr Shema is an overseas trained medical doctor, a public health professional and a refugee advocate. She holds a double master‘s degree in Public Health and Health Management (UNSW). Since her 2011 arrival in Australia, , she has devoted herself to the welfare of refugees and migrants from the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa (mainly Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and the D.R. Congo) by promoting peace, harmony and development among those people, both in Australia and internationally.

Her success in creating positive intercultural exchanges led to being acknowledged by Celebration of African Australians Inc. as an influential African Australian and at the 2017 Rotary Inspirational Women‘s Awards. Dr Shema is also a member of the Advisory Group on Australia-Africa Relations in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dr Shema previously held different roles in institutions including: Health Program Administrator for the Health Assessment for Refugee Kids (HARK) program at Westmead Children‘s Hospital - Sydney Children‘s Hospital Network, Research Project Officer in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales, National PMTCT Program Manager (Rwanda) and General Practitioner (Rwanda).