Profile of 20 mentees engaged in 2024 (Phase 3)

Metolo Foyet is a Human Geographer, Heritage Professional, Agricultural Value Chain Expert and Conservation Equity and Safeguards Specialist with 15 years of accumulated experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa.

She is passionate about leveraging technology, research, art, storytelling and policy to drive meaningful impact in conservation, enhance livelihoods in economically marginalized regions, and advance knowledge management within the broader field of ecology.

Prior to receiving her Ph.D. from the Department of Geography at the University of Florida (Summer 2025), she spent a decade of practice at the intersection of rural development, frugal entrepreneurship and social justice, implementing community development and outreach programs, and bridging the gap between rural and global communities by leveraging formal education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

Dr. Foyet’s work spans Abundant Intelligences, environmental governance, and sustainable development. Her interests fall into two broad categories: (1) Environmental Justice and Governance – Encompassing (a) Environmental Psychology (perceptions of environmental issues), (b) Human-Environment Interactions (cultural resistance and decolonial approaches to natural resource management), and (c) Eco-Diplomacy (institutional and policy responses to ecological crises). And (2) Digital Environmental Humanities (DEH) – Focusing on the role of technology and AI in shaping environmental narratives, activism, and discourses.

Her doctoral studies examined the institutional linkages between social media, wildlife activism, and the new conservation movement in Southern Africa, foregrounding the role and agency of non-state rural actors in reshaping conservation governance through digital resistance and advocacy. Her research employed digital humanities and rights-based approaches to investigate how Indigenous activists leverage digital tools to challenge dominant conservation narratives, mobilize resistance, navigate institutional barriers and preserve their cultural heritage. By integrating qualitative methods, social media analysis, and institutional theory, her work critically assesses virtual and policy spaces from an eco-rural lens and advocates for inclusive, conservation-based community-driven governance models that recognize the epistemic authority and land rights of indigenous peoples, local communities and traditional societies (IP&LCs/TS).

Metolo earned her BA Honours in Politics and International Relations from Lancaster University (UK) in 2017, where she studied the level of awareness and responsiveness to plastic pollution and climate change among tertiary students in Ghana, assessing their perceptions, behaviors, and willingness to take action toward mitigating these environmental challenges.

She then received her MA in Conflict, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (Ghana) in 2019, where she did fieldwork in Liberia, examining how United Nations Peace Support Operations (PSOs) have both addressed environmental security challenges and contributed to conflict by engaging in resource exploitation, highlighting the complex relationship between natural resources, conflict dynamics, and environmental degradation.

Beyond academia, Metolo is a creative author, an eco-futurist wildlife painter, a songwriter and a contributor to the World Economic Forum agenda for Nature and Biodiversity.

Through the UNESCO World Heritage Mentorship Programme for African World Heritage Professionals, I aim to deepen my expertise in heritage conservation, governance, and policy, particularly in the context of Indigenous cultural landscapes, intangible cultural heritage, and how nominations to the World Heritage List are prepared and executed. This experience will enhance my ability to bridge academia, policy, AI and community-led heritage stewardship, strengthening my contribution to the emerging Abundant Intelligences discourse; and my impact in advocating for sustainable and inclusive heritage practices across Africa and beyond. This is vital for sustainable development, because we are nature, and nature is us. Culture is not only economics, it is also a human right!

Metolo Foyet

Mabokang Mokotjo is a conservator with a Social Science Master’s degree in Tangible Cultural Heritage Conservation from the University of Pretoria.

She currently works as a Cultural Heritage Site Officer at Sehlabathebe National Park which is part of The Maloti Drakensberg World Heritage Site. Her responsibilities include identification, documentation, preservation, research and management of the park’s cultural heritage resources such as rock art sites, archaeological sites, ruins and sites associated with spiritual practices. I also participate in securing funding for community capacity building in cultural and natural heritage conservation and sustainable development. I liaise with government ministries, NGOs, and the private sector for public awareness campaigns.

She applied to the UNESCO Mentorship Programme with the expectation of gaining experience in advanced skills in heritage conservation, acquire new conservation techniques and methodologies suitable for both natural and cultural heritage, to have access to relevant trainings, courses or workshops, either online or onsite, especially on climate change on heritage. I also sort training in the nomination process training, which I have begun through the Mentorship Programme’ s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List Training workshop in Zambia (Online) which was held from the 13th to the 17th January 2025. My country, The Kingdom of Lesotho has secured funding from UNESCO to develop a serial nomination dossier for Thaba-Bosiu and its associated areas and I am part of the team which has benefitted from the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Training Workshop in Lesotho which started from the 31st March to the 3rd April 2025. I also seek training on managing World heritage Sites training since I am already part of the management team at the park, where I contribute in the development and review of management plans for the park. Furthermore, I have already benefited from online training on The World Heritage Convention and Impact Assessment through the UNESCO Mentorship Programme sessions with my Mentor Mr. Kagosi Mwamulowe, and I hope to gain practical experience in Impact Assessment.

I am truly grateful for the experiences and connections I ha gained through the Programme thus far, and I eagerly anticipate the valuable opportunities that lie ahead. I reaffirm my commitment to the Programme and its objectives.

Mabokang Mokotjo

Emmanuel Sawadogo holds an Engineering degree in Water and Forests and a PhD in Animal Biodiversity and Tropical Ecosystems.

He is an expert in animal biodiversity and the management of protected areas at the Burkina Faso Ministry of the Environment. He has also held positions as an expert in the environment and natural resource management at the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (in Tunis), Director of the W Burkina Faso National Park and Head of the Gorom-Gorom Departmental Environment and Sustainable Development Service in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso.

My expectations of this mentoring programme are as follows:

• Understand how the governing bodies of UNESCO work;
• To understand the process for including a site on the World Heritage List;
• Understand the criteria for selecting and classifying sites;
• Understanding the challenges of Heritage at Risk;
• Become an expert in supporting African countries in matters relating to UNESCO;
• Be able to become more involved in evaluation and advisory activities as well as providing support to States Parties and UNESCO offices in the field.

Emmanuel Sawadogo

Ladislas Witanene is in charge of climate change and the restoration of degraded areas around protected areas in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He is a young champion committed to nature conservation, passionate about natural resource governance and an advocate for the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples. Thanks to UNESCO's mentoring program for African natural and cultural heritage professionals, he has acquired internationally renowned expertise and experience in the fields of: Management and governance of World Heritage sites, including the development of innovative solutions to major challenges, advanced methods and techniques for transforming obstacles into opportunities for responsible governance, creating platforms for training and knowledge exchange between natural and cultural heritage professionals, strengthening intergenerational relations, establishing connections between recognized experts and emerging specialists, deepening knowledge of climate change as a direct threat to the natural resources of World Heritage sites, developing key skills to assess, advise and monitor World Heritage sites, while actively participating in the implementation of the 1972 Convention, improving the protection and conservation of sites of outstanding universal value in Africa, building strong professional networks, facilitating collaboration between cultural and natural heritage specialists on a continental and international scale, and sharing knowledge across generations, between the natural and cultural heritage fields.

This program offered me a unique opportunity to develop my career while actively contributing to world heritage conservation and sustainable governance of natural resources.

Ladislas Witanene

Adventina Anthony is a Volunteer for Eastern and Southern Arica Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project & currently pursuing master’s in wildlife management and conservation

Karmaseh Weefar is a Material/ Soil Engineer at Ministry of Public Works & a Professor in Biological sciences at University of Liberia

Hermione Kodjo is Executive Director of Nature Plurielle (NGP) and a research Assistant in the Forestry and Bioresource Conservation Research Unit.

A doctoral student at the Université Alioune DIOP de Bambey (UADB) in Senegal, with a Specialized Master's Degree in Protected Areas Management, Sékou Kourouma is currently Head of the Protected Areas Planning and Management Department at the Office Guinéen des Parcs Nationaux et Réserves de Faune (OGPNRF), Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Republic of Guinea.

He is also the National Focal Point for the Biosafety Information Exchange Center (BCH) in the Republic of Guinea. This Ingénieur des Eaux et Forêts-Environnement, was Chief Conservator of the Iles de Loos Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar site) from 2010 to 2021 as well as Deputy National Focal Point of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)GUINEA from 2012 to 2022.

This mentorship programme will enable me to enhance and broaden my expertise towards other opportunities and deepen my experience in UNESCO World Heritage conservation and management.

Sekou Kourouma

Brutus works for the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) of Zambia which is responsible for the conservation and management of cultural and natural heritage sites in Zambia. He is currently serving as the Regional Director for the Northern Region of the NHCC. He is responsible for coordinating the activities and programs for the conservation and management of cultural and natural heritage in the Northern Region of Zambia.

Brutus holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management from University of Zambia and Master of Arts in Heritage Studies (Cum Laude) from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa and a Master of Science in Environmental Management (Cum Laude) from Massey University, New Zealand. He has competencies in Heritage Conservation and Management, Project Management, Environmental and Natural Resources Management, and Environmental/ Heritage Impact Assessments. He has coordinated and also participated in a number of environmental and heritage impact assessments.

In terms of UNESCO related activities, he has participated in Gap Analysis for African World Heritage sites, ongoing tentative listing process for Zambia, preparation of the request for preliminary assessment of Kalambo Falls National Monument and capacity building on impact assessments in a World Heritage context. He currently a mentee in the Mentorship Programme for African World Heritage professionals.

Through the Mentorship programme, I have been accorded opportunities to enhance my knowledge and skills in heritage conservation and management and to participate in World Heritage Convention activities. As a mentee, I would like to gain more knowledge and skills in drafting nomination dossiers and in sustainable tourism development.

With regard to sustainable tourism development, this is an area which is not adequately covered in terms of capacity both at institutional and national levels. The aspect of sustainable development in general and sustainable tourism development in particular is absolutely necessary in my national context in order to enhance the conservation of our unique and often outstanding heritage resources while providing tangible benefits to the country, including the local communities.

Brutus Simakole

Sangwani Tembo is a PhD candidate in Humanities-Anthropology at Rhodes University. He holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Anthropology from The Catholic University of Malawi.

Currently, he is the Head of the Anthropology Department at The Catholic University of Malawi, where he has been a lecturer for over nine years. He also leads the Cultural Tradition Research Group, mentoring undergraduate students on projects. Currently, Sangwani is a mentee under the Mentorship Programme for African World Heritage Professionals (2021-2024) and serves on the Technical Research Team for the World Heritage Site dossier of Mount Mulanje and Khulubvi.

The Mentorship Programme for African World Heritage Professional through the various discussions and presentations with our mentor Carlo Ossola has helped greatly to gain expertise in familiarizing with World Heritage Convention of 1972, deepening my knowledge of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), Values and Attribute of world Heritage sites. I have also gained knowledge on impact assessment of World Heritage sites, enhancing my understanding of cultural and natural heritage while learning best practices in site preservation, risk assessment, and sustainable tourism. For instance the capacity building training workshop on Heritage impact assessment held in Mangochi, Malawi was very variable experience. The Training workshop cemented what we discussed during the meetings with our mentor by providing practical experience through case studies and fieldwork, helping me navigate and deeply understand the challenges and sustainable solutions in heritage protection. Additionally, the mentorship program has provided an opportunity in expanding my professional network, and collaboration which has enhanced my technical and leadership skills. Moving forward, I would like to have more expertise and experience in world heritage nomination process, integrated heritage conservation and management as I am part of the technical Research team for World Heritage in Malawi. I would also like to attend many trainings and workshops which will help gain lived experiences of heritage management by experts from different world Heritage sites.

Sangwani Tembo

Berta Ebatela da Trindade is a part time lecturer in African History and cultural heritage, and the Deputy Director at Technician in the Patrice Lumumba Preparatory School

Abdullrazak Kallinle is a Senior Advisor for The Somali Academy of Science & Arts (SOMASA)

Houda Ben Younes is a Tunisian architect specializing in the documentation and conservation of cultural heritage.

Holding a PhD in architecture, she been actively involved in heritage-related initiatives, including the preparation of a UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossier, cultural heritage conservation projects, and capacity-building programs in Tunisia and internationally. Currently, she is contributing to the development of management and conservation strategies for the inscribed serial property of Djerba in Tunisia.

Through the UNESCO Mentorship Programme, I hope to deepen my understanding of the World Heritage Convention, enhance my technical expertise in the management and conservation of cultural and natural World Heritage sites, and further develop specialized skills related to the Convention. I look forward to learning from the knowledge and experience of leading World Heritage professionals to strengthen the impact of my work at both local and global levels.

Houda Younes

Dorcas Ayeni holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Architecture, a Master of Science (M.Sc) degree in Architecture, and a PhD in Architecture and Sustainable Tourism.

She also holds a diploma in tourism management and a diploma in landscaping. Dorcas Ayeni is a professor of architecture at the Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Her research focuses on the nexus of architecture, landscape architecture, sustainable tourism development, and cultural heritage. More recently, her focus has been on heritage study and management. She is a mentor of the British Academy International Writing Workshop – Upskilling African Early Career Researchers in Archaeology and Heritage (April 2024 – March 2026).

Her experience in academics and research started in 2005 and continues to date; she has taught courses, supervised both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and led different research in her area of focus. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles, including authoring and co-editing books, and served as a reviewer for several journals and as an external examiner at various institutions. She is a registered architect and holds membership in several professional bodies. Dorcas Ayeni has also benefitted from several travel grants locally and internationally.

Dorcas Ayeni has participated in numerous conferences, workshops, and exhibitions worldwide. She has represented her university and faculty within and outside the country in various capacities and co-organized conferences. She has travelled to over 25 countries. Her hobbies include travelling and collecting the flags of countries she visits.

Through the Mentorship Programme, I hope to gain an enhanced knowledge of cultural heritage, improved professional expertise in heritage management and conservation, networking opportunities, practical experience in cultural heritage management, and becoming a leading professional in cultural heritage management, making a positive impact on Africa's cultural landscape, promoting sustainable development and looking forward to contributing to the rich cultural heritage globally.

Dorcas Ayeni

Christopher is a Conservator of Sites and Monuments at the Department of Museums and Monuments (Uganda National Museum).

He is a passionate cultural heritage specialist with experience of heritage conservation, preservation and management, research and education. He has a Diploma in Tourism Management and a Graduate with a Bachelors Degree of Art (Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Studies) of Makerere University, Kampala. He is currently a Master student at Makerere University, his current research is on decolonization of Museum spaces and heritage sites and restitution. He is involved in the Nomination process of Bigo Bya Mugenyi (Archaeological Earthworks).

Proudly going through the World Heritage Center fellow on the Mentorship Programme for African World Heritage Professionals, I hope to strengthen and acquire new skillset and knowledge in World Heritage conservation and management systems and become one of Africa’s experts that can play an important part

Christopher Ssebuyungo

A Passionate Archaeologist, Ezzeldin has dedicated to fostering a love for Cultural Heritage in General and Archaeology in particular, with his seven years of experience in cultural heritage and museum work, along with extensive expertise in archaeological fieldwork and heritage guiding. In Sudan, he served as Field Director and Field Work Supervisor in Several Archaeological Sites including UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

With a BA in Archaeology (Honors) Minor in Mass Communication from University of Khartoum, Sudan 2017, and MSc of Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage from University of Sharjah 2022, UAE, he is currently Studying MA In global African Studies (Museums and critical heritage studies) at the Global Studies University, UAE.

Through the Mentorship Programme, I hope to gain valuable expertise and experience in the field of the World Heritage Convention, particularly in enhancing capacity for professionals in Africa. This includes deepening my knowledge of heritage protection, conservation strategies, and the necessary frameworks for identifying and managing sites of potential Outstanding Universal Value. I aim to gain expertise in heritage conservation, protection, and management, particularly in the context of post-conflict recovery. My goal is to contribute to Sudan by applying knowledge in heritage impact assessment, ensuring that cultural and natural heritage sites are safeguarded and effectively managed during reconstruction efforts.

Additionally, I seek to strengthen my ability to support States Parties in effectively safeguarding their World Heritage properties. The programme will also provide an opportunity to build a strong network of professionals in cultural and natural heritage, fostering collaboration both within Africa and globally.

Furthermore, I look forward to engaging in training and knowledge exchange with experts in the field. This will not only enhance my technical skills but also promote synergies between cultural and natural heritage professionals, ensuring a more integrated approach to heritage conservation and management

Ezzeldin Hajjaj

Pyalo Malibida Benida holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism and Hotel Management and a Master's degree in Cultural Heritage Management from Senghor University in Alexandria, Egypt. She is currently looking for a new opportunity.

In relation to the mentorship programme, I hope to master and appropriate the convention and guidelines, strengthen my expertise in the field of cultural heritage and be able to work in this field. I also hope to have many other opportunities through this program.

Pyalo Malibida Benida

Willy Kwaburi is a lecturer and researcher in cultural marketing, museology, communication and archaeology

Bonsile Ndlangamandla is the Director of Cultural Heritage for the Eswatini National Trust Commission a government parastatal mandated with the conservation of both natural and cultural heritage in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Her area of expertise is in the history of missionary medicine in Eswatini, and she has published research articles on the subject. She has interests in archaeology and is part of the advisory board for the Swazi Archaeological Research Association. She is the curator for the Eswatini National Museum, the national focal point for three UNESCO Conventions related to cultural heritage. She is also a Part-time lecturer at the University of Eswatini, in the History Department. She has recently completed the Southern African Writing and Publishing Mentorship program and TheMuseumLab (DAAD) Mentorship program in 2024. She has completed a Heritage Organization's Executive Leadership Workshop in "Community and Economic Development" in the 2024/2025 academic year. Bonsile is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Mentorship programme which is still ongoing.

Tako Peter is the Assistant Deputy Director for Records and Archives Ministry of Culture, Museums and National Heritage