About Us Meet The Team Meet our Trustees Afghanaid’s Board of Trustees is committed to achieving our vision of a peaceful and thriving Afghanistan. Our Trustees, each an expert in their own field and collectively highly knowledgeable about Afghanistan and the relief and development sector, work with our Managing Director and Executive Team of Directors to guide their decision-making on strategic issues and hold them to account for their leadership of the organisation. The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the charity and its activities. Chair: Chris Kinder Joined Afghanaid 2012Chris is a qualified chartered accountant, who has recently completed a long career as a Partner with Accenture. He is now focusing his time on a number of charity and NGO trusteeships. Vice Chair: Mark Bowden CMG Joined Afghanaid 2017Mark is the former Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan in UNAMA. He was also the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative. He served in Afghanistan between November 2012 and March 2017. Mr. Bowden is a distinguished expert in the humanitarian field and served for over 20 years in the United Kingdom and European voluntary sector as the Vice President of VOICE, the European NGO body addressing emergencies and has previously worked for and held several board memberships in other consortia and NGOs. Elizabeth Winter OBE Joined Afghanaid 1983Elizabeth was a founding member of Afghanaid and is a social scientist and researcher with many years of experience managing NGOs across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Treasurer: Duncan Wood Joined Afghanaid 2024 Duncan is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales and qualified with Price Waterhouse. He has previously held posts with intergovernmental organisations within the United Nations and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Trustee: Mary Mountain Joined Afghanaid 2014Mary is a chartered accountant who, after spending many years with a large international professional firm dealing with commercial clients, moved into the voluntary sector. Trustee: Dr Orzala Ashraf Nemat Joined Afghanaid 2013 Dr Orzala Nemat is an internationally known Afghan scholar & think tank leader. She is an expert in political ethnography, holding a PhD in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and an MSc in Development Planning from the University College London (UCL). Dr Nemat recently founded and is leading Development Research Group Limited (DRG), which aims to promote the multi-disciplinary concept of development studies in the developing world through research & evaluations, open-access teaching, and mentorship. Dr Nemat served as the director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) from 2016-2022, leading several global research projects in Afghanistan during her tenure. She has also been a member of the UKRI Peer-review college since 2017. Secretary: Pauline Hayes CBE Joined Afghanaid 2016Pauline Hayes, CBE, has had an extensive career in the UK public service working in the Department for International Development (DFID). She was Director of the regional division covering DFID’s work in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Prior to this position, Pauline also worked as head of DFID’s country office in Kabul overseeing UK’s aid programme. Having worked closely with many governments, donors, and NGO’s, she continues to devote her life’s work towards international development in conflict prone regions. Trustee: Shirazuddin Siddiqi Joined Afghanaid 2012Shirazuddin was the BBC Media Action Country Director for Afghanistan. He has a distinguished track record as a director of educational and development programming for Afghan audiences. Additionally he worked with key Afghan and international stakeholders to develop the legal framework for media development in Afghanistan. Trustee: James Sinclair Taylor Joined Afghanaid 2022James is a solicitor who specialises in advising charities, not-for-profits and social businesses, particularly on governance. He also spends a significant amount of time as a trustee for a number of charities, an NGO, and a Housing Association. Trustee: John Hayward Joined Afghanaid 2022 John Hayward has been fascinated by Afghanistan for over 30 years, 15 of which were spent working in the country for NGO’s and donors. He has extensive hands-on operational and programme management experience, with particular knowledge of the rural sector and humanitarian issues across Africa, South Asia and the former Soviet Union. He farms in Oxfordshire. Trustee: Nigel Poole Joined Afghanaid 2024 Nigel Poole has research and development experience in Africa, Latin America and Asia. He co-led DFID-funded work on agriculture and nutrition in South Asia, including Afghanistan, from 2013-2019, collaborating with Afghanaid. He is Emeritus Professor of International Development Policy at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London. How you can help With your help and led by local people, we can ensure more communities have the knowledge, infrastructure and resilience to tackle the complex challenges they face. Join our team and stand with vulnerable Afghan communities today: Please select a donation amount (required) £5 plants saplings, helping to restore ecosystems, provide food and income, and prevent floods. £53 could pay for the seeds and tools a woman needs to establish a home garden, meaning she can grow nutritious food for her family and earn an income. £20 buys a family 4KG of drought-resistant pistachio seeds, supporting them with a cash crop, whilst revitalising soil. Other Set up a regular payment Donate Manage Cookie Preferences