Our Team in Botswana

Wenyan Yang

Wenyan Yang

RCO
Resident Coordinator
yang@un.org
 
 
Ms. Yang has more than 30 years of experience in economic and social development. Prior to her appointment in Botswana she served as Chief of Branch in the Division for Inclusive Social Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), where she focused on the social dimension of the sustainable development agenda, addressing poverty, inequality, employment, and social inclusion issues to advance the well-being of all people. Through research and policy analysis, she worked to bridge academic findings and deliberations on sustainable development at the United Nations by formulating evidence-based, context-appropriate policy recommendations to Member States through support to intergovernmental bodies and technical assistance for national capacity development. As Chief of Branch she managed the team responsible for coordinating and providing substantive and technical services to the Commission for Social Development, the Economic and Social Council, and the Main Committees of the General Assembly, as well as preparing the World Social Report.

Ms. Yang also worked in DESA’s Division for the Advancement of Women to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in development. She was responsible for communication and outreach to civil society organizations and national machinery and mechanisms for gender equality. She began her United Nations career as a macroeconomic policy analyst in DESA’s Economic Analysis and Policy Division, with responsibility for monitoring macroeconomic performance and policy developments, providing analysis of macroeconomic situation and prospects and policy recommendations in developing countries in Asia and Least Developed Countries. She also worked on post-conflict reconstruction and international trade and commodities market.

Ms. Yang has a master’s degree in economics from New York University in the United States and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Peking University of China.
Abigail Noko

Abigail Noko

OHCHR
Regional Representative
anoko@ohchr.org
 
 
Ms. Abigail Noko is the Regional Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Southern Africa. She is responsible for overseeing human rights work in the region including technical assistance in human rights to States, UN agencies, sub-regional organizations, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations.
Aleta Miller

Aleta Miller

UN Women
Country Representative
 
 
 
Aleta Miller served as Country Representative at UN Women Afghanistan since April 2018 and prior was the UN Women Representative of the Fiji Multi-Country Office, covering 14 Pacific Island nations.
Aleta has extensive experience in Women’s Rights, Human Rights, Refugee Rights, Public Health, and International Development, gained through more than 25 years of professional engagement, including with UN Women, UNFPA and UNAIDS, and several NGOs and Governments.

In addition to the above, she served in Myanmar, China, Hong Kong, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, as well as New York, and her native Australia.
Aleta is a Clinical Psychologist (Australian registered, non-practicing status) and holds a Master's degree in International Public Health, along with undergraduate degrees in Behavioral Science and in Occupational Health.
Alexio Musindo

Alexio Musindo

ILO
Other
musindo@ilo.org
 
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M. Alexio Musindo, ressortissant du Zimbabwe, possède plus de 20 ans d’expérience dans le domaine du développement international à travers plusieurs pays d’Afrique. En tant que Représentant de l’OIT, Alexio gère et dirige actuellement les programmes nationaux de l’OIT en Éthiopie, à Djibouti, en Somalie, au Soudan et au Soudan du Sud, et il occupe également la fonction de Représentant spécial de l’OIT auprès de l’Union africaine et de la Commission économique pour l’Afrique. Ayant débuté sa carrière au sein des Nations Unies en 1998 au Bureau régional de l’OIT pour l’Afrique, à Abidjan, en Côte d’Ivoire, Alexio a représenté l’OIT dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique de l’Est et d’Afrique australe.
Alexio Musindo

Alexio Musindo

ILO
Country Director
 
 
 
Alexio has more than over twenty-five years of experience in international development across various African nations. Before assuming his role as ILO Director for Country Office Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa and Decent Work Team for Eastern and Southern Africa, Alexio held several leadership positions in the ILO. He served as the ILO Representative in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. Additionally, he served as the ILO Special Representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa from 2019 to 2024. Prior to that, he was the ILO Country Director for Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique from 2015 to 2018, and the ILO Director for East Africa from 2008 to 2015. Alexio embarked on his UN career as a Programme Officer in 1998 at the ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Throughout his tenure, he has led various ILO teams and represented the organization across numerous countries in East, Southern and Horn of Africa. Alexio holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of Zimbabwe and a master’s degree in development economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, USA. He is a certified coach form CAPP institute, USA.
Carla Mucavi

Carla Mucavi

FAO
FAO Representative
 
 
 
Ms. Carla Mucavi has served as the FAO Representative to Botswana since May 2024.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. Mucavi worked as FAO Representative to Kenya, and most recently as Director of FAO Liaison Office in New York from 2015. In this capacity, she represented the Organisation at the United Nations General Assembly, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as related Committees, functional Commissions, and Subsidiary Bodies, ensuring that FAO mandate and strategic priorities remain at the centre of the Global Agenda, due to its relevance for the attainment of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

Ms. Mucavi is a career diplomat having served in different functions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique between 1989 and 2015. This includes the Division for International Organizations and Conferences; Division for Europe and North America and Latin America; as Deputy Director of State Protocol; and as Chief of Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. She also served at the Embassy of Mozambique in Ethiopia. Between 2007 and 2015 she was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mozambique to Italy, Greece and Malta, and Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD.

A Mozambique national, Ms Mucavi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the Institute for Higher Studies in International Relations, Mozambique and a Master’s Degree in Cooperation and Development Planning from the University La Sapienza, Italy.
Fabian Ndenzako

Dr. Fabian Ndenzako

WHO
WHO Representative to Botswana and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
 
 
 
Dr. Ndenzako is a medical doctor trained at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. He holds a master’s in public health from the University of Oslo and a master’s in development studies and diplomacy from the University for Peace in collaboration with UNITAR. His impressive academic background complements a broad and deep understanding of global health systems, policy, and diplomacy.

Prior to his appointment in Botswana, Dr. Ndenzako served as Acting WHO Representative in South Africa, based in Pretoria. He has also led WHO country offices in South Sudan (2021–2024) and Malawi (2018–2019), demonstrating strong leadership in navigating complex public health landscapes, managing crises, and mobilizing resources to strengthen national health responses.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Ndenzako served as Medical Officer for HIV, Hepatitis, and TB at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, supporting over 20 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. His contributions included reviewing national health programs, developing strategies and guidelines, coordinating multi-country responses, and facilitating resource mobilization for health emergencies and epidemics.

He also brings valuable international experience from nearly a decade with the WHO Western Pacific Region, based in Papua New Guinea, where he supported regional responses to both communicable and non-communicable diseases. His work with governments, the United Nations, NGOs, civil society, donors, and international partners underscores his commitment to inclusive and collaborative public health strategies.
Dr Kai Zhou

Dr. Kai Zhou

UNAIDS
UNAIDS Multi-Country Director for Botswana and Namibia
 
 
 
Dr. Kai Zhou is the UNAIDS Country Director for Botswana and Namibia. She has served as Senior Advisor for Global Partnership at UNAIDS Multi-Purpose Office in China, leading the “China in the World” workstream. Since 2006, she has held pivotal roles, including Acting Country Director, and has been instrumental in advancing China’s AIDS response through government, private sector, civil society, and international partnerships—especially within South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Dr. Zhou has demonstrated significant leadership and made substantial contributions in shaping China’s national AIDS policy and implementation, championing community led action, and driving programme coordination among UNAIDS co-sponsors and development partners, including Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and Gates Foundation. She served as the inaugural Chair of the UN system-wide Theme Group on Leaving No One Behind. She technically led UN engagement with the African Diplomatic Group of Ambassadors in China, advancing local production and access to HIV medicines and health commodities in Africa.

Dr. Zhou negotiated the landmark UNAIDS–China International Development Cooperation Agency MOU and secured substantial grant funding for AIDS programmes in developing countries. Previously, Dr. Zhou managed the China Integrated Program for Research on AIDS (CIPRA) at China CDC, supported by the U.S. NIH. Earlier, as Associate Professor at Peking University’s School of Public Health, she pioneered Life Skills Education in China’s national health curriculum.

Dr. Zhou holds an MD and PhD in Public Health from Peking University Health Science Center and completed her fellowship at UCLA. Fluent in Chinese and English, she balances her professional commitments with her family life as a wife and mother of two children.
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Eunice G. Kamwendo

UN ECA
Other
eunice.kamwendo@un.org
 
 
Ms. Eunice G. Kamwendo was appointed as Director for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Southern Africa Sub Regional Office in Lusaka, Zambia. She leads ECA’s efforts in supporting member states in the sub region towards inclusive industrialization in order to reduce poverty and inequalities.

Ms. Kamwendo has devoted more than 20 years of her professional career to economic development, analysis and policy research both with the UN and externally. Within the UN System, She spent the last 14 years with UNDP at global and regional levels in New York and South Africa. Ms. Kamwendo was most recently a Senior Strategic Advisor, leading research, strategy and analysis for UNDP Africa in New York; Policy Advisor with UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy also in New York and Policy Advisor for East and Southern Africa for UNDP’s Regional Service Centre in South Africa. Before that, she worked as an Economic Governance Research Analyst for the continental African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in South Africa where she contributed to the first country reviews of South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria and Zambia.

Prior to her international career, Eunice was a Senior Economist and special advisor to the Secretary to the Treasury on macroeconomic issues and engagements with the IMF in the Ministry of Finance in Malawi. She started her career as an economist in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development also in Malawi where she contributed to the development of the country’s Vision 2020 and related growth and development strategies.
An economist by training, she holds a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Southampton in the UK.
Itayi Viriri

Itayi Viriri

IOM
Chief of Mission
 
 
 
Mr. Viriri is a distinguished communications and migration policy specialist, with over 27 years of extensive international experience.

He most recently held the position of Senior Regional Media and Communications Officer and Spokesperson at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, where he oversaw strategic outreach and media relations across 33 countries.

Mr. Viriri also served as Acting Director of Media and Communications at IOM Headquarters, leading the global media team and supporting the organization’s global communications strategy during the first 100 days of Director General Amy Pope’s tenure.

Throughout his career, he has occupied several high-level roles, including Global Spokesperson at IOM Headquarters in Geneva and Head of Online Communications in Manila, where he led digital transformation efforts and global media engagement. His field experience includes assignments with IOM Iraq and IOM Ireland and Western Europe, further enriching his understanding of migration dynamics in diverse contexts.

Before joining IOM, Mr. Viriri worked extensively in Ireland and across the European Union, focusing on children’s rights, international protection, and inclusive leadership within migrant and diaspora communities. He was previously a print and broadcast journalist in Zimbabwe and Ireland, respectively.

He holds an M.Phil. in Ethnic, Conflict and Racial Studies from the University of Dublin, Trinity College and an M.Sc. in Cyber-psychology from the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT), Ireland.

He is married with two children and is a dual citizen of Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Ms. Kavita Belani

Kavita Belani

UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representation South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO)
 
 
 
Ms. Kavita Belani is a Malaysian national and a senior international civil servant with 25 years of service with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Over the course of her career, she has held leadership and advisory roles across Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe, working in complex political and humanitarian contexts.

She previously served as UNHCR Representative in Armenia, leading the Office’s engagement with national authorities and regional partners. Her prior assignments include Deputy Chief of Mission in India, Senior Protection Cluster Coordinator in South Sudan, and Liaison Officer to the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia. She has also served in Lebanon, Sudan, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Iraq, Pakistan, Ghana, and Thailand in various protection, management, policy and coordination roles.

Ms. Belani is a law professional and a trained classical pianist, with a strong foundation in legal practice and the arts that has supported her cross-cultural and diplomatic work.
Fluent in Malay and English, she also speaks Indonesian, Hindi, Urdu, Swahili, and Thai, enabling her to operate effectively in diverse linguistic and cultural environments.

She brings to her work a principled commitment to international law, refugee protection, and the strengthening of multilateral cooperation in response to global displacement challenges.
Martin Mosima

Martin Mosima

UNESCO
National Program Officer
 
 
 
Martin Mosima is a National Program officer for UNESCO-Education for Health and Wellbeing in Botswana and a focal point for the UNESCO Regional Director-ROSA in the UNCT. Martin graduated from the University of Botswana with a bachelor’s degree in social work. He then graduated with a master’s degree in clinical social work (MSSA), USA at Case Western Reserve University. Martin also graduated with a Masters in Degree in Public Health from MEDUNSA, SA. He also has a diploma in Theology.

Martin started his career as one of the first cohort that started clinical social work in hospitals working in various hospitals such as Maun Hospital and Princess Marina Hospital. He then left Government and joined Civil Society Organizations as the Director of BONASO (Botswana Network of AIDS Service Organizations). He contributed to the establishment of other HIV and AIDS networks; BONELA and BONEPWA. Martin then left Civil Society to join the corporate world by joining a regional institute; Institute of Development Management (IDM) in Gaborone as a Senior Consultant in the Public Health Program where he was very instrumental in setting up HIV testing services within Civil Society Organizations. Martin then joined Forum Syd, a Swedish International NGO as National Director supporting HIV and AIDS based CSO networks and organizations financially and technically.
Martin then took a short stint with US Peace Corps as a manager in Education-Life Skills Programing.

Martin then joined UNESCO-Education Program in 2012 as the National Program Officer to start the education for health program, a position he is still holding now. Martin has been instrumental in ensuring that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is well integrated in Basic Education and Teacher training colleges. He has also championed capacity building of schools to address school related GBV to ensure that schools are violence free, a task that is on-going.
Martinho Chachiua

Martinho Chachiua

UNDPPA
Other
chachiua@un.org
 
 
Mr. Martinho Chachiua is a Senior Political Affairs Officer, Head of the UNDPPA-SADC Liaison Team based in Gaborone, since November 2015. In this capacity, Mr. Chachiua’s ensures UN support to, and close collaboration with SADC in the area of peace and security. While facilitating communication between DPPA and SADC Secretariat, the Liaison Team also provides technical support to UN country offices in dealing with conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and dialogue processes among others. Prior to his appointment to head the Liaison Team, he was Chief Political Affairs Section at the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Mission in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS).

Mr. Chachiua’s experience include serving as Democratic Governance adviser in Timor-Leste between 2008 and 2011 specializing in elections; Coordinator of the Support Team of the Secretary-General High Level Panel for the South Sudan Referendum and Special Assistant to the Representative of the Secretary-General in Angola from 2001 to 2002. Apart from conflict and post conflict issues, Mr. Chachiua possesses vast experience of political and electoral processes. Mr Chachiua held academic and research positions in Mozambique and South Africa.
Tlangelani Shubelani

Tlangelani Shilubane

UNFPA
Other
shilubane@unfpa.org
 
 
Ms. Tlangelani Shilubane, is the Head of Office for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in the Republic of Botswana. A Social Worker by profession with a Masters in Community Development and Social Policy Making, Ms. Shilubane brings over 18 years experience from prior engagement in the civil society sector, the South African Government as well as in both the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) East and Southern Africa regional office and the South Africa Country Office. Key contributions in Ms. Shilubane’s background have been directed towards strengthening development efforts for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This has led Tlangelani to be at the forefront of policy, programme and development efforts within the strategic areas of population dynamics, sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), adolescent and youth, ending gender based violence and promoting gender equality as well as ending new HIV infections for the achievement of sustainable development.

As the Head of Office, Ms. Shilubane’s responsibilities include effective management of UNFPA programmes in Botswana, ensuring accountability through monitoring results achieved as well strengthening UNFPA’s support to the United Nations Development System.