Nina Meghji

Youth, Gender, Non-Formal Education and International Development Specialist | Freelance Researcher, Writer and Copy Editor

United Kingdom

I’m a youth development specialist and a freelance researcher, writer and copy editor with an MA in Education, Gender and International Development and fifteen years’ experience of working with NGOs and international organisations in the UK, Africa and Latin America.

I have a deep interest in inclusive, participatory and community-centred approaches to development and practical experience of designing, developing and delivering non-formal and formal education courses and employability projects for young people in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Somalia and the UK.

My writing and research — on global development challenges and social change — have been published in national and international newspapers and magazines, on global news websites, by NGOs and think tanks, and in the book Voices of Latin America. I have also contributed the three Rough Guides.

Areas of expertise:
Youth skills training and employability
Non-formal education and curriculum development
Gender and Inclusion
Mentoring
Educational research
Refugee casework
Writing and editing (English)

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Portfolio

Youth Skills and Employability

Freelance writing

Runnymede Trust
01/29/2024
Unlocking career opportunities for young Black men

Action for Race Equality has been working to end racial inequality in the education, employment and justice systems since 1991. The charity's pioneering Moving on Up programme seeks to improve employment outcomes for young Black men aged 16-24 in London. Nina Meghji speaks to Ian Moya, a science teacher and ambassador for the initiative, about championing the career goals of young Black men, navigating his own employment pathway, and why confidence, exposure and representation are the key.

The Runnymede Trust
08/04/2023
The Runnymede Trust | A love letter to Chinese takeaways

Award-winning writer and editor Angela Hui's first book, Takeaway: Stories From a Childhood Behind the Counter, is a food memoir about her experience of growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales. It shines a light on the food, culture and identity of East and Southeast Asian communities and their experiences of racism and discrimination in the UK. Hui, a former Time Out food and drink editor and HuffPost lifestyle reporter, speaks to Nina Meghji about reliving her painful past, the...

Davis College
06/22/2021
Rwanda: Models of Education

In 2010, Anita and Isaro* were among the first intake of students for a Hospitality and Tourism Management diploma course at Rwanda’s first college for women — the Akilah Institute. Akilah’s pioneering approach created a meaningful sense of empowerment and fostered confidence and ambition among the young women and their peers. A decade on, the two former students reflect on their lives and careers, the status of women in Rwanda, and their hopes for the future.

Latin America Bureau
01/21/2021
Argentina, we dance

This piece by Nina Meghji was originally published in the New Internationalist’s January-February 2021 issue, The Biodiversity Emergency.

Sierra Leone Concord Times
09/14/2020
Lessons in trust from Sierra Leone's Covid-19 communications response

Messaging at the start of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone was problematic – a lack of trust in the government and authorities, widespread misinformation, impracticable advice and culturally irrelevant and insensitive information were among the factors that contributed to the spread of the virus. With the advent of Covid-19, a new approach to public health messaging is demonstrating how a diverse and multifaceted approach can help ensure public health messages are heard and understood by...

Concord Times and Africanist Press
01/10/2020
Lessons in trust from Sierra Leone's Covid-19 communications response

Messaging at the start of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone was problematic – a lack of trust in the government and authorities, widespread misinformation, impracticable advice and culturally irrelevant and insensitive information were among the factors that contributed to the spread of the virus. With the advent of Covid-19, a new approach to public health messaging is demonstrating how a diverse and multifaceted approach can help ensure public health messages are heard and understood by...

Sierra Leone Concord Times
08/19/2020
From Freetown to " Treetown"

Can urban reforestation build environmental resilience in Sierra Leone' s capital? First published on Africanist Press.

Latin America Bureau
10/06/2020
Argentina: Campaigning for Inclusion during Covid-19

Interview with Queer Tango teacher and LGBTQ+ activist Edgardo Fernández Sesma who has advocated for social inclusion and sexual and gender diversity in Argentina for almost thirty years.

Copy editing / Consulting

Safe Water Network
05/01/2022
Home - Safe Water Network

We tackle critical issues of sustainability and scale: high operating costs, limited management capacity, stakeholder fragmentation, and a weak enabling environment. Our operating portfolio is the foundation for developing innovative solutions that can be replicated globally.

Research