Mrs Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed is the Executive Director of Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA). She is a Development Management Consultant with an MSC in Managing Rural Development from the University of London and B/A Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies. She has a number of certificates from recognized institution related to her profession and career development. She recently attended a certificate course in Canada in St. Francis Xavier University and awarded a certificate in Advocacy and Increasing Citizens Voice and Agency in 2018.
She is an advocate of women and girls empowerment working with about 150 groups of women farmers, shea pickers and processes and agribusinesses) of 30 members each and 30 other Farmer Based Organizations in the Northern part of Ghana. She trains these women and the FBOs in sustainable farm practices, environmental resources management, agribusiness enterprises, savings and loans models, leadership, and advocacy and stakeholder engagement skills.
In the past five years, SWIDA-GH has been working with all the 198 women groups who are also organised SHEA producer groups to look critically at conservation, enrichment and restoration of the shea parklands which are under threat from human activities for long term benefits.
As a CSO person, she belongs to many international and national platforms for learning and sharing as well as for advocacy purposes. Among the global platforms are Hauriou Commission (Global Grassroots Women Movement), Girls Not Bride and Women Deliver.
At the National level, Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed is current Board Chairman for the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEB Ghana), the National Board Secretary of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Executive Committee Member for Women in Agribusiness Network, Board Member Shea Network Ghana and the Baobab market that focuses basically in the discussion relevant social and political concerns including natural resources and restoration of livelihood opportunities for rural people.
Her special interest or skills as a leader is coaching/mentoring of young women, facilitating champions for change and ensuring gender and social inclusion in development initiatives.