OUR STORY

Bridging Peoples first began in Timor-Leste in 2015. The idea was simple: to see if the principles of good community engagement could be usefully applied to large-scale aid and development programs. And it worked.

Since then, we have gone from strength to strength, transforming from a small consulting outfit based in Timor-Leste to a global network of like-minded professionals, all committed to improving the impact of aid and development by bridging the critical gap between aid organisations and local communities.

experts

OUR APPROACH

Our mission is to strengthen humanitarian aid and development from the ground-up, using the principles of locally-led development. Our work is guided by the following values:

  • Evidence based. We know that good ideas can and do come from anywhere. Our work combines local knowledge with technical know-how to help aid organisations tackle complex problems.
  • Context-specific. We identify the contextual factors and local conditions that organisations must meet, to make their programs a success on the ground.
  • Solidarity. We work in solidarity with communities and local organisations to find solutions that match the local context, and that fit local needs.
  • Social inclusion. We use community-led processes to tackle social inequalities, supporting the rights of marginalised groups so that community dynamics are transformed from within.
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MEET THE TEAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Deborah Cummins
Deborah Cummins
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Anggri Safira Pires da Silva
Anggri Safira Pires da Silva
RESEARCH COORDINATOR
Christina Benevides
Christina Benevides
RESEARCHER
Samuel Benevides
Samuel Benevides
RESEARCHER
Judite Soares
Judite Soares
RESEARCHER
Policarpo de Sa Benevides
Policarpo de Sa Benevides
RESEARCHER
Adriana Pinto
Adriana Pinto
RESEARCHER
Franginho Alves Pereira
Franginho Alves Pereira
RESEARCHER
Mieckhel Lobo Campos
Mieckhel Lobo Campos
RESEARCHER
Aquino Dias
Aquino Dias
RESEARCHER
Antonio Cono Nono
Antonio Cono Nono
RESEARCHER
Calisto De Andrade
Calisto De Andrade
RESEARCHER
Rosita S Oqui
Rosita S Oqui
RESEARCHER
Isabel Ximenes
Isabel Ximenes
RESEARCHER
Angelina Quebo
Angelina Quebo
RESEARCHER
Ermelinda Sequira Rocha
Ermelinda Sequira Rocha
RESEARCHER
Herminia V. Niha
Herminia V. Niha
RESEARCHER
Jose Mendis Nono
Jose Mendis Nono

DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

John M. Pile

UNFPA has contracted with Bridging Peoples on several pieces of research. We greatly appreciated the team’s approach, which resulted in high quality pieces of research with insightful findings and useful recommendations. Deborah and her team’s professionalism, deep understanding of the cultural context, strategic approach and strong analytical skills yielded a powerful result that will be useful for years to come.

John M. Pile

Country Representative - Timor-Leste