Dr. Rahel Jigi

Kitessa

Dr. Rahel has over 14 years of professional experience spanning academia, research, and nonprofit program leadership. She currently serves as regional program director at Elnet Foundation, where she oversees regional development programs integrating environmental conservation, gender empowerment, and sustainable livelihoods.

Her work involves designing, implementing, and monitoring large-scale projects that impact thousands of community members, ensuring that initiatives are evidence-based and outcome-focused. Throughout her career, Dr. Rahel has demonstrated expertise in operational protocol design, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder project management. She has successfully led donor-funded programs with budgets exceeding USD 4 million, supervised 30+ research assistants and junior staff, and developed 8 operational manuals and procedural frameworks now widely adopted by NGOs in Ethiopia. Her approach bridges rigorous academic research with practical, field-based interventions, allowing her to translate theory into actionable strategies that drive social, environmental, and economic impact.

In addition to her programmatic work, Dr. Rahel has made significant contributions to research and knowledge production in development and environmental economics. She has authored and co-authored 10+ research outputs, including her PhD dissertation on conservation mechanisms and field experiments, and regularly collaborates with international organizations such as the World Bank, UN Women, and ICBA. Her commitment to mentoring young researchers and building local capacity reflects her broader mission to strengthen Ethiopia’s development sector and foster evidence-based policy and practice.