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Zala Ahmad

Executive Director, Humanitarian Organization for Local Development (HOLD)

Biography

Zala Ahmad is a Fulbright Scholar and cofounder of Humanitarian Organization for Local Development (HOLD), an Afghan registered non-profit organization. Ms. Ahmad has a B.A. in Social Development Studies from Iqra University, Pakistan and a M.A. in International Economics and Finance from the International Business School (IBS) at Brandeis University, U.S. Ms. Ahmad’s academic and work goals are aligned with her desire to work toward the economic and social development of her home country, Afghanistan. She has over ten years’ professional experience working for such organizations as UNESCO, a variety of USAID contractors, and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education. Ms. Ahmad’s areas of expertise are education, economic development and issues of gender. She is most proud of her work with Afghan girls where she established a women empowerment and training center in Farah Province in May of 2009. The Center serves as the only safe venue for more than 400 girls and women to learn academic and professional skills.