United Kingdom
I’m a freelance researcher, writer and copy editor, youth specialist and employability consultant 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 services 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 to three Rough Guides.
Areas of expertise:
Employability;
Refugee and asylum seeker support;
Mentoring;
Youth development;
Curriculum development for non-formal education;
Gender and inclusion;
Writing and editing (English).
Education research.
For people fleeing conflict, persecution, environmental breakdown, natural disasters and poverty in the hope of finding safety and security in the UK, support in accessing volunteering, skills-development and - depending on their legal status - employment opportunities is vital. As well as boosting their future prospects and general wellbeing, it fosters unity and inclusion.
Employability skills offer much more than a pathway to economic independence — they also foster social inclusion, self esteem and a sense of purpose.
Youth Skills and Employability
Designed, developed and delivered an employability service for refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. Provided tailored, person-centred support, helping clients to identify career interests, search for purposeful volunteer, employment and community learning opportunities, create CVs and make speculative applications. My support focused on the development of functional language skills and effective communication.
Project Concept
EducAid is a UK registered charity (1163161) and Sierra Leone registered NGO that has been working in Sierra Leone for more than 25 years. EducAid runs an educational network of free schools and school improvement projects, working on gender equality and improving community resilience.
Freelance writing
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.
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...
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.
This piece by Nina Meghji was originally published in the New Internationalist’s January-February 2021 issue, The Biodiversity Emergency.
Can urban reforestation build environmental resilience in Sierra Leone's capital?
Author
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...
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...
Author
Can urban reforestation build environmental resilience in Sierra Leone' s capital? First published on Africanist Press.
Q&A with Bimbola Carrol, Founder of VSL (Visit Sierra Leone) Travel.
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.
Film-maker Olivia Crellin talks to LAB's Nina Meghji about her documentary which follows Ecuadorean couple Diane and Fernando, the region's first transgender parents.
Copy editing / Consulting
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.
Writer / Copy Editor
Consultant – Copy Editor
Research
Researcher
Researcher
Researcher