Our trustees

Cathy Ratcliff

Chair

Cathy has supported SIDA since before its founding in the first term of the Scottish Parliament. Her current trusteeship began in 2019.  She has lived in Leningrad and Grenoble as part of an MA in French and Russian, taught in China, run Scottish European Aid’s Romania desk, managed Edinburgh’s One World Shop, lived and worked in Ethiopia, and since 1997 has led programmes departments in Mercy Corps, SCIAF and EMMS International. She founded small NGO Thrive in 2016 and runs it with 4 other women. Cathy completed a PhD in 2017 on attitudes and language on Africa, aid and development, and is now CEO of EMMS International, which improves health and healthcare in Scotland, Malawi, India and Nepal. Her interest in advocacy goes back to the 1990s, when she held several voluntary positions in World Development Movement (now Global Justice Now).

Fiona Greig

Treasurer

Fiona is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in finance, governance, and business management. As Executive Director at Link Education International, she oversees the delivery of educational programmes in Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, and Rwanda. With over a decade in the international development sector, Fiona previously held management roles in Scotland’s Children’s Hearing system. She has also served as honorary treasurer and trustee for a large national charity and was a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland Charities Panel. Fiona’s international experience includes living and working in finance in Spain, Switzerland, and France.

Benjamin Carey FTS

With broad experience of international development and a focus on heritage and tourism as drivers of sustainable development and climate resilience, Benjamin has worked in 60+ countries with organisations that include International Co-operative Alliance, UNESCO and World Bank. He specialises in countries emerging from crisis and has produced recovery strategies for Iraq (war), Scotland (Foot & Mouth), Sierra Leone (Ebola) and Yemen (conflict). Having founded Edinburgh Global Partnerships in 1990, he has been involved with many NGOs, including the BEARR Trust, Janapada Seva Trust, Mercy Corps, Rwanda Scotland Alliance, Scotland Malawi Partnership, Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and WWF. He wants to promote inclusion and partnerships.

Chris Hegarty

Chris spent 16 years leading the teams responsible for media, comms, campaigns, education, policy & advocacy at SCIAF and Christian Aid Scotland. He is now a consultant, supporting both private sector and NGO clients in pushing for positive change. He has many years of experience as board member of a small SIDA member, and spent many years on the boards of large networks: the Trade Justice Movement and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. Before moving to the development sector, Chris was an Investment Manager, managing pension funds and investment trusts – and he often combines his investment and NGO backgrounds. He is Chair of the Ethical Oversight Committee for a large asset management company.

Yulia Nesterova

Yulia Nesterova, Ph.D., is Lecturer in International and Comparative Education in the School of Education at the University of Glasgow. She also acts as Academic Lead for Low and Middle-Income Countries Research Network at Glasgow and Associate Editor of Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education journal. Yulia’s research focuses on inequalities and injustices in education, partnerships and community engagement for quality education, youth-led peace, and education for peace, justice, and reconciliation. Prior to joining Glasgow, Yulia was with UNESCO MGIEP and Asia-Pacific offices working on peacebuilding, sustainable development, and youth engagement, and worked closely with a range of other international actors. She was educated in Sweden, Finland, and Hong Kong and has conducted extensive research in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific.

Ben Wilson

Ben Wilson is Advocacy Manager at the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF). He oversees SCIAF’s campaigning and influencing work on issues such as climate justice, food justice and international development, in Scotland, the UK and internationally. Ben has particular experience in campaigning on climate issues at the UN level, especially in recent years on the issue of Loss & Damage. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Glasgow, which took a post-development approach to critically reflect on Scotland’s relationship with Malawi.

Mya Chemonges-Murzynowska

Mya Chemonges-Murzynowska is the co-founder of the African Caribbean Asian and Mixed Heritage Association (ACAMHA) in Scotland and serves as Chair of Kenyans in the Highlands and surrounding areas. She is a prominent figure across various diaspora networks in Scotland, advocating for inclusivity and community empowerment. Mya’s mission is to work alongside the community to offer safe spaces to discuss and share cultural, traditional and heritage differences and how to incorporate them for the benefit of the community. ACAMHA collaborates with the Highland Council on education initiatives, partners with local churches to provide youth activities, and creates safe spaces for discussing cultural integration. A dynamic speaker and skilled event organiser, Mya brings passion and commitment to her role as a community advocate, fostering a supportive environment where people and communities feel encouraged to share and celebrate their unique heritage and shared humanity.