Meet the Team
Christine Samwaroo
Founder & Managing Director
Christine Samwaroo is an Intersectional Feminist. She was born and raised in Guyana. She moved to New York City in 2008. During that time, she studied at Iona College and The New School. Christine focused her studies on climate justice and sustainability in Guyana and the Caribbean. She has a Master’s Degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. In New York City, she worked as an Educator at the Climate Museum and the Green Girls program under City Parks Foundation. Christine is both a Climate Reality Project and Green Faith Youth Fellow.
In 2018, Christine decided to move back to Guyana to follow her dreams of doing environmental work in her country. She worked as a Senior Environmental Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Christine co-authored a children’s book on climate change and health called 'The Sprouts and the Mystery of the Flood'. Christine serves as a Mentor and Programme Coordinator under the GirlsCare Jamaica Young Women's Climate Change Programme. She is one of the Coordinators of the Guyana Gender Hub. Christine was selected as Co-Chair for the Gender Working Group as part of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute - CANARI's Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance. Christine is affiliated with Transformative Education hosted by United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) where she serves as Co-Lead for the Climate Education and Climate Justice Working Group as part of Transform Education. She was selected to serve as a member on the Caribbean Advisory Council for Global Fund for Women.
Christine is the Founder and Managing Director of The Breadfruit Collective. Christine is the Co Convenor and part of the Coordinating team for the Caribbean Women for Climate Justice (CW4CJ) annual conference. Christine describes the work behind TBC as work that is related to her history, passion, and a way to honor her late grandmother and women in her family who experience various forms of gender-based violence.
Afeefa Richardson
Caribbean Women for Climate Justice Coordinator (CW4CJ)
Afeefa Richardson is a Guyanese environmentalist, author, and passionate volunteer. She has experience in environmental education, research, and communication and currently serves as a Digital Organiser with the Caribbean Climate Network. She is a longstanding member of the Guyana Youth and Environment Network (GYEN), a Youth Volunteer with UNICEF Guyana and is also affiliated with the Guyana Environment Initiative. Previously, she served as a United Nations Volunteer with the United Nations Environment Programme supporting communications and research for a national development policy for sustainable development in Guyana. Over the years, Afeefa has supported many environmental awareness activities in Guyana and now engages with climate activists across the Caribbean to support regional mobilisation and campaigns. As an environmental science graduate, Afeefa’s activism includes engaging with children and youth on the environment. She is a co-author of “The Sprouts and the Mystery of the Flood’ - a storybook on climate change and health for children - and believes that environmental education is key in ensuring that children not only inherit a thriving planet but also become active caretakers. When she’s not working or volunteering, Afeefa enjoys reading, travelling, and dabbling in graphic design.
Iyana Alleyne
Caribbean Women for Climate Justice Coordinator (CW4CJ)
Iyana Alleyne is a Barbadian environmental activist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental studies and Gender studies, and she is currently a first-year law student at the University of Illinois College of Law. Iyana has previously interned at the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency and worked with the Belize Association of Planners in the field of climate change adaptation. She is passionate about environmental justice and hopes to use the law as a tool to shape environmental policy as it relates to Small Island Developing States mitigating the effects of climate change. In her free time, Iyana enjoys playing volleyball and reading.
Malika Singh
Blogger
Malika Singh was born and raised in Guyana is currently completing her DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine). In addition to animal welfare and conservation medicine, she is passionate about education, poverty alleviation and the intersections with gender based violence and the environment. Previously, she was a member of the University of Guyana's Biology Club, The Foundation for the Realization and Elevation of New Society (FRENS) and she served as a volunteer teacher for two years with The Benab Foundation.
Natalia Surujnath
Blogger
Natalia Surujnath obtained her Master’s in Health Policy and Management at CUNY SPH. She grew up in an underprivileged borough of New York City, where her passion for social justice began. At a young age, she was told she had a reading disability, and though many saw this as a setback, she did not; she believed it was her strength. She studied abroad in the United Kingdom, where she saw similar issues in the United States.
Natalia is a Gender Justice Advocate and she established the first women's needs research in NYC with the Jahajee Sisters. When asked about her interest in TBC, she replies, "TBC is an organization that recognizes intersectionality and community; I am honored to be a part of a team that starts at home."
Beside her passion for reading, Natalia loves to draw, write, travel, and spend time with loved ones.