Collaborators
At Inform2Build, collaboration is at the heart of our mission. We bring together organizations, researchers, and practitioners who are committed to generating knowledge that supports just, sustainable, and community-centered development. Our collaborators contribute in many ways—by sharing data and insights, co-creating methodologies, participating in events and field activities, and exchanging expertise across disciplines and geographies.
This page celebrates the diverse network that strengthens Inform2Build’s work. Each partner plays a vital role in expanding our collective understanding of how to build environments that respect local knowledge, empower communities, and promote resilient and inclusive futures. We are grateful for their ongoing engagement and honored to showcase their contributions here.
Organizations & Researchers
Shelter and Settlements Alternatives (SSA)
SSA is a network organization established in 1999 comprising of civil society organizations, communities, individuals, and private sector stakeholders working together in the development of human settlements in Uganda. SSA supports grassroots communities to identify and better their housing situation. SSA’s main purpose is collectively lobbying, advocacy and sharing information for better policies, programs and practices towards sustainable improvement of human settlements in Uganda.
Hans Hirwa is an urban economist and storyteller who works at the intersection of community experiences and citywide solutions. With a background in development economics and photography, he focuses on how people living in cities adapt, build and imagine better housing and public spaces.
He has written about everything from shade, informal settlements, flood-resilient homes and clean water access. Hans shares reflections and field notes on his Substack, Development Works.
Olga Rita Álvarez Guillén is an architect and urbanism researcher focused on urban transformation, heritage conservation, and resilient cities. She has contributed to research on Venezuelan main urban regions and informal housing, and now investigates how the spatial and morphological characteristics of urban plots in World Heritage Sites can support strategies to enhance urban resilience. Passionate about the intersection of architecture, culture, and urban development, and interested in research and design as tools for problem-solving, she collaborates with multidisciplinary partners to translate research into practical tools for protecting communities and historic urban landscapes.
Dr. Peter Elias is a Professor of Development Geography at the University of Lagos, where he co-directs the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development and leads the Lagos Urban Studies Group. He is Co-Chair of the CODATA–WDS Task Group on Citizen Data for the SDGs and Co-Chair of the Citizen Science Africa Association, contributing to continental and global frameworks for citizen-generated data. Peter serves on expert groups of the UN Statistical Division and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, advancing participatory science for urban resilience and sustainable development. He has led and supported multiple international, transdisciplinary research projects on citizen science, climate resilience, and data innovation. He is Editor-in-Chief of The Nigerian Journal of Business and Social Sciences and Guest Editor of the special collection on “Citizen Science for Evidence-based Policy and Decision Making” in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.
Dr Jama Musse Jama is an ethno-mathematician with a PhD in African Studies specialising in Computational Linguistics of African Languages, and author or editor of 19 books and 36 academic articles. His current research focuses on the role of heritage, art and culture in the development, peace building, and state formation, including settlements and cities expansion in Somaliland. He us currently leading "Dooxa Hargeysa' project as a part of River Cities Network, with Leiden University focusing on settlements along the dry river in Hargeysa, Somaliland. He is known for his research on traditional African games and their possible use within formal education. Founder and yearly organizer of the influential Hargeysa International Book Fair, and currently Director of the Hargeysa Cultural Centre in Somaliland, Dr. Jama has also a Senior Associate Researcher position at Italian's National Research Council at Istituto di Linguistica Computazionale “Antonio Zampolli” (CNR-ILC), and a Lead Researcher at Somaliland Centre for African Studies. He is senior lecturer at the University of Hargeysa, Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies. A fellow of RVI, and the founder of Ponte Invisibile Ed, publishing arm of the Redsea Cultural Foundation in Italy and in Somaliland, and he can be reached @JamaMusse on X and other social media platforms.
Mansour MANÉ is a researcher in geography and urban development practitioner. Mansour MANÉ explores the dynamics of social housing and social innovations to address housing challenges in African cities. A doctoral student at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis (Senegal), he devotes his work to experimenting with collective housing production through community savings and international networks of residents' associations in precarious neighbourhoods.
He holds a Master's degree in Geography (UCAD) and a Master's degree in Project Management (BEM Dakar). Mansour has over ten years of experience in urban project management, land use and sustainable city planning. He is currently a research assistant at the École Supérieure d'Économie Appliquée (ESEA, formerly ENEA), a school affiliated with Cheikh Anta Diop University, and has been collaborating since 2021 with the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF), an independent think tank based in Johannesburg that conducts research and advocacy to promote investment in affordable housing across Africa, where he contributes to studies on the affordable housing market and its financing in Senegal, Mauritania and Côte d'Ivoire.
Dr. Twahir Khalfan is a highly accomplished Financial Economist and Policy Analyst, holding a PhD from Reykjavik University. He has over 15 years of experience and is adept at translating complex financial and economic insights into actionable policy frameworks. His extensive experience involves working with governments and international organizations such as UNICEF, UNDP, GIZ, and World Bank.
Beyond publication in reputable academic journals, he has shaped national policies and led reforms at the Social Security Regulatory Authority, including development of Tanzania's National Social Protection Policy, Merger of Pension Funds, and Establishment of Universal Health Insurance. Other notable works include the development of the Tanzania Resource Mobilization Strategy for Nutrition 2022-27 and assessment of pension funds’ investment practices and Sectoral Climate Change Vulnerability in Tanzania, including human settlement. He has also led the work to develop Zanzibar Digital Policy and the Blueprint for Creating a Dynamic Social Registry. He currently serves as the Executive Director at the ZRCP
Nicera Wanjiru Kimani is a community data specialist - trainer and mobilizer with more than 10 years of experience leading qualitative, quantitative, mapping, and research data collection in SDI Kenya (Muungano Wa Wanavijiji) at the Local level. She is also a Reseau Associate at a network connecting Geo-Spatial women in Global South and a writer at the Vice Versa Magazine.
Nicera found a women-led community-based data collection organization called Community Mappers, it’s core objective is train communities the importance of giving the right information to researchers and the importance of data.
Nicera dream is to see a world where community stories will be told without any bias and a world that the community have a voice, a voice that can be heard.
Nzeyimana Ismael is a Rwandan expert in public policy and sustainable development with extensive experience across East Africa. He holds a Ph.D. in International Development, a Master’s in Development Studies, and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. As former Operations and Certification Advisor and Managing Director of Skat Consulting Rwanda Ltd, he contributed in pioneering initiatives addressing informal settlements in Kigali through participatory urban transformation, integrating community voices into housing and infrastructure solutions. He has also contributed to ongoing urban transformation projects in Togo and Tanzania, focusing on affordable housing models and the deployment of low-carbon building materials. His career spans technical advisory, certification, and research roles, where he co-developed national building standards and trained practitioners in sustainable construction. Fluent in English, French, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda, with only basic Arabic, Ismael combines technical expertise with policy foresight to advance inclusive and resilient urban development.
Antoine AGOSSOU is the national president of the "HaZoBiT Benin" federation and the General Secretary of the Francophone federations of the SDI network. He is also a member of SDI's Climate Champions group. HaZoBiT Benin is a grassroots movement working for dignity, social inclusion, and sustainable development. It is composed of community groups based in slum areas throughout the country. Members of the various groups meet to find alternatives for rebuilding their living environments and to find sustainable solutions to social exclusion.
Since its creation, HaZoBiT has organized several activities, training sessions, advocacy initiatives, and projects to help it achieve its main objective: improving the living conditions and environment of residents of informal settlements and slums in Benin.
Inform2Build team
Anthony Boanada-Fuchs is Head of Projects and Partnerships at the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. With over 15 years of experience in urban development across the Global South, Anthony specializes in affordable housing policies, slum upgrading, and urban informality. His expertise lies in bridging research and practice by designing innovative project acquisition strategies and managing external funding to enable impactful collaborations. Holding a PhD in Development Studies and dual Master’s degrees in Urban Studies and Architecture Theory, Anthony has worked extensively with international organizations and research institutions to advance sustainable housing solutions and inclusive urban policies. He is passionate about leveraging data-driven approaches and collaborative frameworks to tackle complex urban challenges.
Satya is an architect, urban development and governance researcher with a strong focus on rivers, communities, and inclusive cities. She leads projects that empower riverine women and integrate Indigenous knowledge with sustainable development practices, transforming research into practical solutions for urban and environmental challenges. Satya holds a PhD in Urban Development and Governance and a MSc in Environmental and Sustainable Development. Passionate about social and environmental justice, cultural traditions, architecture, and eco-architecture, Satya enjoys connecting with people, exploring multicultural spaces, and finding creative ways to make cities and landscapes more socially and environmentally vibrant.