Jibon Gomes

A Social Development Practitioner, Entrepreneur and Disability Activist
jibongomesbd@gmail.com

I am a person with cerebral palsy and a disability activist from Bangladesh, with 24 years’ varied working experiences in programme and partnership management, strategic leadership, organisational capacity development, disability inclusion and Web development.


Experience

Founder

AAITY

An IT start-up aiming at Accessible and Affordable Information Technology for You (AAITY)! The start-up provides training and services on web development, graphics design and video animation. We welcome employees from people with limited mobility, people fighting to bring positive changes, from marginalized groups and want to work remotely.

January 2018 –

Founder & Member Secretary

Turning Point Foundation

An Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) working on major two areas: Capacity Building and Advocacy. The target groups include marginalised people i.e., persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged people. TurningPoint promote ‘Inclusion’ as an inbuilt mechanism in all programmes and activities aiming at ‘Leaving no one behind’.

January 2010 -

Deputy Programme Manager

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) [ex-DFID]

Managing projects and partnerships in the areas of inclusive development, education, livelihood, health, climate change. Advising on safeguarding, risk, fraud and financial management and capacity development. I am the Co-lead in the Disability Working Group and influence policy and practises for disability inclusion. Learning and Development Champion and Technology Lead.

June 2019 – Present

Disability Expert

World Bank Group

Advisor for disability inclusion in the project “Improving Accessibility for People with Limited Mobility”, assessed and influence policy environment and facilitated inclusion and capacity development.

October 2017 – May 2019

Country Representative

Abilis Foundation

Led country program, partnership with OPDs, capacity development, advocacy, networking and accessibility audits.

May 2012– September 2017

Executive Director

Turning Point Foundation

Led programs, administration, fundraising, partnerships, capacity & resource development, advocacy & networking with government, policy makers, donors and partners involving OPDs of Bangladesh.

January 2010 – May 2019

Project Manager

Handicap International (humanity & inclusion)

Project and partnership management, curriculum development and capacity development of OPDs, advocacy and networking.

July 2007 - April 2012

Programme Officer

Caritas Bangladesh

Project Management, capacity building and technical advising for disability inclusion across the organization and programs.

July 2005 - June 2007

Human Rights Promoter

ADD International

Worked directly with 20,000 persons with disabilities, capacity building of OPDs, policy influence, advocacy and networking.

April 2004 - June 2005

Programme Officer

Social Assistance for the Rehabilitation of the Physically Vulnerable (SARPV)

Developed and managed projects, advocacy, networking fundraising and provided computer training for persons with disabilities.

April 2004 - June 2005

Education

Master of Development Studies (MDS)

BRAC University, Bangladesh
Economics, Social Science, Development, Poverty, Monitoring and Evaluation, Education, NGOs and Social Entrepreneurship, Project Appraisal and Management, Research Methods
September 2009 - December 2011

Master of Science (MSc)

National University, Bangladesh

Counselling Psychology, Social Psychology, Education Psychology, Industrial Psychology and Ergonomic

July 1997 - June 1999

Skills & Passion

Project and Partnership Management

Along with financial management, project planning and designing, monitoring and evaluation skills

Computer Literacy

Web Development, Graphics Design, Video Animation and MS Office.

Facilitation skills

Training, workshops and other events, including modules and materials development.

Confident Communicato

Substantial ability to translate strategy and priorities into effective commissions and digestible messaging to support the needs.

Advisory role

Capacity building and technical advising for disability inclusion within the organisation and programmes.

Strategic Leadership

Experienced and influential leader with strategic thinking & support strategy development

Highly Adaptable

Self-motivated, driven, resilient, acting with integrity & objectivity in multilingual and culturally diverse environment.

Well-organised and punctual

Good in time management, work on own initiatives, drive to achieve quality and results.

Language skills

English and Bangla in written, oral and mixed media communication and interested to learn new languages.

Ability to travel

Internationally, nationally and rural areas. Travelled to UK, USA, Finland, France, Thailand, and India.

Passionate to change the world!

With commitment, positive, courage, integrity, humanity and collaboration with others.


Interests

Apart from being a Program Manager and Web developer, I enjoy most of my time being outdoors. I am an avid reader and traveller. I also love to enjoy my free times with my family.

When forced indoors, I follow a number of inspirational, sci-fi and fantasy genre movies and television shows, I spend a large amount of my time exploring the latest technology advancements in the front-end web development world.

Program management is my profession, disability inclusion is my passion, inspire others is my mission and change the world through technology is my aspiration.


Awards & Certifications

  • Fully accredited Contract Manager at Contract Management Foundation, UK, May 26, 2022.
  • Certificate of Achievement: Global Disability: Research and Evidence, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK. February 2021.
  • Performance Awards from FCDO & DFID five times under short, mid-term impact in team and individually during 2020-21.
  • Champions of Learning, Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Diplomatic Academy, December 2019.
  • Certificate of Appreciation 2015 from Abilis Foundation, Finland for excellent work and commitment, 2015.
  • Archbishop Ganguly Literary Award 2001 from The Weekly Pratibeshi, a weekly Catholic newspaper.