Staff
Our Refugee Advocates Are Our Most Valuable Assets
Since its foundation in 2001, Nile Sisters Development Initiative ( NSDI ) has made it a priority to involve local community members. Our staff is a genuine reflection of this goal.
Yu Yu Khaing, Community Outreach Specialist
A passionate activist in every community she joins, Yu Yu first arrived in Indiana, where she added two years of pharmacy technician training to the study of zoology she had already completed in Burma, her homeland. After providing translation assistance to Burmese immigrants served by a health-based nonprofit organization, Yu Yu relocated to San Diego, where she continues to practice her humanitarianism and bilingual skill to empower the Burmese refugee community. As the Nile Sisters Development Initiative community outreach specialist, Yu Yu
- translates and advocates for Burmese refugees resettling in San Diego County
- facilitates special donation projects.
Rebecca Paida, Senior Program Manager
A former refugee, Rebecca is intimately aware of health disparities, as well as social and economic challenges one faces when relocating to a new community. This experience fuels her passion for service to underrepresented populations.
Rebecca is an alumna of San Diego State University, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in public administration with a minor in Africana studies. From Loma Linda Unviersity, she achieved a master’s degree in public health with emphasis in health education. She is a certified health education specialist and holds a certificate of nonprofit management.
Rebecca belongs to several professional organizations, including American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Public Health Association ( APHA ). She chairs the San Diego Refugee Forum ( 2017—2019 ) and sits on the Community Advisory Board ( CAB ) of the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute ( ACTRI ) at the University of California, San Diego.
As the Nile Sisters Development Initiative senior program manager, Rebecca
- procures cross-section grants and other investments to implement NSDI programs
- oversees NSDI programs.
