Samantha Stringer joined ABA ROLI’s Africa Division as a Program Officer in August 2023. She recently completed an MA in International Studies at the University of Wyoming, graduating with summa cum laude honors. Her coursework revolved around conflict resolution and transitional justice, with her thesis centering on sustainable peace processes and intergroup power dynamics in Mozambique. This involved field research relating to marginalized groups (ex-combatants, women, minority religious and ethnic groups), with a subsequent publication titled “Reflexões Sobre o Processo de Reconcilição em Moçambique [Reflections on the Reconciliation Process in Mozambique].” While completing her master’s degree, Samantha also worked as a graduate assistant in the role of program coordinator for the Arabic and Middle East/North Africa (AMENA) Studies Program in the School of Politics, Public Affairs, and International Studies. There, she assisted in coordinating critical language learning and conflict resolution projects for university students in Israel/Palestine and Jordan.

Prior to graduate school, she worked in Mozambique for four years, two as a Peace Corps volunteer and two as an Assistant Director at an international school. This work entailed teaching English as well as leading multiple youth development groups focused on women’s empowerment, human rights advocacy, and relevant health-related topics. She was also a part of the National HIV/AIDS Task Force Committee of Mozambique, working closely with USAID, the CDC and the Ministry of Health to develop regional best practices for HIV programming in Africa. Prior to this, she worked as an international guide during the summers in Nicaragua, Thailand, Laos and Tanzania for a sustainable development NGO while obtaining her BS in Special Education from The Ohio State University. She is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. Samantha speaks Portuguese which is the language spoken in Lusophone countries in Africa.