I’m adept at interweaving litigation, research, and policy and media advocacy to amplify the human rights realisation agendas of marginalised groups. Since 1996, I’ve worked closely with social movements and CSOs, human rights bodies, and governments in different African countries in equitable and sustainable water and sanitation services, adequate social housing, decent work in the informal economy and the right to freedom of assembly and expression.

I currently lead End Water Poverty (2021-date), a global civil society coalition that campaigns for governments to respect, protect and fulfil people’s rights to water and sanitation. EWP is comprised of more than 150 civil society organisations in 90 countries. Since 2019, through #ClaimYourWaterRights we have provided grants to 22 organisations in 12 countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America for grassroots actions. EWP is hosted by WaterAid, where I was Senior Policy Analyst - Governance, leading on WaterAid’s public policy and global advocacy strategies, generating evidence, and advocating for the conditions necessary to strengthen institutions, policies, and water sector performance.

As Director of Research and Advocacy at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (2017-2021) I led the research and advocacy team to employ a combination of litigation, research, popular education, and policy and media advocacy campaigns to amplify the rights realisation agendas of urban poor people.

Prior to that I led IRC’s Africa Regional programme (2007-2017) working with country programmes to influence change at local, national, regional and international levels, and to strengthen partnerships, policies and practices within and between government, civil society, users, donors and services providers.

As Senior Policy Specialist at the Mvula Trust (1998-2006) I provided policy and institutional support to government to strengthen local government-led community-based rural water and sanitation in the newly democratic South Africa.

At People Opposing Women Abuse (1996-1998) I trained counsellors to provide legal and psychosocial support to women affected by gender-based violence and led an advocacy team who undertook public awareness and media campaigns.