Charlene Wantong

I am an international development and public diplomacy professional with 13+ years of experience designing, managing, and delivering high-impact programs across Africa. My work focuses on youth development, women’s empowerment, community resilience, and systems-level solutions. Throughout my career, I have managed multi-million-dollar grant portfolios, collaborating with international organizations, governments, NGOs, foundations, and private-sector partners. I specialize in turning strategy into action, achieving measurable, inclusive, and sustainable results in complex, resource-constrained contexts. 🔹 Core Expertise Program design, execution, and adaptive management Grants management, donor compliance, and risk mitigation End-to-end project delivery and oversight Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Strategic partnerships and public diplomacy Youth and women’s empowerment Resilience, creativity, and complex problem-solving Persuasive communication and stakeholder engagement 🔹 What Sets Me Apart I operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, blending operational resilience, creative problem-solving, and persuasive communication to deliver results even in fragile contexts. My guiding principle is: 👉 “Do more with less.” I maximize impact while optimizing resources, ensuring accountability, quality, and local ownership. I am passionate about innovative partnerships, inclusive financing, and development models that unlock long-term opportunities for women and youth. 📩 Open To: International roles and assignments Strategic advisory or program leadership opportunities Partnerships and collaborations in Africa Research-to-practice initiatives Funders exploring scalable, evidence-based development solutions If you’re interested in building impactful, resilient, human-centered initiatives in Africa, I would be glad to connect.