Rita Yembilah
Senior Associate
Calgary, Canada
Languages: English, Akan, Nabt/Tallen/Gurune, Dagaare, Mossi, Hausa (functional)
“I feel deeply for the plight of people who are vulnerable, marginalized and at risk. Joining the CoRe team means that I can bring a fresh eye to development programs and projects around the world, (re)presenting the thoughts, ideas and insights of people too far removed from policy tables and helping to shape what development looks like on the ground. CoRe has huge transformative potential. As an evaluator, I’m inspired to be using my ‘pen’ to advocate for others.”
Rita was born on a plateau in southwestern Ghana, but she grew up in Northern Ghana enjoying the harmattan and the savanna. She received her first degree in Geography and Sociology (Magna cum Laude) from the University of Ghana, and proceeded to the University of Calgary to undertake her Masters and Doctoral studies in Human Geography. Currently, she works as a Senior Researcher and Evaluator at the Canadian Poverty Institute and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Development Studies at the University of Calgary. Rita’s academic interests are in poverty, vulnerability, and marginalization; resiliency building; gender studies; natural resources and livelihoods; and social inequality. She brings a critical and decolonializing lens to her work and is particularly passionate about including voices of lived experience in research, policy, and practice. Rita likes to enjoy the lighter side of life and has the most fun playing with her two “wontastic” daughters.