Salina is a renowned pan African policy and advocacy expert with many years of experience in strategic partnership development, research and programme work. Over the years Sanou has led programming processes that have resulted in building effective linkages between grassroots realities and national, regional and global policies and vice versa.

Currently, Sanou is the Head of Programmes at PACJA, overseeing a programme mirroring three thematic areas namely Resilient People, Societies and Economies; Just Transition and Energy Access and Climate Finance.

Prior to joining PACJA, Sanou has worked across the African continent for various organizations including the Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD), Forum of African Women’s Educationalists (FAWE), CARE International, Oxfam International and the UN Millennium Project. Sanou has a strong Gender and Women’s Rights background and has developed several models including the Animatrice Model for getting girls enrol in school and an agri-business model of shared value to economically empower women. Through her work, Sanou has learned that community-owned responses exist and work, what communities need is support and facilitation for more effective and holistic responses.

She has authored many publications and position papers including “Pastoralist Education in Mali and Niger”; “Pastoralist schools in Mali: Gendered Roles and Curriculum Realities” and “Beyond Access: Transforming Policy and Practice for Gender Equality in Education.” 

Sanou is a graduate of both University of Nairobi, Kenya and McGill University, Canada.