Sadaf Shallwani

Director of Programs and Learning

Dr. Sadaf Shallwani is Firelight’s Director of Programs and Learning. In this role, she provides leadership for the strategic and impactful design, delivery, and evaluation of Firelight’s initiatives, activities, and portfolio of grants. She leads and supports the Programs and Learning Team in developing strategic initiatives and grant clusters; integrating learning and evaluation frameworks within and across strategic initiatives; and supporting the capacity of Firelight’s community-based grantee-partners –all through the lens of community-driven systems change.

Sadaf is committed to solidarity-based approaches, participatory and collaborative methodologies, and the generation and application of knowledge from Global South perspectives. Sadaf has two decades of experience in program development, implementation, research, and evaluation, in the areas of child rights, early childhood development, education, and the effectiveness of grassroots civil society.

Prior to joining Firelight, Sadaf worked extensively with different agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network in East Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia. She has also designed and led a number of child development programs and research projects in Canada. Sadaf completed her PhD in Developmental Psychology and Education, focusing on early childhood developmentand primary education, from the University of Toronto / Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her dissertation research examined how quality in early schooling is conceptualized and affects children’s outcomes in Pakistan. Sadaf also holds a Master’s degree in Social Work, with a focus on community practice and research, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, with a focus on child development.