Yen Parico

Director, Belgium/Philippines

Yen is a firm believer in the significant influence of the youth in creating a better future for the planet. She is advancing youth empowerment as the Community Organizer of CoalitionWILD. Prior to joining CoalitionWILD, she was a Researcher at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and a Small Island Developing States Research and Communications Intern at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Her experiences and learnings in the Philippines shaped Yen’s deep-rooted foundation as a sustainability advocate. Yen holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. At the present, she proactively pursues her passion for ocean conservation and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU).

Cidee Despi

Outreach & Communications, Philippines

Cidee Despi hopes to embody compassion that inspires action. As a development sector professional, she is committed to making social impact where she can, especially when it comes to her areas of interest: the youth, gender and development, and social justice to name a few. She has occupied various roles, from communications and partnerships to project and program management, all in support of impact-driven organizations. On the side, she writes about culture and politics. Currently, she is pursuing her law degree at the University of the Philippines.

Fatima D. Gigante

Program Coordinator / Programs & Partnerships, Spain

Fátima is passionate about participatory and community-based approaches to biodiversity conservation. She loves connecting people and facilitating the development of meaningful relationships. At CoalitionWILD, she is the person working ‘behind-the-scenes’ of the EXCELerator and Global Mentorship programs, following her keen interest in exploring community engagement and capacity-building strategies in the virtual space. Fátima has a multidisciplinary background, she is a biologist and has completed a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University and Research. In the past, she has worked with local communities both in urban and rural areas on projects on human-wildlife coexistence, community forestry, and environmental education. At the present, she is looking forward to further developing herself professionally in the fields of facilitation, conflict management, and mediation, and experiential learning for reconnecting ourselves, as humans, to the natural world.