Program Partners and Staff

The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) on Inclusive Civic Engagement led by the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is a collaborative initiative with the African Disability Forum (ADF).

Program Partners

About the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)

Established in 1963, the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) operates as a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), based at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Boston Children's Hospital. Dedicated to advancing the rights of individuals with disabilities to engage fully in society, ICI conducts research, program evaluation, training, and consultation. Through collaboration with various entities, including local, state, national, and international agencies, legislators, educational institutions, employers, and people with disabilities and their families, ICI champions personal choice and self-determination.

About the African Disability Forum (ADF)

Established in 2014, the African Disability Forum (ADF) is the continental membership organization of Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in Africa. ADF’s mission is to strengthen and unify the representative voices of Africans with disabilities, their families, and organizations. Acknowledging the vast regional differences across the African continent, ADF recognizes the impossibility for any single organization to fully represent such differences directly. Therefore, ADF actively incorporates and builds upon existing pan-African, sub-regional, and national federations of DPOs and networks. ADF, a member of the International Disability Alliance (IDA), is a partner on the 2025 PFP Fellowship Exchange.

Program Staff

Dr. Heike Boeltzig-Brown

Senior Manager, International Partnerships and PFP Program Director, ICI
Heike, an expert in disability-focused international exchange programming, played a pivotal role in establishing the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development at UMass Boston in 2011. In Tokyo from 2012–2020, she expanded ICI’s global programs through strategic partnerships and co-directed the US Department of State-funded Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) International Fellowship Program and the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) on Inclusive Disability Employment. Now in Boston, Massachusetts, Heike directs the PFP on Inclusive Civic Engagement and fosters disability leadership capacity in Japan.

Email: [email protected]
Christa Preston

PFP Program Coordinator, ICI
Christa, an Ashoka Changemaker, coordinates ICI’s Fellowship Program activities with the African Disability Forum. In previous roles, she built the capacity of organizations serving children with developmental disabilities in Uganda and across East Africa. Christa managed multi-country, multi-disciplinary working teams, including academic experts from local and international non-profit organizations and individuals directly impacted by the work. Christa earned recognition for her innovative programing from USAID and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Email: [email protected]
Mercy Opiche

Project Officer, ADF
With six years of nonprofit experience in mental health and disability, Mercy serves as a project officer, overseeing all ADF activities for the Fellowship Program. Previously, she was a project manager at Humanity & Inclusion’s East African Region, managing the Fellowship Program’s end-to-end execution and coordinating with partners and Fellows for successful delivery. Earlier, as a research assistant at Aga Khan University’s Institute for Human Development, Mercy organized and implemented qualitative and quantitative surveys. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, Mercy brings a wealth of expertise to her work.

Email: [email protected]
Bethelehem Zewde

Program Director, ADF
As ADF’s program director based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Bethelehem oversees Fellow outreach, recruitment, and logistics for the Fellowship Program. Previously, she served as the Country Director of Kyeema Foundation for three years, following seven years managing a project in partnership with the Pan African Veterinary Vaccine Centre. Bethelehem also coordinated 29 remote workshops for the Internet Society and worked as a freelance consultant for five years. With 12 years at Humanity & Inclusion, she held roles as an administrator and deputy country representative in Ethiopia.

Email: [email protected]

Program Partners and Staff