About Robert Gonouya 

General Secretary

Robert is the General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Nation Building Initiative (ZDNBI). Robert has a background in research, teaching, human rights advocacy, impact evaluation, strategy development, development and project management. He brings both strategic and operational leadership experiences, within non-governmental and civic society organisations, specifically those working on education, human rights, environmental, health and wellbeing and youth employment projects.

Robert’s leadership track record includes working as chairperson and trustee of the Zimbabwe Action Group (ZAG), an Oxfordshire based human rights advocacy group which supported refugees,  vice Chair and Think Tanks portfolio lead in the Zimbabwe Diaspora Focus Group (ZDFG) and as the outreach lead for the then Zimbabwe Constitution Consultation Taskforce UK.  This committee was charged by the civic groups involved, with the responsibility of mobilising Zimbabweans living in the UK, to participate and contribute their views, as part of efforts (in 2010) to inform the writing of what then became the new Zimbabwean constitution. 

More recently, Robert has taken up the role of Director at Arena Community, a charity focused on supporting people with challenging lives, including those living in deprivation.  Robert holds an MSc in NGO & Development Management. He is a member of the Centre for Sustainable Work and Employment Futures (CSWEF), a part of the University of Leicester’s Business School, where he is completing a Doctorate in social prescribing and youth transitions to emplyoment. 

Robert is an Alumnus of the Common Purpose (UK) Leadership Programme. He is passionate about contributing to a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Zimbabwe, one in which especially the disenfranchised and less empowered citizens are supported and enabled to be agents of change. His motto is ‘talk and do’, which underlines his near obsession with action as opposed to prevarication.

Contact Robert Gonouya via email here:

robertgonouya@zdnbi.com