Meet Sarra: Supporting Women and Youth for Resilience in Mauritania

We are pleased to introduce Sarra, GCERF’s National Adviser in Mauritania. She is a passionate advocate for women and youth empowerment, community resilience, and locally led initiatives to prevent violent extremism.

Sarra brings a strong background in economics, finance, and development. She holds a Master’s in Economics from the University of Nouakchott, a postgraduate diploma in Banking from CNAM, Paris, and a certificate in Business & Finance Communication from Canada. Prior to joining GCERF, she worked with UNDP Mauritania on programme supervision and capacity building, gained international experience in Canada as Chief of Accounts Receivable at Canadian Linen & Uniform Service, and earlier served as a Credit Analyst at Banque Al Amana in Nouakchott.

Since 2022, Sarra has been supporting local civil society organisations across Mauritania, overseeing grant-making and programme management, conducting field monitoring, and strengthening organisational capacities. She fosters collaboration with national authorities and donors, with a particular focus on empowering women and youth as leaders of resilience and sustainable peace.

“My motivation is to see women and young people at the heart of building a more inclusive and resilient Mauritania,” Sarra says. “They are the drivers of sustainable peace and development, and supporting them is the best investment in our future.”

Through her work, Sarra helps ensure that communities have the tools, knowledge, and support needed to lead meaningful change, making civil society a driving force for long-term stability and development in Mauritania.