Our Team
Bunn Rachana, Co-founder and Executive Director
Rachana is an independent human rights advocate and a proud Cambodian third-wave feminist.
Rachana has almost a decade of professional experience working with local and international NGOs, UN agencies and local communities in the field of human rights with a focus on women’s rights, tenure rights and rural development.
She has designed and conducted a number of offline and online advocacy campaigns on human rights inside and outside of Cambodia. She has designed and overseen multi-million dollar development projects, conducted policy reviews and high-level advocacy.
She holds undergraduate degrees in Education and Law, and a Master's in International Development.
Kate Seewald, Co-founder and Campaign & Research Manager
Kate has spent her career working to strengthen the skills of women activists to advocate effectively and confidently on human rights issues. Kate has been based in Cambodia for the past six years working on a variety of research and campaign projects for local and international agencies.
She has previously worked with Oxfam Australia, ActionAid International in London and the UNRWA in Palestine. Kate holds a degree in International Relations, a Master of Human Rights, a Graduate Law Diploma and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Sydney focusing on civic space and women human rights defenders in Southeast Asia.
Hong Sopheak Vatanak, Administrative and Accounting Coordinator
Originally from Ratanakiri province, Sopheak completed her university studies at Norton University, majoring in Banking and Finance. Sopheak joined the Klahaan team in March 2020 as an Administrative and Accounting Intern, aiming to gain experience as well as to build confidence and personal growth by trying her hand at something new.
In January 2021, Sopheak was promoted to Admin and Accounting Officer and now works with the team on a full time basis.
Pich Phearak, Research Coordinator
Phearak graduated from Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia with a degree in International Relations. Prior to joining Klahaan, she volunteered with NGOs including Transparency International and Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), raising awareness on such issues as women’s empowerment, and the Sustainable Development Goals. She was also a Project Intern at the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia (OHCHR), where she worked with local youth networks to increase their knowledge about human rights and accountability.
Phearak joined us in February 2021 and has been busy advancing Klahaan’s digital campaigning work, and co-ordinating in-depth research and advocacy projects.
Soun Sreydet - Digital Campaign Officer
Det is passionate about the digital world where she can produce quality content that users need to see on their daily feeds. Det has coordinated student projects and digital campaigns while pursuing her bachelor's degree in Media Management at RUPP's Department of Media and Communication (DMC).
At Klahaan, Det hopes to use digital skills to create quality content and campaign about women's rights and equality.
Soeurng Sarin, Administration & Accounting Assistant
Sarin graduated with a BA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from BELTEI International University, as well as taught English for four years at BELTEI International School. She also earned another BA at Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), majoring in Economics Management.
Sarin joined the Klahaan team in May 2021 as an Administrative and Accounting Intern. In her new role, she hopes to strengthen her skills, to learn and pursue a practical job in the field of administration and accounting. She hopes Klahaan can push her to the next level.
Soeurng Sarin, Administrative and Accounting Assistant
Eng Sokha, Voluntary Research Advisor
Holding an MA in Development Policy, Sokha has held a number of positions with NGOs in Cambodia, as a research associate at Future Forum, working on women’s political representation and participation and freedom of expression online at the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, and as a trainer at Hagar Cambodia, where she facilitated training courses to vulnerable youth, women and female prisoners at the Correction Center 2.
She was also selected by the UN Women Cambodia country office to serve as the Cambodian youth delegate to attend the 58th UN Commission on the Status of Women, in March 2014.
Ou Sopheary, Voluntary Policy Advisor
Sopheary has been working in the field of women’s rights and community development with non-governmental organisations, international organisations and as freelance consultant and researcher throughout her career life. She believes in the power of everyday activism to fight for gender equality, human healthy lifestyle and a just society.
Her educational background is in Development Studies and International Relations. Currently, Sopheary is a Campaign Support Coordinator with ActionAid Cambodia.
Kam Nanitsara, Campaign & Research Intern
Sara is currently a junior at the Department Of Media and communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. With a strong admiration for mass media, she had an internship at Baramey Production Company, one of Cambodia's most renowned music agencies, to explore her passion for digital networks.
She desires to apply her skills as a media student with Klahaan to impact her community and develop herself regarding gender equality positively. By joining Klahaan, she hopes to spread awareness of feminism and gender equality in Cambodian society.
Klahaan's Advisory Board:
Kry Suyheang, Strategy & Partnerships Advisor
Suyheang Kry is a conflict transformation practitioner, a feminist, and a NMAS accredited mediator with extensive experience on gender equality, women’s leadership, peacebuilding, and conflict transformation. She is currently serving as the Executive Director of WPM and has exponentially grown the organization from its grassroots beginnings to a national hub for work on the intersection of gender and peace issues.
With a strong background in participatory research, community mobilization, gender sensitive mediation, nonviolent communication, and training facilitation, she is best known for bringing people together around key issues and navigating organizational and personal growth and transformation. Heang is also a co-developer of a homegrown participatory action peace research methodology known as Facilitative Listening Design (FLD) employed in various conflict and sensitive settings. Heang holds a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA.
Olivia Hough, Organisational Development & Team Wellbeing Advisor
Olivia loves to help others thrive. With a passion for wellbeing and organisational development, Olivia currently works as a People and Project Manager at Common Thread, a global behaviour design company putting people at the center of public health.
Olivia spent six years growing and co-leading Impact Hub Phnom Penh as the Managing Director in Cambodia, to train and empower the next generation of local changemakers and entrepreneurs. She founded The Happiness Project Cambodia, a wellbeing workshop series, and has designed and facilitated workshops on wellbeing for social enterprises and changemakers across the world, predominantly in South-East Asia.
Craig Bradshaw, Legal Advisor
Craig has been working in the field of human rights in the UK and Southeast Asia for nearly a decade. Working with both local and international organisations, he has focused on civil and political rights and economic, social and cultural rights across the region.
Craig has a legal background, with a Bachelor of Laws from Lancaster University and a Master of International Law Edinburgh University.
Sarah Cattin, SOGIE-SC Policy Advisor
Sarah Cattin is a human rights consultant, with a focus on the rights of persons with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sex characteristics (SOGIESC). She has been working with civil society organizations towards the promotion and protection of human rights in Cambodia for five years. Sarah is currently employed as a Legal Advocacy Advisor with Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK).
Sarah holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from the Paris School of International Affairs.
Klahaan's Governance Board:
CHIM Channeang, Chairperson
Channeang is presently a General Secretary (equivalent to an Executive director) of Cambodia’s leading coalition of local civil society organisations working toward gender equality in Cambodia. She brings with her extensive experience in training, investigations, research and project management focused on gender equality and gender-based violence.
Channeang has lobbied for stronger policies and laws against gender-based discrimination, including gender-based violence, at international, national, and local levels. She has also edited shadow reports submitted to the UN CEDAW Committee by NGO-CEDAW in 2013, 2016, and 2019 and led delegations to in-person advocacy before review sessions in Geneva.
Kuy Thida, Secretary
Thida identifies as a transgender man, an LGBTIQ activist, co-founder, and coordinator of LoveIsDiversity in Cambodia. He is an LGBTIQ Rights and Feminist Building Movement National Consultant at UNWOMEN Cambodia, and a consultant and trainer at the Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR) on SOGIESC.
Established in 2018, LoveIsDiversity is a multi-media platform for campaigning and awareness-building to boost LGBTIQ persons' acceptance and promote tolerance. LoveIsDiversity is dedicated to advocating and promoting equality and protection for the LGBTQI community.
LoveIsDiversity envisions that all segments of society, particularly families, schools, communities, and authorities, would treat Cambodia's LGBTIQ persons with full and equal respect, acceptance, protection, and equal opportunities would be given to participating in decision-making.
Thida graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC).
Mech Sreymom, Treasurer
Sreymom is a finance professional with almost two decades of work experience with a number of well-established local and international non-profit organizations including Future Furom, Danmission, ActionAid, Advocacy and Policy Institute, and Mith Samlanh.
Sreymom is experienced in managing consortium projects funded by institutional donors, and has led the development of financial assessments, financial management systems, capacity building, grants and third-party grant management, auditing and financial reports.
Sreymom is a candidate of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) with the CamEd Business School; she graduated Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Cambodia; and is a certified tax agent by the National Taxation School.
