EIL Intercultural Learning

Caterina Totaro is the Development Education Co-ordinator at EIL Ireland. Born in Tuscany, Italy, Caterina graduated in Social Science and Law at Florence University and obtained a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Conflict Management in Pisa.
Before she joined EIL she had been living in Ireland, South America and Burkina Faso, working for several not for profit organisation and  International NGOs.

EIL’s Development Education Programme focuses on three main areas: Poverty, HIV&AIDS, and Gender equality. Caterina works with returned volunteers and past participants to EIL’s programmes to raise awareness on these issues by organising events, workshops, training and public actions. “Returned volunteers are exposed to development issues during their volunteer experience” says Caterina. “Their testimony is crucial and their voice more powerful than anything else in promoting interest and familiarity with development issues here in Ireland, within their community, workplace, family and friends.”

Caterina is also the co-ordinator of the Global Awareness Programme focussing on HIV&AIDS. Every year four people are selected and trained on this issue. They volunteer in Nigeria or South Africa for eight weeks and they raise awareness in Ireland on their return through media, radio, interviews, schooltalks, photo exhibitions and public events.

Caterina also works organising events that bring together EIL’s members like the two residential network weekends, in April and November. She also coordinates the editing of three annual newsletters delivered to over 700 people and prepare volunteers prior their departure.