Francesca Ciriaci-Sawalha

Francesca is the country director of IREX’s Jordan office. Concurrent with this position which she has held since 2014, she is program director, providing technical leadership and oversight to a broad portfolio of programs in Jordan and across the region. Francesca oversees initiatives developing youth skills to engage critically with information and build individuals and communities’ resilience to disinformation, strengthen civil society and community-based organizations, empower women, develop leaders, and foster networks.

Prior to holding this position, Francesca was Chief of Party of IREX’s Jordan Media Strengthening Program, funded by USAID. She started her professional life as a journalist, and it was on assignment that she moved from Florence, Italy, to Amman.