Chief Executive DirectorHumana People to People India
Mr. Westgaard has been working with Humana People to People India (HPPI) since February 2004 and is one of the integral members of the HPPI team in India. He has over the years supported a wide portfolio of work in child education, community development, environment and public health, contributing to the overall growth and outreach of the HPPIn.
Mr. Westgaard has been guiding HPPI’s education and development goals by working closely with the central government as well as the state governments, local and global non-profit organizations, community groups, researchers, as well as the private sector. He brings with him valuable experience gained through leading many successful teams and complex assignments across various global social welfare organizations.
Mr. Westgaard has been instrumental in developing new education projects in India, like ‘Kadam’ (Step-Up), an innovative programme aligned with the Right to Education, Act, 2009 and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan, an initiative aimed at getting ‘out-of-school-children’ back into the school system by providing holistic academic support to them. He has also been an important part of HPPI’s team which has been working on ‘Necessary Teacher Training Programme’, a two year diploma of education for new primary school teachers across various states in the country.
Prior to his work in India, Mr. Westgaard provided regional support in the health and community development sectors mainly in Southern Africa. He has made valuable contributions on projects aimed at increasing the awareness about HIV/AIDS and other rampant diseases, their prevention, diagnosis and treatment. These projects include ‘HOPE’ and ‘Total Control Epidemic’ programmes, which spanned across various countries across the globe. He was a part of developing and starting these programmes which has today reached over 20 million people and has and connected them with information, services and support.