Driven by purpose, united by passion
Meet the People behind OFELIA
We are a global team of skilled and passionate experts in education, economic development, health, agriculture, poverty reduction, intellectual property, environment, climate change, and youth-oriented policymaking. With a global reach spanning Switzerland, The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Ecuador, Haiti, Cameroon, and Venezuela, our team is culturally sensitive and is committed to community development and empowerment.
Board of Directors
Thamara Romero
Founder and President
Thamara Romero is the Founder and President of OFELIA International, a Swiss-registered non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equitable access to education, culture, and community development in underserved regions. An international legal and policy specialist, she has designed and led complex educational and social initiatives across multiple countries, working in collaboration with public institutions, academic partners, multilateral organizations, and civil society actors. Her leadership combines strategic vision with operational rigor, ensuring that OFELIA’s programs meet high standards of transparency, accountability, and measurable impact.
Ms. Romero is currently pursuing a PhD in International Law at the World Trade Institute of the University of Bern, where her research focuses on international mobility of independent professionals and digital trade frameworks. In parallel, she has served as an international consultant on development policy, industrialization, and digital economy issues, contributing to projects in Africa, Asia and other regions. As President of OFELIA, she provides overall governance oversight, resource mobilization, and strategic partnerships, guiding the organization’s mission to empower children, youth, and women as agents of sustainable community transformation.
Katty Roussel serves as Vice President of OFELIA, bringing substantial experience in community engagement, team coordination, and organizational management. Since 2019, she has been actively involved in the Ludothèque of Versoix (Switzerland), where she has held responsibilities including staff supervision, financial and administrative oversight, facilities management, and program development in close collaboration with the governing committee.
Her professional background also includes recruitment management, youth programs, and extensive work with children and families in educational and community settings. With formal training in socio-educational support and leisure activity facilitation, she contributes strong organizational skills, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to inclusive community initiatives, supporting OFELIA’s strategic development and institutional effectiveness.
Katty Roussel
vice President
Joanna Rivera Rujana
Treasurer
Joanna Rivera Rujana serves as Treasurer of OFELIA, bringing strong financial oversight and organizational discipline to the Committee. With a background in economics, accounting, finance, and administrative management, she is responsible for supervising the organization’s financial planning, budgeting, internal controls, and reporting processes. In this role, Joanna ensures that funds are managed transparently, efficiently, and in full compliance with applicable regulations and donor requirements.
Joanna oversees the preparation of financial statements, supports external reporting obligations, and contributes to risk management and long-term financial sustainability. Working closely with the President and the Committee, she helps maintain robust governance standards and accountability mechanisms that safeguard donor confidence and institutional integrity.
Cecilia Stefañuk-Schmitz is a Swiss-Argentine professional with extensive experience in educational and community-based initiatives, organizational coordination, and work with children and families in multicultural environments. She contributes to institutional management, program development, and partnerships with local authorities and civil society actors. In parallel, she coordinates and facilitates environmental education programs in public schools across the Canton of Geneva, having organized and delivered hundreds of workshops in collaboration with educational institutions.
Her background also includes teaching, child development support, and the production of multilingual educational materials. Fluent in several languages, Cecilia supports the organization’s operational coordination, documentation, and compliance processes, strengthening OFELIA’s institutional reliability and long-term sustainability.
Cecilia Stefañuk-Schmitz
Secretary of the board
Our Staff
Policy and Program Support Officer
Enrico Giambelluca
Book donation
coordinator
Rocío
Perez
Benjamin
Lesquibille
IT
officer
Valery
Blanc
Helpdesk
Miguel
Romero
Lorena
Schwarzenberg
Gladys
Castro
Rosa
Betis
Yamellys
Casanova
Reading Mentor
Alejandra
Parra
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Elena
Di Legge
Intern
Gabriele
Gambino
Intern
Sofia
D'Orsogna
OFELIA is architecture
Gonçalves Perić
Every OFELIA space begins with a story — one built from listening, from the gentle act of understanding what a place is, or what it wishes to become.
The creation of our spaces is entrusted to Gonçalves Perić, a European architecture practice based in Portugal and Croatia. Their design approach is rooted in the making of timeless spaces — places that bring people together, nurture communities, and invite a sense of belonging.
Each OFELIA library is a dialogue between art and local culture. They invite visitors to linger, to discover, to feel at home. Here, books meet the arts, literature crosses paths with science, and the printed world embraces the digital. These are living spaces — where events unfold, relationships grow, and new forms of cultural sociability take shape.
Led by architects André Gonçalves and Matija Perić, the practice accompanies OFELIA in the creation of its new Swiss headquarters and in the future realization of several libraries and community centers across rural South America. Together, we explore, we imagine, and we design the places where community can flourish — spaces that connect the visible and the invisible, the built and the felt.
OFELIA is design
Studio Ayer
For OFELIA, design is part of its language. It speaks through our identity and our values, weaving together imagination and purpose. Design, for us, is a living force: an invitation to co-create what is shared, to build the spaces where thought and rest, creation and reflection, come together as one.
Design also carries a deeper mission — to support the empowerment of Indigenous communities, nurturing their innate ability to design their own futures and shape their collective voice.
This vital work is entrusted to Studio Ayer, an independent graphic and digital design practice run by humanist designers who use creativity as a lever for social change. Founded by Inês Ayer and partnered with Rodrigo Veloso, the studio works across disciplines, from visual identity, UX/UI, print, environments, and community engagement, to build coherent design systems that serve people first.
For OFELIA, Studio Ayer has led our full visual transformation: developing a new logo, typography, color and image language; redesigning our website; shaping our social media voice; and creating adaptable tools for field projects and partnerships. Their strategic and hands‑on support is vital to OFELIA’s new chapter: clearer, more inclusive, and ready to grow.
OFELIA is illustration
Anna simeone
Through the eyes of Anna Simeone, OFELIA takes shape as a child — full of dreams and ideas, reaching for them with the help of books. Her drawings are not mere images; they are invitations. They call on every reader, every visitor, to express what they feel, to share their emotions, their artistic gestures, and the ancestral knowledge that lives within their stories.
Anna Simeone is a freelance children’s illustrator based in Sopot, Poland. After earning a degree in Literature from the University of Gdańsk, she spent a decade in Italy before returning to her seaside hometown with her husband, daughter, and their dog.
Her work has brought to life children’s books for publishers across Poland, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. In each illustration, she seeks to capture the gentle, joyful moments of everyday life — a cup of morning light, a child’s wonder, the hush of shared discovery. Her color palettes are inspired by what surrounds her: seasonal vegetables and flowers, vintage porcelain, her dog’s fur, and the quiet rhythm of nature.
Working fluidly between colored pencils, watercolors, and digital media, Anna Simeone creates a visual language that reflects OFELIA’s spirit — tender, curious, and alive with imagination.
Community allies
Buscadores de Libros
Mariela Thais Mendoza Díaz
Mariela Thais Mendoza Díaz is the founder of Buscadores de Libros in Venezuela, where she has spent 15 years turning reading into a public good. Trained in Industrial Relations, she builds joyful, community-led programs that spark curiosity and critical thinking—mini-libraries like El Rincón del Saber, the national poetry contest Descubriendo Poetas, and the civic campaign Más Lectores, Mejores Ciudadanos. Mariela’s ethos mirrors OFELIA’s: stories create citizens. Her experience and networks strengthen OFELIA’s work in Venezuela, including the Canaima Community Library & Cultural Center.
Community allies
Damas Voluntarias
The heart of ofelia
Behind every library we build, there is the quiet strength of women who give their time and love from Switzerland to the world. They are the hands that weave hope, the voices that believe in knowledge as a path to freedom, and the spirit that makes our mission possible. At OFELIA, we honor these extraordinary women whose generosity lights the way for communities everywhere.
Ignite Learning, Empower Leadership
Ready to make a difference? OFELIA welcomes passionate volunteers to help us create brighter futures through education, community service, and leadership. Your time and skills can shape tomorrow—let’s build thriving communities together.
