Sharaf Tariq

Sharaf Tariq was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh and gained her interest in international relations while growing up in Pakistan, Ethiopia, and the Northern Virginia area. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs and a Minor in Data Science at the University of Virginia. 

While pursuing her undergraduate studies, she volunteered to work with international students to improve their English language skills and to acclimate to a new environment. Furthermore, she led English classes for the Afghani refugee community in the greater Charlottesville area.

Due to Sharaf’s close work with immigrants and refugees, she joined the Peace Corps and served in the Kyrgyz Republic for two years. She worked closely with local English teachers to increase human capital not just for students but for teachers as well. She led many trainings and workshops on professional development and implemented a small-scale project to help improve school resources for students.

Since joining GHD, Sharaf has been able to apply her academic knowledge to real world issues. During the spring of 2026, Sharaf completed an internship with the Aga Khan Foundation’s DC office as the Programs and Partnerships intern. She supported the foundation’s business development, identifying key stakeholders and conducting research to inform program design and positioning on climate resilience and healthcare. 

Summer internship

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work with Partnership for Indonesia’s Sustainable Agriculture (PISAgro), the Indonesia country office for GrowAsia. I worked on an evaluation of the GrowHer: Kakao project, focusing on women’s empowerment in cocoa farming villages in South Sulawesi. My work consisted of compiling and structuring program indicators, analyzing baseline and endline data, and assessing results. I was able to present my findings to stakeholders in agriculture, such as Nestle, Mars, and Unilever. I also developed a geographic database mapping organizations, interventions, and outcomes across Indonesian provinces and villages, using GIS tools to visualize where programs were being implemented and where they had achieved the greatest impact. In addition to quantitative and spatial analysis, I supported the development of strategic communications and materials on climate resilience, including farmer-facing El Niño guidance and corporate presentations and board meeting materials. Through these projects, I gained experience in translating complex data and research into actionable insights, while developing a broader understanding of how businesses can contribute to climate adaptation, farmer resilience, and inclusive agricultural development.