Over the years, our team of volunteers have donated countless hours, in over 10 countries reaching hundreds of thousands of vulnerable refugees. We are eternally grateful for their contributions and we remain committed to helping vulnerable individuals in crisis situations, particularly refugees.
Our mission is to provide innovative, locally-led and sustainable programs that build capacity and up-skills the local workforce through dedicated training.
This mission is championed by dedicated professionals who leverage their expertise and experience to make a real difference. Despite their busy schedules, they volunteer their time and skills to provide vital support and hope to refugees in need.
Management Team
Dr Khaleda Zaheer CEO & Co-Founder
Khaleda is a founding member of the charity and has been serving our mission by leading the healthcare programs. She has supported the charity in setting its vision and shaping the organisation.
As the CEO of RCF, Khaleda’s has been designing and delivering quality healthcare programs for refugees in Bangladesh. Her focus is on locally-led and sustainable programs that build capacity and upskills the local workforce through comprehensive training. Under Khaleda’s leadership, the Foundation has grown to become the largest provider of oral healthcare services and the sole provider of ear and hearing care in the world’s largest refugee camp, home to one million Rohingya in Bangladesh.
Khaleda’s has formed national and international partnerships with organisations including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Health Organisation, academic institutions in the UK and Bangladesh, national NGOs, FDI World Dental Federation, and the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
As an advocate for refugees, Khaleda conducts high-quality research to inform the design, delivery, integration, and evaluation of healthcare initiatives. She has been awarded multiple research grants for innovative solutions addressing the high burden of oral and ear diseases. Her research work has been published in reputable peer-reviewed journals and she is regularly invited to give national and international lectures on healthcare for refugees.
Kiran Altaf Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees
Kiran is the co-founder and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Refugee Crisis Foundation and a pharmacist by profession. She has led multiple humanitarian projects across eight countries, including establishing the first approved dental clinic in Calais in 2015.
With extensive experience in humanitarian response, Kiran has worked closely with international and local NGOs to improve access to healthcare and provide welfare aid for displaced and underserved populations. Kiran continues to drive impactful initiatives through strategic partnerships and fundraising.
Dr Tahmina Zerin Program manager, Bangladesh
Dr Tahmina Zerin is a dedicated dentist and program manager with over ten years of experience and a demonstrated commitment to sustainable, locally-led initiatives. As a leader within RCF, she has spearheaded impactful dental and hearing care programs in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Tahmina ensures the delivery of high-quality healthcare services by overseeing staffing, project planning, and execution. She fosters collaboration and performance within her team and strengthens community engagement. Additionally, Tahmina maintains RCF's partnerships with national and international organisations, including the Bangladesh Dental Society, FDI World Dental Federation, the World Health Organisation and UNHCR.
Dr Majid Khokhar Member of the Board of Trustees
Dr Majid has always been passionate about helping others, a value instilled in him at a young age by his grandfather, which led him to support many charities around the world.
He joined RCF in its early days and was part of the team of dentists that went to the “Jungle” in Calais in 2015 to work in a mobile dental unit. Since then, he has been a passionate advocate for our cause and serves as one of our trustees. With over 20 years of experience in dentistry, he plays a crucial role in training, awareness, and fundraising for our projects, including fundraising on charity channels.
As one of the lead dentists who went to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, Majid helped establish emergency dental services in the refugee camp for the Rohingya refugees and provided guidance and training to local dentists, enabling them to eventually take over and run the camps themselves.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Majid is a dedicated advocate for raising awareness about the significance of oral health. He firmly believes that everyone deserves a healthy mouth and strives to educate and empower both his local community and those in need around the world.
Dr Ali Altaf Member of the Board of Trustees
Dr Ali, a Manchester-based dentist, has served as a trustee with Refugee Crisis Foundation since 2015. His commitment to humanitarianism became evident in 2015 when he joined RCF as a trustee. That year, the RCF launched a critical initiative providing emergency dental care to refugees in the challenging conditions of the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais. Ali's dental expertise and dedication to helping those in dire need made him a valuable asset to the foundation's mission.
