I was born in Khartoum, Sudan in 1980 and raised in Zambia, the Philippines and the Netherlands. As a classic third culture kid, I thrive in international environments and identify as a global citizen. I lived and worked in Ghana and South Africa, and I currently live in Oslo with my Norwegian husband and two children.

A combination of exposure to the dichotomy of growing up in privilege in the Global South, along with a deep curiosity about what makes people do what they do led me to first become a cognitive psychologist. Later, I became interested in applying my behavioural science background to international development, which became the topic of my second MSc. I also completed a postgraduate qualification in business and human rights law. 

After working for several large NGOs (MSI Reproductive Choices, Save the Children) I set up Osman Advisory Services in 2014 to offer a bespoke set of services to non-profits. As an African woman, I also feel it is my duty to contribute to diversifying the development consulting and applied behavioural science spaces. I am a certified member of the Global Association of Applied Behavioural Scientists (GAABS). In 2021, I was nominated as Content Person of the Year by the top behavioural design newsletter, Habit Weekly.

Through my consultancy work, I partnered with teams in:

Africa Ghana, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Asia Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Nepal.

Europe Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and  the United Kingdom.

I work in English, but I also speak Sudanese Arabic, Dutch, and intermediate Norwegian. I read Danish and currently working on my French!

Please explore the Insights & Reflections section on our website, where I share my thoughts on a wide range of topics.