John Gaaniko is the Country Director, South Sudan at Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amérique du Nord.
John has been the Country Director for South Sudan since January 2022. He is a South Sudanese national, and development professional with over 17 years of experience working with USAID, FAO, UNOPS, and UNHCR supporting humanitarian and development programs. John has extensive experience in project design and management and is expert in public policy and development.
Prior to his appointment as the country director in 2022, he worked as a program management specialist for USAID/South Sudan for 10 years. He also worked for USAID/Burundi as a fellow in 2020 to support USAID's mission in setting up office systems and policies.
He is known for his work in promoting innovations in agriculture to enhance the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers, public policy development, and advocacy for economic empowerment of girls, women, and youth through community-driven development approach.
John graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2018 with a Master Degree (MSc.) in international development; in 2023, he completed a second Master degree program in Public Health from the University of South Wales (UK). In addition, he has a bachelor degree in business administration from Cambridge International College (UK). John speaks French and English. He likes cooking and watching animal movies.
#VETSVolunteerVoices #aims to brings you stories of our passionate VETS program volunteers from the field. This blog was written by Karissa Gall, a Communications and Gender Advisor who supported our VETS program partner, WIPVaC-Apex, in Ghana earlier this year (January-February 2025).
The Animals & Ales Pet Photo Contest has officially come to a close! Over $170,000 raised for animals in need.
This article highlights the hidden impact of parasites in livestock, showcasing how VWB’s One Health initiatives in parasite prevention, veterinary training, and community education help protect farmers’ livelihoods, strengthen food security, and reduce zoonotic disease risks.
