Socorro, Spanish for ‘help’.
It’s the core of what we do. With decades of experience in disaster relief, we now evaluate and assist Humanitarian and Aid organizations - helping them improve their response efforts.
OUR MISSION
To improve the lives, health and capabilities of those affected by disaster, disease and conflict throughout the world.
OUR VISION
Socorro is an expression of our commitment to working with the world's most vulnerable communities to enhance their health and capabilities so that they can live the lives they value.
BACKGROUND
Founded by the Emergency and Public Health Specialist, Libby Bowell, and the Operations Management and Shelter and Settlements expert, Don Johnston. We are a multidisciplinary team of veteran humanitarian aid workers. With 46 international deployments to 25 countries and with a combined 37 years in the field, we are skilled disaster managers with extensive, first-hand knowledge of the various components to the IFRC’s global response system in particular and the international humanitarian system in general.
Libby Bowell, MPH, RN
Libby is a Registered Nurse with 40 years experience in Emergency, ICU and Remote Area Nursing in indigenous communities in Northern Australia. She is an experienced humanitarian worker with 25+ international deployments, mainly in emergency operations. Libby has managed major health responses following Natural Disasters and Disease Outbreaks.
She has a Masters degree in Remote Health Practice and Public Health, a postgraduate Diploma in Disaster and Refugee Health and a Bachelors degree in Nursing. Libby has a strong background in curriculum development and training at all levels: she has a passion for mentoring and building the capacities of local teams.
Libby is Australian and lives on the beautiful north coast of New South Wales.
Don Johnston, PhD, MA, BA
Don is an experienced evaluation consultant and a veteran international humanitarian aid worker. He is best known for his research-based policy work on disaster recovery, urban and rural vulnerability, and international humanitarian action.
He has a background in emergency operations management, IASC Cluster Coordination, shelter and settlements, and logistics coordination. Don has managed multiple large-scale international disasters for the IFRC and led post-disaster recovery, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian operations in a large variety of complex humanitarian crises. He has experience and in-depth understanding of the role INGOs, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, UN and local, regional and national government agencies have in humanitarian response.
He is a ‘pracademic’ in the truest sense of the word and has combined his extensive field experience with rigorous humanitarian research at global, regional and country levels. He has led multi-country reviews using a variety of evaluation methodologies and tools, and statistical analysis comparing pre- with post-disaster indicators in a manner which combines quantitative research with qualitative indicators.
Don is the sole author of a scholarly monograph examining health and capabilities in the Global South, and has authored several publications on emergency health, humanitarian shelter and settlements, conflict-caused migration, and the principles-based ethics undergirding humanitarian response. He led or co-author eleven guidelines and research-based policy papers outlining international humanitarian programs in response to natural disasters, pandemics, and conflict and has presented papers at multiple international conferences.
Don is fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. He is an American national and currently lives in Australia.
Our logo is inspired by the constellation Ursa Minor or Little Dipper. It contains
the North Star
and has provided guidance and safe passage to voyagers since the very beginning.
