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WHO
WE ARE

Since 2018, IAIS has grown from a youth initiative into a civil society organization delivering Erasmus+, EU-funded projects, local activities, training and international partnerships. Our work brings young people, migrants, educators, volunteers and civil society partners together through practical learning, mobility, dialogue and community action.

LEADERSHIP

IAIS is guided by a leadership team with experience in non-profit, youth work, EU project delivery, migration, HR administration, training coordination, governance and civil society operations. Together, they support the organisation's work with young people, migrants, community partners and European project networks.

Luke Attard Bason Esteban brings to IAIS a strong background in operations, project delivery, training and facilitation, youth work and civil society governance. As a founding member of IAIS, he has supported the organization's development, partnerships and Erasmus+ activities since its early years. His experience combines practical project coordination, stakeholder engagement, training support, logistics, digital systems and quality assurance. Luke has also been active in youth work through the Mosta Youth Empowerment Centre, supporting informal education, youth leadership, team-building and local community initiatives. His professional background in operations, CRM systems, reporting and process development strengthens IAIS’s ability to manage projects in an organized and accountable manner. He contributes to the leadership team by supporting clear systems, effective coordination and participant-centered project delivery.

Luke Attard Bason Esteban

President

Luke supports IAIS through governance, project operations, digital systems and youth-work experience, helping the organisation deliver Erasmus+ and community projects in a structured and participant-centred way.

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Anna Maria Grech is an experienced youth worker, community educator and project adviser with more than 25 years of experience in youth work, non-formal education, community development and youth participation. She has worked extensively with young people from diverse backgrounds, supporting personal, social, cultural and civic development through school-based youth work, community programmes and local youth initiatives. Her experience includes EU-funded employability programmes, international youth exchanges, active citizenship activities and European youth-work training. Through her work with the Mosta Youth Empowerment Centre and other youth initiatives, Anna Maria has supported young people in Malta and abroad to access opportunities, build confidence and participate more actively in society. For IAIS, she brings senior expertise in youth-centred practice, inclusion, safeguarding awareness, non-formal education, employability and European youth mobility.

Anna Maria Grech

Treasurer/Director for External Affairs

Anna Maria brings more than 25 years of youth-work, non-formal education and community development experience, supporting IAIS in youth participation, inclusion, employability and European mobility projects.

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Maria Shiela Isaac brings practical experience in human resources, administration, workforce documentation, onboarding, employee relations, work permit administration and training coordination. Her professional background is highly relevant to IAIS’s work with migrants, third-country nationals, young people and diverse project participants. Through her HR roles in Malta, Shiela has developed strong skills in documentation, compliance support, stakeholder communication, employment administration and the management of sensitive records. She also has experience in training coordination and vocational preparation, including the supervision of practical and theoretical training programmes. As Board Secretary, Shiela supports IAIS’s governance and operational capacity by contributing to organised documentation, reliable administration, participant support and clear internal procedures. Her profile strengthens IAIS’s work in inclusion, employability, migrant support and project implementation.

Maria Shiela Isaac

Board Secretary

Shiela supports IAIS through HR administration, documentation, training coordination and migrant-support experience, strengthening the organisation’s operational and participant-facing capacity.

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Eilleen is the Executive Director and co-founder of IAIS. For her, IAIS is not only an organisation, but a space where her personal journey, professional experience and commitment to social justice come together. Her work is rooted in the belief that people should have the chance to belong, participate and build better futures, regardless of where they come from or what barriers they face. As someone whose work has long been shaped by migration, inclusion and community life, Eilleen brings both lived understanding and professional discipline to IAIS’s mission. She leads IAIS’s strategic management, project development, partnerships, EU-funded programmes and day-to-day implementation. Over the past eight years, she has developed, managed and supported Erasmus+ and European Union-funded projects focused on youth empowerment, migrant inclusion, integration, sustainability, democratic participation and civil society cooperation. Her work covers the full project cycle, from shaping ideas and writing applications to managing partners, supporting participants, overseeing delivery, managing budgets, monitoring results and reporting impact. Before dedicating herself fully to civil society work, Eilleen built more than 10 years of experience in the corporate sector and more than 20 years of leadership, volunteering and organisational work in the non-profit field. This combination allows her to bring structure, accountability and strategic thinking to projects, while keeping people and communities at the centre. Eilleen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Management, a Diploma in Strategic Marketing Management, a Certificate in International Labour Migration from the University of Oxford, and an MSc in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS University of London. Her academic background strengthens her evidence-based approach to migration, development and inclusion, while her lived and community experience keeps her work grounded in real people’s needs. At IAIS, Eilleen provides strategic direction, EU funding leadership, migration-focused programming and international partnership development. Above all, she works to ensure that IAIS remains a hands-on, human-centred organisation: one that turns ideas into opportunities, partnerships into action, and projects into meaningful learning experiences for young people, migrants and communities.

Eilleen Attard Bason Esteban

Executive Director

Eilleen is the Executive Director and co-founder of IAIS, where she leads the organisation’s strategy, project development, EU-projects implementation and international partnerships. With experience across EUfunded projects, civil society leadership, migration, youth work and sustainability, she brings together practical project management and a strong commitment to creating opportunities for young people, migrants and communities.

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