Our Story

Rain Barrel was established in 2008 as a two-person consultancy: Paul Hoeffel and Robert Cohen. Sometimes we were asked to consider projects that we did not have the time or the expertise to take on. For this reason, we gradually expanded Rain Barrel to be a creative and global network of more than 80 exceptional colleagues and partners who have complementary skills and competency for specific, specialized assignments. 

Now into our second decade, we are the company that "Speaks the Language of Sustainability & Social Justice.” Over the past years we have successfully developed communication and social and behaviour change strategies and initiatives that have been used to address a multitude of important issues. From ending violence against children and improving nutritional habits of adolescents, to supporting the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, speaking up about mental health in the workplace, and building capacity of humanitarian aid workers to understand and apply tools and approaches to shift social norms.

We are proud of our work, our achievements and our people, and we love what we do.

Oh, about our name? Rain Barrel Communications conjures up purity, simplicity, transparency, sustainability and, yes, fun. We even get orders for rain barrels sometimes... and our quirky name has become a memorable brand that sets us apart from other companies working in the social impact space.

Our Executive Board

Robert David Cohen and Paul Hoeffel are Rain Barrels’ owners and currently guide Rain Barrel’s work as executive board members.

Robert D. Cohen, Founder and Co-owner

Paul Hoeffel, Founder and Co-owner

Robert David Cohen is an award-winning poet, journalist, children’s rights expert and communications strategist. For the 20 years before founding Rain Barrel, he was a communications specialist for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). During part of that time, he served as chief speechwriter to two successive Executive Directors, helping to articulate the mission of the world’s leading organization for children on issues ranging from preventable child and maternal deaths and hunger to HIV/AIDS and child soldiers. His focus as part of the Rain Barrel management team is on communication for development (C4D), children and the media and the development of communications strategies.

My life has been privileged: writing, reporting, traveling and searching for justice and citizenship in the bigger world. My work with Rain Barrel Communications enables me to engage with the wonderful diversity of people, including many in the private sector, who want to do the right thing in dealing with the deeply imperiled future facing us all. These challenges are alternately discouraging and inspiring. Yet we always gladly share our knowledge and energy to help give voice to those who are struggling to make life a little better for everyone. And we even have some fun doing it.

Our Management Team

Our management team includes Tomas Jensen – Managing Director; Waithira Gikonyo, Director; Roberta Brangam, Quality Assurance Manager; and Andrea Brandt, Administrator. Nhi Tong supports us with our digital platforms.

Tomas Jensen

Managing Director

Tomas Jensen, a Danish national residing in Cairns, Australia, is a social and behaviour change specialist and project manager. He has extensive experience in designing, managing and documenting large- and small-scale social impact initiatives in Asia, the Pacific and Africa.

Tomas’ work focuses on child development, social inclusion, community engagement, emergency preparedness, and climate change adaptation. He values achieving results through participatory communication, co-creation and coaching.

Tomas is a creative workshop facilitator and team leader, and he works across all media types, platforms and formats. He has an MA in communication and international development, certificates in advocacy, networking and digital marketing, and 17 years experience as a UNICEF staff member based in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Fiji.

Tomas is also supporting Rain Barrel with management advice around digital engagement. Tell Tomas what you think about our website…

Waithira Gikonyo

Director

Waithira grew up in two worlds, one in Nairobi, the city in the sun, and another in a coffee farm in the foothills of Mount Kenya where she saw day laborers, mostly women, with children strapped on their backs working gruesome hours to earn a living. She realized early in her life that there are lots of things in the world that needed to be changed to alleviate the struggles of these women and offer their children an opportunity to thrive. 

She found that calling in the UN, first working with UNFPA on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Waithira also worked with UNICEF as a C4D specialist, a Deputy Representative and a Learning Advisor, managing global learning programs for over twelve thousand staff. 

Waithira specializes in C4D and in design, development, and delivery of learning programs. Waithira is driven by her passion for women’s and child rights. 

As a Director in Rain Barrel Communications, Waithira will support Team Leads in managing projects and expanding the business model to contribute to social justice. After many years living in different countries, Waithira is now based in Nairobi.

Amanda Westfall

Director

Andrea Brandt

Administration

Amanda Westfall is a communications expert working primarily for international development and humanitarian agencies. Her work ranges from running digital campaigns, to writing stories in the field, and leading global communications projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amanda is skilled in researching, writing, publishing, and promoting human-interest stories, web pages, program briefs, reports and scripts for video and multimedia productions. Currently based in Mexico City, she has worked for UNICEF and WFP in the field, at headquarters and in donor relations offices in Addis Ababa, Tegucigalpa, New York, Brussels and Copenhagen.

Andrea Brandt is an independent contractor based in the Land of Enchantment — also known as New Mexico. Prior to living in New Mexico, Andrea lived in Papua New Guinea — Land of the Unexpected. Her formative years were spent in Southern California where she grew up and still travels to visit family.

Andrea is self-taught in document design and layout, has completed a variety of business courses, and has a BA in English. With Rain Barrel, she provides project admin and financial reporting to the Directors and coordinates logistics and payments for teams working in the field. She also contributes to document design/layout, editing, and website updates. 

Our Clients

Rain Barrel’s clients reflect a range of organizations, from the private sector, to non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental bodies, especially the United Nations, and universities.