
Our Team

15+
team members
in Kenya

14+
team members
in Tanzania

83%
of our team
is in Africa

3+
team members
in Uganda

6+
team members
in the US
Board of Directors
Senior Management
Implementing Staff
Youth Implementors
Board of Directors

Mr. Mgunya, former Asante Africa Director in Tanzania, passed away in 2020.
He retired as DEO for Monduli District. He was an Executive Committee Member in our Integrated Teachers Training Committee. He was selected by his 14 DEO peers to represent their voice on the Executive Committee. Mr. Mgunya had 36 years of experience and expertise in the Tanzania Educational System, initially as a teacher, then as a Headmaster for 18 years (many of those in the Linde area of TZ), and then as a DEO of Monduli District for 6 years.


Abdikadir is from remote Samburu County. Abdi currently teaches Kiswahili and history at Mwangaza Muslim Mixed Day School in Maralal, Samburu County. He has worked hard to improve schools and to bring technology to the area.
For his efforts, Abdi is on the short list of teachers worldwide to receive the Varkey Foundation Award, which recognizes one exceptional teacher a year who has made an outstanding contribution to education.

Hon. Allan Temba is a Magistrate working in the Kenyan Judiciary now based in Lamu County. He is actively involved in child protection activities in Lamu not only through court’s decisions but also through the Lamu Court Users Committee as well as personal initiatives inculcated into him by his late mother Mrs. Gladys O. Wafula, former School Principal of St. Joseph’s Girls Boarding School & Rescue Centre in TransMara. The magistrate strives to ensure that the children’s best interests in education and general welfare are met through judicial means and collaborative efforts with other justice sector players”

Angella is from the Hoima District in Western Uganda. She specialized in Art and Design for her Diploma in Education Secondary (DES) at the National Teachers’ College Kaliro. While pursuing her teaching course, she served as Vice Chairperson for NTC Kaliro (2017-2019).
Angella also studied Entrepreneurship, Personal and Visionary Leadership, Business and Financial literacy, and Community development under Educate and took patriotism development courses at Kinyanyara SS and NTC Kaliro under the National Patriotism Corps Uganda.

Betty Stallings has spent her career engaged with nonprofit organizations. She was the founder and 14-year CEO of a Volunteer Center and went on to become an author of 6 books, and an international trainer, keynote speaker and consultant specializing in volunteer management, fundraising, and board development. For 12 years she was the Training Editor of the e-Volunteerism.com Journal. She has received numerous awards for her dedication and contributions to the field of volunteer engagement.

Colin is the President of Golub Group, which provides institutional grade investment management to high-net worth individuals, registered investment advisors, foundations and select institutional investors.
He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts where he was a team captain and an All-American lacrosse player. Colin is drawn to support AAF mission because of his belief that education has the power to transform, empower and strengthen our global community.

Chris is the successful entrepreneur behind Paws Pet Resorts, a 12-year-old dog boarding, daycare, grooming, and training business that has since expanded to two locations in San Clemente and Lake Forest in California.
Besides her advocacy in animal rescue, Chris is also passionate about Education. In 2015, she co-founded Sopa Kenya in order to build classroom infrastructure in partnership with Asante Africa Foundation.

Cheryl is a strong business owner and entrepreneur managing her own law firm, Nicolson Law Group, with 3 offices across USA. She is also a passionate advocate for children health and education locally and globally.

Dennis Lyamuya serves on the Tanzanian board for the Asante Africa Foundation. As a guide with Into Africa Ecotourism, Dennis worked with local communities to build schools and provide food, textbooks and educational supplies. It was one of these trips that inspired Erna Grasz to create Asante Africa Foundation.
Dennis entered the College of African Wildlife Management — Mweka and expanded his knowledge of environmental and natural resource protection, wildlife management, and the co-existence of humans and nature.

Dr. Kibga, is a strategic leader who has participated in leading and mentoring people throughout his career. He has led several strategic initiatives, representing his country in different trainings conferences on issues relating to science, mathematics, technology, and Tanzania’s education landscape in general. Dr. Kibga is a trained Education Institution Administrator and a professional Science and Mathematics subject teacher. He has obtained a number of certificates, Diplomas and Degrees in various fields from Tanzania and other parts of the world. including his 2013 PhD degree in science education. Dr. Kibga is a member of the Research and Development Advisory Committee on Basic Sciences, for Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology, on the Board of Trustees for Wesley College of Wesley University (USA), and a the Founder of “Strengthening of Science and Mathematics Education (SMASE) Tanzania Chapter.

Faith was born and raised in Narok County, Kenya. She is a trained primary teacher and holds a primary teacher certificate. Faith has taught in a number of school classrooms.
In 2014 she was promoted to head teacher at Oolonginayo Primary School where she is currently teaching. She has a passion for teaching young children. Faith is married and the proud mother of 4 children, 1 girl and 3 boys.

Michael Carter serves as the Program Director for DoD Technology Programs and serves as a member of the senior leadership staff in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Photon Science Principal Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Mike holds technical degrees, including a B.S. in Physics from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Applied Science from University of California, Davis. Mike is also a professional photographer and supports Asante Africa Foundation through his photography.

Fred is co-founder of Watotowetu Development Foundation, a charity registered in Tanzania to support street-connected children in Arusha, deliver effective teacher training programs, and empower women. He is married to Dorothy and they manage Cherith Junior School, a school they founded in 2008.
Fredrick has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from The Open University of Tanzania and a Master of Arts in Community Development from Mt. Meru University.

Bio Coming Soon!

Heather is a leadership-focused P&L executive with experience across intelligence, defense, and federal markets in the US and UK. She has portfolio management experience of $175+M annual portfolio with 300+ people, mostly in systems development and integration. Her most recent experience is in products, services, and enterprise IT.
Heather has experience as a Director at Northrop Grumman Corporation, a global security company providing innovative solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide. She holds a bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, a master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. Heather is passionate about Asante Africa Foundation’s work.

Hital is a Manager of Corporate Affairs at Cisco Systems, Kenya and has worked at Cisco for seven years. Previously, Hital maintained tenure at Microsoft. She received recognition from Microsoft for advancing technology for developing communities and has been nominated as one of Kenya’s top most powerful women under 40 for two consecutive years.
Her hard work has earned her awards such as Global Ambassador for Youth from Usher’s New Look Foundation, Cisco’s diversity Ambassador for Middle East Africa, Catalyst Award, and Champion Award from Cisco.

Iraalya Bakamya attained a Bachelor of Science with Education Degree from Makerere University Kampala and then joined Kings College, University of London and attained a Diploma in Science Education in 1991 and a Master of Arts in Science Education Degree in 1993.
He has years of experience in as an educator, specializing in Science, Physics, and Mathematics. He has served as a secondary school classroom teacher and as a teachers’ college lecturer, Science Department Head, Director, and Principle.
He has now retired from education and practices mixed farming.

Jacqueline Namusalisi has a Master’s of Science Degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi, a Bachelors Degree and Diploma in Food Processing Technology from Kyambogo University, and is an Alumni of University of Sydney, MS-Training Center for Development Co-operation Arusha, Tanzania and Strathmore University, Kenya.
She has wide experience in food manufacturing, agriculture research, and NGO work and has volunteered as the In-Country representative for the Albert Baker Fund for 6 years. She is currently a consultant at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre in Nairobi and a Technical Director at Grassroot Women Development Organisation in Uganda.
She has vast experience in working with young people is passionate about nurturing them through their career development and empowering women to become financially independent. Her provides her with a solid foundation as a disciplinarian and Mentor.
She enjoys writing and learning foreign languages during her free time.

Kelvin is very passionate about good governance, woman and youth economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and mentorship as well community driven development. He is the current Programme and Communication officer for UNDP-UN Volunteers Kenya based in Nairobi. In addition to his work with UNDP-UN, he has worked on Youth Employability at CARE International and as a Project Officer for Norwegian Refugee Council on the Information and Legal Assistance project in Dadaab.
Kelvin holds a Bachelor of Education Arts degree with Information Technology from Maseno University. He is currently pursuing masters on Project Planning and Management at the University of Nairobi.

Kanan has a background in Materials Science (PhD, 2005) and has worked for 10 years in R&D of organic electronic displays and batteries for application in consumer electronics. Her work experience includes post doctoral research positions at U C Berkeley and Northwestern University, as well as a senior researcher & program lead position at Sharp Laboratories of America.
In her previous role at Apple, she worked on reliability of Li-ion battery modules in mobile applications. She brings her passion for girls’ education and her expertise in research, data analysis and program management to her role at Asante.

Lamech has a University Degree in Development Studies, and Postgraduate Diploma in Microfinance. He is an NGO professional with over 20 years of experience in various areas of the industry including, Education, Social Development, Microfinance, and Volunteer management. He has skills in Research, Project Management, Training, Teamwork and Team building.
Lamech is a self-motivated worker with a passion for Capacity Building and International Community Development. Hi committed to contributing his strengths in order to make the world a more equitable and just place.


Mark has a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering, an MBA, and is a recently retired executive from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he has worked for nearly 38 years. He is currently working for a Boston based Start- up company and spending more time enjoying technical contributions to global needs.
Mark has supported both the development and implementation of projects in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as helping to develop the basic business tools needed to operate the organization in the United States.

Monica has over 25 years of experience and held senior marketing positions with such well-known companies as Aramark, Burger King, Einstein Noah and Knowledge Learning. She is now an independent consultant and executive coach inspiring companies and individuals to unleash their potential through brand management and strategic planning.
She holds degrees from Michigan Technological University and Western Michigan University. Her friend and former safari guide, Tanzanian board member Dennis Lyamuya, introduced Monica to Asante Africa Foundation.

Nabiha started in the semiconductor capital equipment space where she introduced multiple products to the industry at KLA Tencor and Verigy. She has since transitioned to the biotech industry, working at Thermo Fisher Scientific in the Genetic Sciences space.
Nabiha holds a MS in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and a Bachelors from the NED Engineering University in Karachi, Pakistan. She is an advocate of girls’ and women’s professional education and has been a supporter of Asante Africa from its inception.

Olivia Talemwa Nalugwa is Program Manager of Uganda Tuberculosis Implementation Research Consortium at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. She has Master’s degrees in Global Health and Business Administration, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management.

Michael B. Mutagana holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (Finance) of Makerere University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance of Kyambogo University. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of the United Kingdom. He has over 30 years’ experience in Financial Management and Administration.
He has worked in various organizations including in business, academia and public sectors. Michael’s career has been built on a firm foundation of continuous search for knowledge and a value of ethical levels. Michael is currently Manager at Finance & Administration Professional Engineering Consultants Group

Nancy is a Deputy Program Director in the Office of the Deputy Director for S&T at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) with over 30 years experience in applying science and technology in the interest of national security.
She currently holds a joint appointment with Georgetown University as a Professor of the Practice in the Graduate School of Arts and Science and is the Executive Director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Master degree program. Her current research interest is the nexus of climate change, emergency management, and urban planning.

Dr. Rogers Barigayomwe has doctorates in Management Science and in Political Studies and Law. He also has two master’s degrees, one in Law and the other in International Human Rights. He is passionate about mentoring youth and has mentored several youth in business and career development at all levels of education. He is also passionate about service to humanity. As a professional and also a senior Rotarian, he has travelled widely to serve humanity. He has served as head of faculty and department at Kampala International University and is a Director at TABKEN Consults. He is also chairman of the Labour Party Uganda.


Rita is the sole proprietor of Kageni Consulting, a consultancy business that has catered for various donors (for example AMSCO, UN Women, Network of European Foundations, UNICEF).

Shirley has 25+ years of experience working with ASSE International Student Exchange- hosting foreign exchange students, supervising, mentoring, learning about new cultures, and helping others learn about & adjust to life in the United States.
For the past 17 years, Shirley also has headed the Bay Area interviews for the Congress Bundestag Scholarship between the United States and Germany. Shirley hold a degree from Wartburg College in Political Science. She also holds a certificate in Volunteer Management.

Suhasini Iyer has had over 20 years of experience in the biotech industry that spans drug discovery, translational research, regulatory interactions, and clinical development. She is currently Senior VP, Development & Regulatory Affairs at Teneobio.
She earned her Ph.D. from University of California at Davis, is a co-author on over 40 publications, has presented at numerous national and international forums and is a co-inventor on 5 patents.

Vijay is a director of product management at Intel Corporation based out of Santa Clara. Vijay has over 20 years of experience in the technology industry and is currently responsible for a product portfolio with revenues of $1B+. Vijay holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley and a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from LSU, Baton Rouge and a Bachelors in Electronics and Communications Engineering from India.

Waldemar is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Cedar Street Asset Management LLC in Chicago. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial and investing experience, Waldemar manages investment strategies that focus on smaller, publicly listed companies in developed and emerging markets.
Waldemar studied Economics (BA) at Boston College, and Finance and Entrepreneurship (MBA) at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Living through a similar childhood in Romania, he joins the Board to contribute in the creation of better opportunities for African youth.


Education isn’t a job for Yohana Mcha, it’s her life. In her 30+ years with the Tanzanian public education system, she taught school at every level, from primary to university. Retirement didn’t last long. She went on to found her own school, Orkolili Secondary, as a way of giving back to society and paying forward for the education she had been given.
Madam Mcha holds both a Bachelor of Education in Linguistics and an MA in General Linguistics from the University of Dar es Salaam and a Master of Science in Applied Linguistics from University of Edinburgh (Scotland).
Senior Management

Annemarie Ojunga is a visionary, innovative and strategic leader with 18 years experience in designing and managing pro-poor programs targeting children, young people and their families in Kenya.
Her high competence in management and resource mobilization, coupled with unique professional training in Animal Production and Psychology, positions her well to positively influence the development of strong institutions and empowered communities.
She strongly believes that sustainable development can be achieved through quality education and by nurturing leadership in young people for a better Africa and the World.

Byrone is a seasoned MEAL practitioner with 10 years of progressive experience in the field of project management, resource mobilization, learning and collaboration with great contribution to EA regional learning for projects in the field of Education.

Chris recently joined Asante Africa as the Kenyan Scholarship Manager. He works with a project dedicated to supporting young people from poor communities’ access scholarships for their education with an aim of giving them the capacity to compete equally with their counterparts in the job markets.
Before Joining Asante Africa, Chris worked as a Program Coordinator for Education in an NGO funded by Italian Agency for Development (AICS) and also worked as an Acting Director and a part time lecturer. He has A Degree in Gender and Development studies from Kenyatta University and Training in Monitoring and Evaluation from AMREF University, A diploma in Information Technology from Kenya School of Professional Studies and a Certificate in Psychological Counselling. He has over 10 years working in the development field with a particular focus on young people. He endeavors to transform the world through little efforts put in daily.

Erna Grasz co-founded Asante Africa Foundation with two visionary African women from Kenya and Tanzania. While spending 25 years in the corporate world as a senior executive, she earned the reputation as a strategic leader, “organizer of chaos” and with demonstrated success in diverse industries, including medical device, defense research, and semiconductor capital equipment.
In 2011 she left the corporate world to manage the organization full time.

Geoffrey is an experienced Country Program Manager with experience in the philanthropy industry. He is skilled in negotiation, public speaking, business planning, team management, and networking. He is a program and project management professional with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from the Makerere University, a Masters of Business Administration in Oil & Gas Management from Uganda Christian University, and certificates from Duke University, SciencesPo, and SDG Academy. Geoffrey has worked as Operations Manager in import and distribution at Tulsa Investment Limited, as a commercial coffee farmer, and as an Entrepreneur Partner at BLK & GK Investments Limited and Abrielle Energy Resources Limited.

Danielle is the owner of an accounting firm that specializes in helping small businesses and nonprofits. She has over 10 years of experience of providing bookkeeping services and small business support to a variety of clients. Danielle received her B.S. in Accounting from California State University, East Bay. Danielle has been a part of Asante Africa Foundation since 2013.

Emily joined Asante Africa Foundation in late 2016 as the Grants and Gender Programs Manager after volunteering with the Monitoring and Evaluation team for over a year. She brings over ten years of expertise in research, writing and project management. Emily is a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and girls’ advancement, with hands-on experience working with underserved youth.
Prior to joining Asante Africa, Emily was a Forensic Consultant with KPMG’s Risk Advisory practice. Emily received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley with a focus in Gender Studies and her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific with concentrations in Tax Law and Business Law.

Jairus Barasa Ouma brings a wealth of experience in HIV and AIDS programming, and Monitoring and Evaluation. He holds a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management from The University of Nairobi. He is also a post graduate student at Mt. Kenya University pursuing a Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation.

Jennifer Haist is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator based in British Columbia, Canada. She is the owner of a freelance design and illustration company, OwlBox Designs, which specializes in providing design and branding solutions for non-profit organizations and small businesses.
Since joining the Asante Africa Foundation’s marketing team in 2014, Jennifer has been developing eye-catching designs to promote the Foundation’s programs and accomplishments. She holds a Diploma in Digital Arts and New Media and has more than 10 years of experience with design and illustration.

James Gitonga Ikiara comes from one of the renowned audit firms in Kenya. He also has experience in managing donor funded projects. James holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounts from Meru University of Science and Technology.

Paul is an experienced finance professional and enthusiast who has a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry to solve important problems. He is a graduate of Economics from the University of Nairobi.
Paul made notable contributions during his 4-year stint at PricewaterhouseCoopers through his contributions to thought leadership around integration of human resource best practices at the workplace, championed gender and racial inclusion at the workplace through his contributions at the PwC Africa Territory Ethics Board membership and drove results for high clients majorly in the financial services (banks, pensions and retire schemes), healthcare as well as food and manufacturing companies.
Prior to joining Asante Africa Foundation, Paul continuously supported the core business of the organization through volunteer work as a student and later on as the Kenya Board Treasurer where he helped solve important problems. He is highly skilled in complex data analytics, leadership and training, critical thinking, presentations and financial statement analysis.

Ritah holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Uganda Martyrs University Nkoz where she majored in Finance and Accounting. She is currently pursuing ACCA, an accounting professional course. Ritah is an ambitious and hardworking individual with a 3years experience in the accounting field. She is an entrepreneur and dreams of having her own enterprise that will create jobs for people. Ritah currently has a small bake shop called Amerita A Daddies, which she plans to expand into a larger business.

Born September 29, 1973, Theopista Charles Seuya is an enthusiastic, focused, committed and experienced professional teacher and a leader who is dedicated, resourceful and result oriented. She holds a Masters Degree in Education (Policy & International Development) from the University of Bristol in the UK. She has provided a notable contribution in the fields of Academics, Education Management and community development for over 20 years. She has a solid commitment to the academic and social well-being of children and youngsters. Currently, she serves as Asante Africa Foundation Country Director for Tanzania. Prior to this role, she worked with different organizations/institutions in the posts of University Lecturer, Project Manager and Head of Schools at different times.

Titus has an Advanced Diploma in Accountancy. He has vast knowledge in finance and management and has been in positions as administration and finance manager where he provided sound financial advice and effective financial management. Titus has also worked with several companies in the finance department, assisting in the preparation and presentation of quarterly and yearly financial budgets and cash flow forecasts. He has experience working with Co-Directors to actively monitor and understand budget variances.
Implementing Staff

Anderson is an alumni of Asante Africa Foundation’s Leadership & Entrepreneurship Incubator. He has impacted well over 2000 lives in his last three years through entrepreneurship, his leadership roles, and his mentoring of younger youth.
He is skilled in conduction, public debate training, and leadership training, including dream mapping and exam preparation.

Anne Muli is the owner of Boon Investment Enterprises in Kenya, a mobile banking enterprise currently working for KCB Bank, EQUITY Bank, FAMILY Bank and Safaricom. Originally trained in purchasing and supplies management from Kisii University in Kenya, she has interned with Coca-Cola and Compassion International. She has a certificate in Certified Public Accountancy part IV.
Anne currently works for Asante Africa Foundation as the Youth Livelihood and Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator, a program that provides vulnerable youths from deeply rural areas of East Africa with hands-on skills and opportunities for rapidly changing and expanding EA economic landscape.

Armina is a management graduate in International Business with 10+ years of experience in Marketing and Research, Business Development and Brand Building at national and international levels.
Armina has strong experience in developing Online Marketing Strategy, Paid Search, SEO, Social Media Marketing, and Lead Generation. She has worked in different sectors like education, IT consulting, non-profit, and chamber of commerce. She is passionate about education, likes to go on long walks, and enjoys authentic ethnic cuisines.

Elizabeth Najjuma is a Ugandan alumni of Asante Africa Foundation as well as a volunteer campaigning for youth empowerment towards entrepreneurship through creativity, using the available resources and against violence against children especially the girls. She is a highly motivated, resourceful and ambitious team leader with good leadership and communication skills among others.
Elizabeth is a student at Ndejje University pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. She also holds a diploma in telecommunications engineering and CISCO associate certificate from Uganda institute of information and communications technology and Makerere University respectively.

Deborah Namugenyi is a teacher, entrepreneur and a communicator. She is open minded, resourceful, passionate about education and leadership with a sound and optimistic outlook on all things in life. Deborah is a co- founder of two schools Busega Martyrs Kindergarten and Nazareth kindergarten. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Makerere University and per suing a postgraduate diploma in Early Childhood Education from Ndejje University in Uganda. Deborah is a good communicator, fluent in English, Luganda with beginners level in Kiswahili. She has a deep abiding passion for improving the lives of different people in all areas. When she is not in class, she makes gift hampers for all kinds of events.

Charles comes fom Oldonyosambu village where his parents are farmers. After completing secondary school, Charles applied to East African Institute of Entrepreneurship and Financial Management in the course of accounting for ordinary certificate level for one year.
In 2015 he applied to the Institute of Accountancy, Arusha to study Accounting, ordinary diploma level (enter level five and enter level six) for two years. Charles is currently an intern for Asante Africa in the accounting and finance department.

Doreen is a student at Sokoine University of Agriculture pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Studies. Her studies include human nutrition and home economics. She is an alumna of Asante Africa Foundation and has participated in other organizations such as White Orange Youth Club, Builders of Future Africa, and Rotaract as well. Dorine is also a poetess.

Flavian Eyen Akitela has an undergraduate degree in Women, Gender and Development Studies from Egerton University. Flavian has teaching experience and understands the dynamics of working in Turkana County.

Gloria R. Mushi came to Asante Africa Foundation with strong expertise in analytics, data analysis, and program management. She holds a degree in Sociology and Anthropology from University of Dar es Salaam. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Economic and Community Development from the Open University of Tanzania.
Gloria is also experienced working in the government sector of NSSF, the US Embassy, and in a community based entrepreneurial business.

Glory Shayo was born in Kilema village in the Moshi Rural district and is the fifth child in her family. She studied business administration at Iringa Retco Business College.
Glory joined Asante Africa Foundation as part of her college’s practical training requirements. She is working as a Scholarship Coordinator and Girls’ Program Associate. Her dream is to become an entrepreneur who will be in a position to manage her own business, which will satisfy the needs of the local community.

Joel believes that he can help ICT transform the lives of the poor rural Tanzanians by imparting the key ICT concepts to them. Moreover, his life’s passion statement is to help people accomplish far more than they ever thought was possible, by teaching them personal business management.
Previously, Joel worked as a marketing manager for an electrical manufacturing company in Tanzania. He graduated with honors from Arusha University with an MBA in Strategic Marketing and Entrepreneurship, and a B.A in Sociology from University of Dar es Salaam.

Jocelyn is an enthusiastic and lively international development professional with a passion for education. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Boston University, she joined the Peace Corps in Arusha, Tanzania. She worked as a Secondary School Math Teacher there for two years. Originally a Pittsburgh, PA native, Jocelyn developed a love for Tanzania and currently lives in Arusha. She enjoys learning about new cultures and languages and traveling.

Julieth is an experienced socio-economic researcher and a qualitative expert specialized in projective techniques with over 7 years of experience working in both local and international settings. She has a specific focus in children, youth and women studies across media, education, health and governance sectors. She also works as a consultant on different capacity building, research, training, M&E, transcription and translation tasks. She is detail-oriented, innovative, and focused.

Kayleigh joined Asante Africa Foundation in January 2020. She received a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Masters in Education from Belmont University. She spent two years working for Condé Nast Publications and Hearst Publications prior to beginning her work with various nonprofit organizations around the globe, with a specific focus in East Africa. Kayleigh is an avid advocate for youth education and social & emotional development.

Louisa is passionate about helping others, making a difference in the community, and strives to ensure that her actions help vulnerable communities to not only build better lives, but also have hope for a brighter future. She has experience working in youth empowerment, development research, and Disaster risk reduction programs. Louisa holds a Bachelor of Disaster management degree from Masinde Muliro University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Development studies, majoring in community development, at St. Paul’s university.

Loibon was able to complete secondary school and qualify for university with a scholarship from Asante Africa Foundation. He received a Bachelor of Science in Education with Economics and Mathematics from Mwenge Catholic University (Mwecau). Loibon loves mentoring and coaching people, especially youth in the community because I believe that every young person has a potential. He is excited about helping youth to build their confidence and pave the way for them to have self-awareness and reveal their untapped potentials. Loibon came up with a Round Table Talk (RTT) Program that aims at uniting Asante Africa Foundation- Alumni and other youth to share solutions to daily life challenges and Life Skills. The program also is a way for the M & E- Tanzania Team to track and collect accurate Pay-It-Forward information and success stories.

Ndaines Meriabi Kiperus is a resourceful individual with a vast knowledge in finance but more passionate about financial analysis. Currently, Kiperus is interning across the various programmes and quickly adapting to the leadership and entrepreneurship program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce finance and banking option from Maasai Mara University.

Makepeace brings in 9+ years in HIV/AIDS programming. Certified monitoring and Evaluation from University of Nairobi (Washington). She holds a Bachelors degree in Community Health and Development form Greatlakes University of Kisumu and currently pursuing Masters in Public Health; Epidemiology and M&E.

Megha is a graduate in Business Management (Marketing), from New Delhi, India. She has worked with multiple Telecom players for their Value Added Services division. She has experience in handling product planning, customer engagement and marketing.
Alongside, she has also worked on creating content for educational institutes in India. She joined Asante Africa Foundation in 2016 and works on various marketing initiatives.

Oliver Ochieng is a dexterous individual with experience in finance, procurement and logistics from The Kenya Red Cross Society regional and Global Fund departments. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from Moi University and has vast technical know-how in the management of donor funded programmes.

Samuel is a teacher, farmer and a social worker, and has assisted the community through educating the youth, especially the needy youth, and strategizing with them to form small groups for their entrepreneurship and fundraising. He is a good interactor, communicator, counselor, and mentor, who is fluent in English and Luganda and a learner in Kiswahili. Samuel holds a Bachelor’s degree in physical science from Makerere University and a certificate of communication with confidence and life coaching/mentoring from College of Health Science Makerere University. He has a diploma in project planning and management and is now pursuing a bachelor’s in social work and social administration at Nkumba University. Samuel has a vision of changing people’s lives politically, socially and financially to improve standards of living.

Samson has a Bachelor’s of Economics from the University of Nairobi. He is founder of life transformers CBO, a youth CBO that mobilizes resources to help the youth and the less-fortunate in society and an alumnus of Asante Africa Foundation’s Leadership & Entrepreneurship Incubator.
Samson is currently the Scholarship Data Officer with Asante Africa Foundation in Kenya. He has experience as account/admin manager at Revodesign Studios LTD and in sales and marketing with Airtel Kenya, Winam Limited and Munje Stores Limited.

Sumathi joined Asante Africa Foundation’s Fundraising and Development team in early 2021 after volunteering as a Creative Writer with the Marketing Team for a year. She brings nearly ten years of experience in research, writing, and classroom management. She is passionate about using her skills to bring education access to girls and women and is committed to reducing gender disparity.
After receiving her B.S. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas, Sumathi is determined to combine her inter-disciplinary knowledge to re-imagine education and its access.

Simon is a YALI RLC East Africa alumni certified in Public Management. He holds a B.A in Community Development from Maasai Mara University. Has more than 2 years experience working with adolescent girls from the marginalised communities in Kenya. He possesses skills in facilitation, TOT, Project Management and community development and M&E. He has an interest in Social Policy Development, Gender Issues, and Youth Development.

Wilson is from the rural district of Uganda called Kabarole. He qualified with a post graduate certificate in monitoring and evaluation from Makerere University, Post graduate diploma in monitoring and evaluation from Nkumba University, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Makerere University. He also holds certificates in guidance and counseling from YMCA Kampala and capital markets from Makerere University and has developed leadership skills through responsibilities held in schools and volunteering experience.

Winnie holds an MA in International Relations from United States International University- Africa and a BA (Sociology and Communication) from University of Nairobi, Kenya. Her professional background is built from positive exposure across different private entities, independent government agencies and nonprofit organizations. She seeks to leverage her skills and knowledge to contribute positively to the overall organizational goals and objectives. Winnie is passionate about youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, social and economic development, and contribution towards ensuring that every human being leads a dignified life. In her free time, Winnie loves going for runs, and listening to music and live bands.

Albert Jumbe is the Scholarship Coordinator for Asante Africa Foundation. As the Scholarship Coordinator, Albert works with local communities to build schools, and provide textbooks and educational supplies.
Albert has worked as a tour and safari guide for various companies in the past 7 years. As a result, he decided to start his own company, Discover TZ, with other local experienced safari guides. The idea behind Discover TZ is to create employment for the local people.
Youth Implementors

Amos is a Youth Alumni and Regional Coordinator for Maralal region-Samburu County. After completing his secondary-level education at Wamba Boys Secondary School in 2015, Amos joined the Red Cross as a volunteer and attained a Community Services Volunteer certificate. Amos has also attained a Certificate of Proficiency from the College of Insurance and also in Early Childhood Development. Currently he is working as a regional coordinator (Samburu-based) for the Youth Livelihoods Program, managing After-School Clubs.

Esther Samwel is a graduate from Sokoine University of Agriculture where she acquired extensive knowledge in the field of rural development management at a Bachelor degree level. Currently she is working as a regional coordinator at Asante Africa foundation crosscutting both LEI (leadership and entrepreneurship incubator) and GAP (girls’ advancement program) where her role is to represent the organization at the community level, field visits for data collection and documentation, and quarterly report writing.
Esther is dedicated, self-motivated, and is a feminist who has passion in helping young girls in acquiring their sexual rights hence capacitate gender equality.

Geoffrey chose to be a teacher because he believes that teachers have a better chance of forming and transforming our children in schools, helping shape their lives, and making them productive people/citizens of tomorrow’s society.

Khatibu Mgunya is a young innovator who is passionate about addressing different social challenges through STEM with a great belief in cooperation and unity. He has conducted several projects and voluntarily worked in several civil society and nonprofit organizations. Khatibu has attended several youth leadership summits with Asante Africa Foundation and through that experience became a part of a youth led initiative program called the Youth Leadership Club that has its roots from the Leadership & entrepreneurship summit. He is currently working as an intern at Asante Africa Foundation in the M&E department doing data coding, entry and cleaning.

Moses is an alumni of Asante Africa’s Youth Leadership Program . Through the Pay it Forward component of the program, he has impacted 1900 lives In the last two years. He is skilled in leadership and has been holding the senior leadership position in high school.
He is good at debate comedy and loves reading a lot from different sources. He is currently the Narok regional youth coordinator.

Siwema Bernard graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of Dodoma. She has worked with KILEMA Hospital as a counselor, and Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS-German) as a Research Assistant in data collection and transcribing data from English to Swahili.
Siwema has joined Asante Africa Foundation as Lushoto Regional Coordinator, to help change lives of youth through school-based training in Leadership and Entrepreneurship in Secondary Schools. She is passionate about engaging in Community activities and assists in overcoming challenges that hinder youth.

Stara holds a Diploma in Community Development from Community Development Training Institute in Mafinga, She has volunteered in Lushoto District Council as a Community Development Officer. She is also an entrepreneur, making and supplying potato crisps to supermarkets and shops.
Her dream is to make changes in her community and help youth engage in various entrepreneurial activities. As an Asante Africa Regional Coordinator in Lushoto, she spends her time working with the community to create ‘change makers’.