Our programs would not be possible without the hard work of our local volunteers and your continued support.

Our Committee 

We are a dedicated team of volunteers and partners who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of people in Tanzania. Our team includes individuals with expertise in fields such as education, community development, and project management.

Our committee of volunteers from Tanzania and the UK meets online monthly to assess and review projects, with a huge amount additional dialogue between meetings.

Our UK-based team includes Chair, Treasurer, Project Officers and Fundraising and Digital teams.  All are highly knowledgeable about Tanzania, most have been involved with us for very many years, and many are regular visitors to Tanzania.

Our Tanzania-based team consists of Local Representatives in each of the areas in which we work: rural Dodoma, Kagera, Kigoma, Lindi, Mara, Mtwara, Singida, Shinyanga and Simiyu. They are essential to our work, initiating various projects and assessing and monitoring applications. They also provide our eyes and ears on the ground as they oversee the project progress and monitor impact. We get clear evidence of community participation and approval from local government officials.

Meet the Committee

Ahia Ntamubano

Kagera, Ngara Representative

Ahia Ntamubano is  Executive Secretary of Kagera People Centred Development Foundation(KAPECEDEFO), a National NGO facilitating community development projects in Ngara District – Kagera Region. “I am pleased to join the TDT family,  hoping to share information,  knowledge and practical experiences with you in our efforts of working with and for communities.”

Aikande Clement Kwayu

Trustee

Aikande Clement Kwayu is a senior development and research consultant at BUMACO Limited in Tanzania. She is also an honorary research fellow at the Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her consultancy and research work focuses on the role of different actors in development. She has recently published a book titled “Religion and British International Development Policy” in which she analyses how the British government engages faith groups in formulating and implementing international development policies. For more of her work please see her website.

Alpha Ngailla

Muleba, Kagera Representative

Alpha Ngailla is a teacher at Ikondo secondary school in Muleba district. He has a Bachelor degree of arts with education, major in History.

Benedicto Hosea

Kigoma Rural Representative

Benedicto has lived in Zeze village near Kasulu, Kigoma all his life. He has a degree in Environmental Planning and Management, and a strong passion for agriculture – especially in rural development and as a route out of poverty. He set up Mboni ya Vijana to do this.  In 2018 BTS sponsored him to speak at their AGM, and at the UK Parliament.

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Bertha Andrew

Muleba Representative

Bertha is CEO at Kagera Women Environmental Society (KAWESO).

Brian Medcalf

Treasurer

Following a career in Pharmaceutical Project Management, Brian worked in management of an alcohol counselling agency. After periods of volunteering in Southern Kenya, he, with his wife Aleen, was based in the Dodoma region of Central Tanzania, assisting with sponsorship projects and school management, from 2011-2015. He continues to support this work from the UK.

Brian Rockliffe OBE

Project Officer

Brian worked as a VSO volunteer in Tanzania between 1974 and 1978, initially as a teacher at Ilboru Secondary School near Arusha. He worked for VSO throughout his working including as Director of the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme. However, Tanzania was his first love, and he has maintained a keen interest in the country since the 70’s, visiting a number of times in connection with his work. Brian’s wife Freda was also a volunteer in Tanzania and their daughter, Tessa, was an ICS volunteer in Kamachumu (Kagera region) in 2013. He also championed the role of youth in development through programmes such as Global Xchange and ICS. 

Catherine O'Farrell

Digital Manager

Cathie comes from the mountains in North Wales. She holds a Bachelors in Philosophy & Psychology, and an MSc in Psychology. She has worked with people in social and clinical settings. Cathie hopes to continue a path in academia in research. Cathie is currently the Digital Manager for Tanzania Development Trust and Mboni Ya Vijana, helping our TDT family and local representatives in digital tasks. She has her own website where she writes her musings and projects.

Danny Mwasandube

DAR ES SALAAM REPRESENTATIVE

Danny was born in Mbeya region, but much of his professional career was in the UK as a quantity surveyor, and in housing management. After a stint as Treasurer of TDT in the UK, Danny now heads a team of surveyors in Dar es Salaam, but remains closely involved with TDT and other national charities.

David Gibbons

Project Officer and Trustee

David lived in Tanzania as a child. He is a teacher in the UK, and helped coordinate and support a school link and exchange with Shambalai secondary school, Lushoto.

Evelyn Leonard

Kigoma Urban Representative

Evelyn studied Organisation and Management for her BA degree. She worked for Barclays Bank and the British Council before taking up her current position as Director of the Kigoma NGO, Hope for the Community.

Ezekiel Kassanga

Simiyu and Tabora Representative

Ezekiel is the founder and Executive Director of Kawiye Social Development Foundation, and the founder of the Tumaini School. He holds a Postgraduate degree in Education Management and Planning with over  15 years of working with the community. Ezekiel’s organizations empower marginalized people through training and assistance

LinkedIn

Godfrey Gahanga

Kagera, Biharamulo Representative

Godfrey is also a Project Manager for Eleanor Foundation, has a degree in Community Development and experience in sustainable agriculture practice and has worked on research studies on challenges of safe and clean water supply in rural areas.

Godfrey Makenzi

Mtwara Representative

Godfrey holds a Bachelor Degree in Regional Development Planning from the Institute of Rural Development Planning, Dodoma. He works as civil servant at Masasi District Council.  He has a passion for helping communities and the rural poor, and helps grass-root CBOs and NGOs to write project proposals.

Hamza Rajabu

Singidia North Representative

Hamza is the Executive Director of the Malengo Development Foundation (MDF). He holds a Postgraduate Degree in Public Health from Coventry University and a Bachelors Degree in Family Nutrition and Consumer Science from Sokoine University of Agriculture.

MDF’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

Ian Powell

Project Officer

Ian did VSO in Tanzania from 1974 to 1976, teaching Chemistry and Maths. When he returned to the UK, Ian founded a charity which did education and crime prevention work, before moving on to work for a number of other not for profit organisations.

Janet Chapman

Chair of Trustees and Project Officer

After 30 years in education, Janet has been visiting Tanzania every year since 2014 to help assess projects and work with our partners. Realising that a lack of maps hampered their work she started the mapping project Crowd2Map in 2015. She chairs the committee, supporting FGM charity Hope, run by our local rep Rhobi Samwelly. 

C2M Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Jen Bjorkman

Communications Lead

Jenny is a UX Consultant with decades of experience in financial services and tech. Over the last few years she has worked with various charitable organisations to help them increase their online donations. She’s also active as a mentor, coach, facilitator, guest speaker and panel member for several organisations in the UX and tech communities.

 

Jonathan Pace

Trustee

Following a career in Music Education and School Management, Jonathan worked in Namibia as a VSO volunteer with the Ministry of Education. He joined TDT as a Project Officer in 2010.

Paul Harrison

Chair of BTS and Trustee

Educated to BA and MSc levels at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, Paul regards Tanzania as his second home, having lived and worked there repeatedly as a student, businessman and UN official and speaking fluent Swahili since 1996. Paul has over 20 years’ global work experience in environmental conservation and international development. He is a director of specialist advisory firm, Kilimanyika. He is former United Nations Development Programme staff, where he set up and co-ran the Global Wildlife Programme. His work has led to the financing of several hundred million dollars into global conservation efforts.

LinkedIn

Phil Grant

Project Officer

Phil has been involved with overseas development for 40 years. In Tanzania he has been an agricultural extension officer, manager of a farmers’ training centre, and has also worked with Maasai people in capacity building. He was also a VSO trainer in the UK for many years.

Rachel Monger

Project Officer

Rachel and her family lived in Tanzania for 10 years, volunteering with Emmanuel International. In Iringa and Mwanza she was involved in establishing community development projects working with local groups making fuel-efficient stoves, training in conservation agriculture and tree planting, beekeeping and women’s income generating projects. She joined TDT early 2021 after moving back to the UK.

Ramson Lucas

Lindi Representative

Ramson Lucas studied a degree of Community Economic Development and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Cooperation and Development at the Open University of Tanzania.  He is also Project Manager for a development project in Lindi schools for an NGO called Sports Development Aid which has been using Sports as a tool for development since 2011.

Rhobi Samwelly

Mara Representative

Rhobi is an FGM survivor and activist and the founder of Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania. In 2018 she was invited to speak about her work at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and organise an event showcasing how mapping can help protect girls from FGM by UNFPA.

Hope’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn

Robert Kasaaju

Kagera North (Bukoba) Representative

Robert is Headteacher at Tunamkumbuka Secondary School and has a bachelor degree of art with education.  He is passionate about supporting his community.

Sally Ross

Project Officer

Currently based in the UK, Sally has spent the last 30 years living and working in southern and Eastern Africa. A biologist by training her career has revolved around rural development and agri-business. From 2012 to 2019 she lived in Lindi, Tanzania where she managed the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning for the Aga Khan Foundation’s agricultural, education, health and savings projects across the country. She joined TDT in December 2020.

Sheila Farrell

Trustee and Fundraising Lead

Sheila is a transport economist who has undertaken many assignments in Tanzania over the years. Her main areas of expertise are in business planning and finance. She has a strong interest in economic development strategies for poorer countries, and is fully committed to the eradication of poverty.

Steve Scorer

Project Officer

A career in teaching in UK, France and Spain was followed by retirement and travel. Steve then stumbled across VSO at the Adventure Travel show and signed up for a short posting in Lindi, south east Tanzania in 2014, which ended up being for 3 years.  Steve joined the TDT team in early 2019 when he facilitated the completion of the Angaza school basketball court.

Svetlana Nyameyo

Content Manager

Willhard Titus

Singida Representative

Wilhard has a Bachelor degree of Education in Economics from University of Dodoma. Now Wilhard works as business studies teacher in Manyoni district. He is also co-founder of Mbalamwezi Organisation, a charity that supports male teenagers from rural areas in Singida region.

William Shayo

Shinyanga Representative

William studied for a BA in Mass Communication before joining the Tanzania Red Cross Society for over six years. He lives in Shinyanga, and is currently executive director of the Organization of People Empowerment, overseeing various community projects.

Victor Mushi

Western Shinyanga Representative

Victor Mushi is a Community Change Agent with more than 17 years’ experience. He holds degree in Community Economic Development and Diploma in Education. He is the founder and Director for Community Impact Organization (CIO).