Board of Directors & Staff
MAJENGO CANADA
Paul Axelrod
Interim Board Chair
Paul is a professor emeritus and former Dean of the Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto. As an administrator and educator, Paul helped initiate a program involving Canadian teacher candidates in Kenya. He joined the Majengo Canda Board in in 2015.
Elizabeth Gumbs
Secretary
Elizabeth has recently joined the Majengo Canada Board. She has over 16 years experience as School Administrator
for an Accredited Private Montessori School in Toronto, educating pre-school aged children.
She oversees many facets of the school’s operations including, enrollment, handbooks, newsletters, policies, website, staff meetings and general accounting.
She has served as Treasurer on a Board for a Toronto Competitive Swim Team and
previous work experience includes design, advertising, and marketing.
She loves to travel and plans to visit Majengo Children’s Home in the very near future.
Elizabeth Murphy
Treasurer
Elizabeth is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA). She first visited Majengo Children’s Home in 2013, and again in 2019. She joined the Majengo Canada Board in June 2017.
Matt McKissock
Director
Matt founded the Warren Majengo Foundation in 2009 and initiated a US fundraising campaign at that time. He continues to be involved in all aspects of Majengo and visits twice a year.
Reed Shnider
Director
Dr. Reed Shnider is a noninvasive adult Cardiologist practicing in Maryland. He has visited Tanzania on a yearly basis since 2011 where he has provided education and care through local hospitals and clinics. He is a medical consultant for all issues related to health and wellness at Majengo and continues to help develop Majengo's regional Rheumatic Heart Disease identification and treatment program.
Heidi Wiebe
Director
Heidi has lived and worked in the Canadian Arctic as a regional planner since 2002, managing organizations and capacity building initiatives. Heidi volunteered at Majengo Children’s Home from February 2013 to December 2014, coming to us through ICA CANADA. She joined the Majengo Canada Board in October 2015, and visits Majengo once a year.
Reshma Vanza
Director
Reshma joined the board of Majengo Canada in May 2023. She brings with her 20+ years of sustainability and environmental management experience across public and private sectors.
Her areas of expertise include Environmental Compliance, Resource Management (water and energy), Waste Operations, Wastewater Discharge, Air Emissions and Stormwater Management.
Janet Mckelvey
Advisor to the board
Janet is a businesswoman and philanthropist. She has raised and disbursed more than $3.5 million to families in need in communities across Canada in her role as Executive Director of Canadian Tire’s Foundation for Families. She has chaired and been director of such boards as the Toronto Public Library Foundation, Shaw Festival Board of Governors, Developing World Connections, and since October 2015, Majengo Canada.
Lynn Connell
Founding President, Majengo Canada
An artist, activist, and community volunteer, Lynn co-founded the Majengo Children’s Home in 2008, spearheaded fundraising initiatives in Canada, and started Majengo Canada. She has visited Majengo on numerous occasions.
WARREN MAJENGO FOUNDATION
Alicia Brewster
President
Alicia works in marketing and business development for a global law. She acts as the board president for Warren Majengo Foundation and is involved in fundraising, event management and other strategic initiatives for the organization. She first visited Majengo Children's Home in 2013 and returns once a year.
Matt Moore
Vice president
Matt works as an engineering executive for a global truck parts manufacturer spitting his time between Jamestown, NY and Sweden. Matt Moore was introduced to the project by Ian Ashbaugh in 2010.
Matt Mckissock
Secretary
Matt got involved in the Majengo project right from the beginning, just as Lynn Connell was moving all of the initial children into their first modest home. He founded the Warren Majengo Foundation in 2009 to help support Majengo from his hometown, Warren, PA, and continues to be involved in all aspects of Majengo. Matt and his family typically visit Tanzania twice a year.
Ian Ashbaugh
Treasurer
Ian is a pharmacist and is employed at Warren General Hospital. After traveling with Matt McKissock in March 2009 to Tanzania to experience, firsthand, the Majengo Children’s Home, he became an ardent supporter of the cause and is a board member for the Warren Majengo Foundation. Ian and his family visit the Majengo Children’s Home annually.
Monica Edmiston
Director
Monica resides in North Carolina and has 17+ years of marketing experience which includes owning a full-service creative studio in Cornelius, North Carolina. As the Marketing Director, she is involved in strategic planning, concept development, and creative design execution for the organization’s marketing and communication efforts. Monica’s first visit to Majengo Children’s Home was in 2015, and she returns bi-annually.
MAJENGO NA STAFF
Simone Lee Hamilton
Executive Director, Majengo Canada
Simone has two bachelor's degrees, in Art History and in Education, as well as a postgraduate certificate in Marketing Management. She began volunteering for Majengo in 2011 and has since spent considerable time in Tanzania teaching, participating in program development, and providing on the ground support. Her time in Canada is spent fundraising and project planning.
Jenna Yango Leonard
Development Coordinator
Jenna joined the Majengo Canada team in November 2020. She has extensive experience, both in Canada and abroad in financial management, program development and fundraising. She assists the Executive Director in marketing, grant procurement and donor relations.
Emily Onuffer
Executive Director, Warren Majengo Foundation
Emily spent 20 years working for McKissock Real Estate and Appraisal School. She started as a Customer Service Representative and worked her way up through the company until she became the Product Director of Appraisal Education. She spends her time fundraising in Warren, PA.
MAJENGO TZ STAFF
Joseph Moshi
Manager & Program Director
Joseph was born in Monduli, and attended the University of Dar es Salaam for his degree in accounting in 2012. He began working with Majengo in 2019 as the director. Joseph is passionate about capacity-building in the community and is always thinking of new ways to support vulnerable families in the area. He lives near Majengo Children’s Home with his wife, daughter, and dogs, Harry and Megan.
Kamete Mollel
Social Worker & Community Development Specialist
Kamete was born in Longido and attended university in Tengeru University for his degree in community development. Kamete got his masters while working in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Open University of Tanzania in 2020. He moved to Mto wa Mbu and began working for Majengo in 2018. As a Maasai, Kamete is passionate about supporting the Maasai community and empowering Maasai girls to go to school. His fluency in Kimaasai is a huge asset to the team and helps him support our Maasai students. He lives in Mto Wa Mbu with his wife and his daughter and loves watching soccer! He is a big fan of Simba Sport Club!
Anitha Salanje
Psychologist & Counsellor
Anitha was born in the Arusha district, Arusha region later and attended school at Mzumbe University as well as joined Kenyatta University for her Masters's Degree in Counseling Psychology. She moved to Mto Wa Mbu in 2021 and began working with Majengo Children’s Home as our psychologist counselor. Anitha has been very helpful in supporting all the vulnerable children that are supported by the organization. As the counselor Anitha has helped several children and their families by giving them new hope and encouragement to promote positive change. Anitha gets fulfilled when a child or family in trouble finds a solution through counseling. She enjoys playing with with the children in her free time. She lives within Mto wa Mbu town, not too far from Majengo.
Cesilia Kisesa
Education & Communications Coordinator
Cecilia was born in Kinondoni district, Dar es Salaam, she attended the University of Dar es Salaam for her Bachelor’s of Education in 2017. She joined Majengo Children’s Home in 2018 as the head teacher and in 2021 she was promoted to the Majengo Children’s Home education coordinator, which is her current role. Cecilia is passionate about making the children succeed in their academics and she enjoys reading story books with the young children in the Majengo library. She lives near Majengo and enjoys evening walks and watching movies in her free time.
Martha Aloyce
Mama & Medical Coordinator
Martha was born in the Tukuyu district, Mbeya region, and attended Haydom Institute of health science for her diploma in Nursing & Midwifery in 2021. She joined Majengo Children’s Home in 2022 as the nurse and works closely with all Majengo supported children and staff, making sure they have stable and good health. Martha also works closely with the community members during training sessions, teaching them about reproductive health, personal hygiene, and all health-related topics. Martha says she is happiest when everyone at Majengo is healthy! Martha resides within the center and during her off days she likes to go out to eat in Mto Wa Mbu.
Winnifrida Jerome
Accountant & Procurement Officer
Winfrida was born in the Arusha district, Arusha region, and later attended Moshi Cooperative University for her diploma in Accounting Management in 2019. She joined Majengo Children’s Home in 2022 as an assistant accountant. Winfrida is fervent about her accounting job especially when every financial request made at the organization is met. Winfrida enjoys sharing her free time and telling stories about the different animals we have in the world to the children. Winfrida lives very close to the center just within Mto Wa Mbu town.
Eva Kivuyo
Head Teacher and Maasai Girls Program Coordinator
Eva was born in the Monduli district, Arusha region, and later attended The Sinon College for her certificate in early childhood education in 2010. She is an alumnus of Majengo’s Maasai Girls Program, being the very first product of the program. She started working with Majengo Children's Home as a teacher immediately after completing her college education. She was promoted to become our head teacher in 2021 at the Majengo as well as the Maasai girls program coordinator. Eva has been so helpful with educating girls from the Maasai community about their rights and needs. She desires to see Maasai girls continue in their education and have improved living standards. As a teacher and Maasai woman, Eva is passionate about improving the living standards of the children she encounters every day through education. She is a wife and a mother of two girls. She lives with her family just within Mto wa Mbu town.
All Majengo Canada and Warren Majengo Foundation board members are unpaid.
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