Africa ELI staff with Board member, Atem
THE AFRICA EDUCATION & LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE TEAM
Anita Ayers Henderlight – Executive Director
anita@AfricaELI.org
Meeting “Lost Boys of Sudan” in 2005 and the co-founders of New Sudan Education Initiative in 2006 propelled Anita to sound a clarion call for support of education in Southern Sudan. With members of the Africa Education & Leadership Initiative team and international development colleagues, she worked to coordinate the launch and inaugural celebration of Africa ELI’s first school in 2008. To increase the number of student beneficiaries, she negotiated Africa ELI’s first public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with Yei Girls Boarding Secondary School in 2009, effectively increasing Africa ELI’s educational outreach from the original 18 students to more than 1,000 students in the Yei region.
Anita has traveled in Southern Sudan’s Central Equatoria, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap states for formal meetings with local, state, and national education leaders, participated in UNICEF and GOSS-sponsored workshops, and been interviewed by Sudanese media about girls education. While in the US, Anita works to educate the American public about Sudan’s young people and their great leadership potential. She travels the nation to mobilize individuals and groups to invest time and resources in Africa ELI school projects. Meetings with the World Bank, agencies of the United Nations, legislative representatives, community organizations, schools, churches, and individuals, have all resulted in various methods of support for Africa ELI students.
A graduate of Patricia Stevens College in Missouri, with courses of continued study in Sociology at George Washington University, Anita considers her greatest classroom to be life in Sudan. Prior to her work there, she was employed for 17 years by a faith-based institution in program development for children, youth, and adults. Originally from central Illinois, she has lived in the Washington DC area, St. Louis, and currently has a residence in East Tennessee. She spends significant time in Southern Sudan each year working with the program team.
Matt King- Development Director
Matt King is a 2010 graduate from The University of Tennessee with his MBA. Matt has a passion for international development and for being an advocate for the people of the world. He has spent time in Central America, Europe and Africa. At Africa ELI Matt is responsible for business development, donor development, and outreach development.
Diane Birungi – Sudan Program Director
diane@AfricaELI.org
Starting as a volunteer in Sudan with Africa ELI in 2007 and working as the Education Coordinator in 2008-09, Diane now gives leadership as the country Program Director. She has been instrumental in forging relationships within the education sector of GOSS, the NGO community, and numerous stakeholders throughout the areas where Africa ELI implements programs. Under her direction, student recruitment and services have expanded from one to four of Southern Sudan’s ten states.
Diane provides oversight for all of Africa ELI’s sponsorship and enrichment programs, including holiday school and UNICEF’s Girls Education Movement (GEM) implementation. As a leader for GEM, she teaches a TOT course – Training of Trainers. She is a regular participant in local, state and national meetings to keep up-to-date on Southern Sudan’s policies and resource development for secondary education.
Prior to her employment with Africa ELI, Diane worked as a communication consultant with the GOSS Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. She has also worked with ADRA-UK, an NGO working in education. She received an undergraduate degree from Uganda’s prestigious Makerere University.
Diane has traveled extensively in Eastern Africa and along the East Coast of the U.S.
Susan Sunday – Education Coordinator
susan@AfricaELI.org
A Sudanese national, Susan received her advanced level education at St. Mary’s Ediofe Girls Secondary School in Arua, Uganda. Having gained work experience as a certified psychosocial counselor with the Dutch-based NGO, Health Net TPO, Susan joined the Africa ELi staff in January 2010. Her skills include counseling, community mobilization, and advocating for gender equality.
Susan works to coordinate Africa Eli enrichment programs with high school and elementary public school administrators and teachers. She participates in strategic planning toward student retention and helps students identify personal goals in pursuit of their career goals. She works as a group and individual counselor for Africa Eli girls and promotes mental health awareness.
Rose Awate – Scholarship and Monitoring Officer
rose@AfricaELI.org
A graduate of one of Africa ELi’s partner schools, Yei Day Secondary School, Rose holds a diploma in business administration from Nile Institute of Management Studies in Arua, Uganda. As a young professional Sudanese woman, she monitors the academic performance and campus life of Africa ELi scholars.
Rose began her career as a Finance Officer for a Yei community-based organization, NEESS. She gained valuable experience working as a counselor for disadvantaged school children and then she became a project officer for War Child Holland. Her responsibility there was to locate and resettle child soldiers and street children.
As the Scholarship and Monitoring Officer for Africa ELi, she facilitates student interviews, scholar selection, registration, and academic reviews.
Wani Kenneth Evans – Sudan Operations Manager
kenneth@AfricaELI.org
Kenneth graduated from Masindi Secondary School in 2004. He became an apprentice in Kinyara Training Center in 2005 and received a certificate in General Engineering, Electrical Engineering and a diploma in Mechanical Engineering from City and Guilds of London Institute in Britain.
Employed by Africa ELI in February 2008, Kenneth was responsible for all logistics and technical work during the construction of our original campus. In September 2008, he was promoted to Operations Manager. Additionally, he coordinates the Africa ELI radio debate program with all partner schools and serves as a liaison in the local community, not far from his childhood home in Lainya County, Sudan.
Prior to his work with Africa ELI, Kenneth lived and worked in neighboring Uganda.
Sam Petschulat – Intern
Sam is a student at the University of Tennessee studying Rhetoric and Economics. He has been working with Africa ELI since July 2011.
