Each current Beacon Scholar at University is paired with a Beacon Home Country Mentor to guide their leadership development and keep them connected to their home country.
The following are currently Beacon Home Country Mentors:
Kaki Gichuru (also known as Rosalind) has 19 years of leadership experience in Consumer, Commercial and Trade Marketing, having worked for The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola SABCO in various leadership roles across 39 countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Prior to that, she worked for The Gillette Company in Boston, Massachusetts where she held various Brand Management roles in the Duracell and Oral-B/Braun Business Units, overseeing brand marketing for the US market. Through her career, she has spearheaded award-winning Marketing campaigns both locally and globally, and was voted as one of Kenya’s “Top 40 under 40” women in 2012. Rosalind has an MBA from Northeastern University, Boston, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario. Four years ago she transitioned into an executive leadership role within one of Kenya’s leading Banks, NIC Group, where she is currently the Director for Marketing, Communications and Citizenship. She is also Board Member of Junior Achievement Kenya, and recently an accredited and certified Executive Leadership Coach from the Academy of Executive Coaching in the UK. She is passionate about leadership and seeks to impact the next generation of leaders through mentorship and coaching. Kaki is married and has three sons under 6 years.
Professor Andrew M. Kahonge is an Associate Professor at the University of Nairobi (UoN). Presently, he also serves as the Chairman of the Department of Computing and Informatics. He is a computer scientist and did his Bachelor’s degree at UoN. He then completed his Master’s in Advanced Computer Science at the University of Birmingham (UoB) in 2003, and later his PhD at UoN in 2013. Andrew has worked in both the private and public sector. He started as a software developer for a private firm in Kenya, after which he moved to the UK. During that time, he worked part-time for the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, NHS, as a web developer. Later, he returned to Kenya where he started working for the University of Nairobi, where he has been involved in several research projects and consultancies with local and international organizations, such as PwC, UN-Habitat, Algorand, OpenHIE. Andrew has been involved in several research projects in the areas of cybersecurity, health informatics, blockchain and systems integration.
Nguvu Kamando is the current Digital Director at Vodacom Tanzania PLC, where he has also served in different capacities such as Executive Head of Network Planning, Regional Director, and Executive Head of Network Performance to mention few. He is a futurist leader and digital expert, with over 21 years of cross functional experience in the telecommunication & mobile finance sector and over 15 years on C- level executive. He is a member of Tanzania Directors, certified by the IoDT. He holds a Master’s degree in Law, (First Class Hons) Information Technology and Telecom Law from the Open University of Tanzania, and a BSc in Engineering (Hons) from the University of Dar es Salaam. He also graduated the Senior Executive Management program Vodacom Advanced Executive Program (VAEP) from the University of the Witwatersrand South Africa.
Dr Utheri Kanayo studied Education at Undergraduate and Master's level at Kenyatta and Nairobi universities, and then won a full scholarship in 2005 to pursue a PhD in Education at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, UK. She worked as an academic researcher at The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and later as a Research Manager for Camfed International. In 2018, three years after her return to Kenya, Utheri co-founded the first Afrocentric school in East Africa, Children In Freedom School (CIFS). CIFS has grown to be a gifted and talented centre, dually grounding children to embrace their Africaness, and become global leaders. She is a Metis fellow, and an ALA Anzisha Education Accelerator fellow. Utheri started as the Beacon Rep in Kenya in 2016, and then became the Regional Representative until 2022 as the programme expanded. She is now the Special Africa Advisor for Beacon and also a Home Country Mentor.
Dr Evelyne Kihiu holds a PhD in Development Economics from the University of Bonn and is currently a researcher with the International Potato Center (CIP). She is an Economist with experience in ex ante analysis, impact analysis, and public policy research. Her current research focus is on the areas of agricultural policy; natural resources, ecosystem services and environmental quality; social development; inequality and poverty, and growth and development. Dr. Kihiu is a member of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, Environment for Development (EfD) Kenya, an Africa Research & Impact Network (ARIN) Fellow and a participant of the AWARD-ICWAE Mentoring Program.
Andrew Mahiga is a Tanzanian private sector development professional who has over 12 years of experience working in policy engagement, private sector advocacy, trade facilitation and strategic communications in Tanzania, the U.S. and U.K. He currently serves as a Commercial Specialist for the U.S. Commercial Service at the United States Embassy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Prior to that, he was the Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy at the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF). Andrew has worked in private sector, not-for-profit and directly with the Tanzanian government throughout his professional career. He holds a Bachelor’s in International Studies from The City College of New York (CUNY) and an MSc. in Public Policy & Management from SOAS, University of London.
Dr Esther Maina is a Biochemist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi. Prior to this, she was a CRUK (Cancer Research UK) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute of Cancer Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK. Esther has over 15 years’ experience post-PhD (University of Birmingham, UK), in Medical and Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics during her postdoctoral training at both the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Currently, she is involved in teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Nairobi including supervision of both MSc and PhD research projects and mentoring students in all matters S.T.E.M. Esther is also involved in establishing the Oncogenomics’ course in Kenya, in collaboration with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University. She also leads the Cancer Research mega-consortium on Cancer Biomarkers under the National Research Fund (NRF-Kenya).
Angela Mandi is Stanbic Bank Kenya’s Head of Corporate and Investment Banking – Credit. Her role encompasses risk management of the credit risk associated with lending to Corporate and Investment Banking Clients, ensuring adherence to regulatory and internal governance policies and developing expertise in CIB Credit risk assessment across the CIB space, aimed at sound management of the CIB portfolio of assets. Angela has over a decade of work experience in Investment Banking, Credit Risk Management and Corporate Finance Advisory. Besides working for Standard Bank Group in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa as a Senior Credit Manager, she has worked as an Investment Banking Analyst for Barclays Capital in the US, and in Barclays Bank Group in Kenya, South Africa and Botswana. She has also had stints at KPMG and PwC in Kenya as a Graduate Trainee and Corporate Finance Associate respectively. Angela is a qualified Certified Public Accountant (CPA), She has successfully completed her Chartered Financial Analyst(CFA) programme, holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Finance Major), and a Masters of Arts in Economics & Economic Policy Management, both from the University of Nairobi.
Dr George Mgomella is an epidemiologist with CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention). Prior to that, he was a Visiting Scientist at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK and a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, UK as recipient of the prestigious Gates Cambridge scholarship. George has over 15 years’ experience in clinical medicine, infectious diseases surveillance, epidemiology and global health, working in several sub-Saharan African countries including Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. George was awarded a doctor of medicine degree by the University of Dar es salaam, Tanzania and a master of public health from Harvard University, USA. George is also an alumni of the NIH/Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellowship and is a Certified Public Health professional by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), USA.
David Mpanga is the holder of a law degree from Exeter University. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1993. He was called to the Ugandan Bar in 2000 and appointed a Commissioner for Oaths and Notary Public in November 2010. David worked in the chambers of John Mathew QC at 5 Paper Buildings in the United Kingdom where he handled criminal litigation. David returned to Uganda in 1998 and worked with Mugerwa & Masembe, Advocates up to September 2003. In October 2003, David set up AF Mpanga, Advocates now locally and internationally acknowledged as a leading law firm in Uganda and a member of Bowmans, an African legal services group. David has cultivated a specialization in financial institutions law, international commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions as well as oil & gas. He also has experience handling public interest cases in the Constitutional Court and has appeared in a number of landmark cases. David is the Minister for Special Duties in the Buganda Government, a First Nation Institution headed by the Kabaka of Buganda. He is married, to Dr. Phiona Muhwezi Mpanga, and they have three children.
Mumo Musuva is an extensively experienced architect and serves as Managing Director of PLANNING Systems Services Ltd. Mumo’s career at PLANNING has focused on building design, urban regeneration and sustainable development. He is also founding director of PLANNING Project Management Ltd, the group’s project and development management arm, and a Trustee of PLANNING’s impactful award-winning Corporate Responsibility initiative: The Community Cooker Foundation. Mumo has broad experience in projects of various types and scales including hospitality, commercial retail, high rise buildings and office buildings, large scale mixed-use masterplans as well as project structuring in conjunction with client teams. He manages PLANNING’s portfolio of projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Dr Winifred Mutuku holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and is the current Head of Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science Kenyatta University. She is a member of the Technical Working Group and Strategic Information Team (TWG/SI) for the National Syndemic Disease Control Council; Chairperson of the Board of Management – Masii Boys Secondary School; a committee member of the Board of Management of both Machakos Boys High and Masii Girls Secondary Schools; the Patron of Kenyatta University STEM Club; a committee member of Kenyatta University Gender Mainstreaming Technical Working Group and a committee member of Kenyatta University Sexual and Gender Based Violence. She has successfully supervised four PhD candidates and several Master’s students. She has also published over 25 refereed journals articles. She was awarded a grant by KEMRI-Wellcome Trust to carry out research on Modelling dynamics of HIV and another grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to carry out a research on women’s economic empowerment.
Cindy Lithimbi-Ondego is an international development consultant and entrepreneur. She has previously worked in ecological conservation and management, and spent a large part of her career designing and implementing programmes to uplift the lives of marginalised populations, mainly in education and youth employment. Cindy enjoys working across disciplines and interest groups to bring about social impact. She recently founded MombasaWorks - a coworking and learning space in Mombasa - aimed at supporting social entrepreneurs and independent professionals thrive. Cindy has a MSc in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and a BSc in Ecology and Environmental Biology from the University of Leeds. She lives in Mombasa with her husband and two young children and enjoys being outdoors with them, as well as reading autobiographies and about interior design.
Caroline Simba is a UK trained lawyer with over 15 years’ experience and specializing in policy and regulation in telecommunications. In 2010 she was voted as one of Kenya’s “Top 40 under 40” women. Caroline is a member of the ICT Sector Board of Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), a private sector platform which engages in high-level public policy dialogue and provides leadership on issues of national importance. She has participated in several policy and law formulation taskforces including the National Spectrum Policy taskforce responsible for developing a progressive spectrum policy for the country. She has been instrumental in facilitating the successful transition of her current employer to the fourth mobile operator in the country and the only entity operating a pure 4G LTE mobile network in East Africa. Caroline is a board member of Ulu Conservancy which seeks to protect the Ulu ecosystem from illegal settlements, wildlife poaching and environmental degradation. She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM), a Company Secretary, Commissioner for Oaths and Notary Public. She is deeply passionate about leadership and seeks to impact the next generation of leaders through mentorship. Caroline is married and blessed with two amazing children.
Darryl Ole Ursin is an Actuarial Specialist at Old Mutual Group working from the Nairobi office. His work broadly covers risk management, financial reporting, product development and analytics for General Insurance & Health in East Africa. He has taken key and leading roles in several projects, including the implementation of a new financial reporting standard and most proudly, the design of Kenya's first low-cost community cancer insurance product. Darryl is an exam-qualified actuary with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, and an alumnus of the London School of Economics, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science. Darryl was a Beacon Scholar from 2016 - 2019.
Dr Benjamin W. Wachira is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi and the Founding Director of the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation. He serves on the board of the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM) and is currently the president-elect. He is an associate editor for the African Journal of Emergency Medicine. He obtained his Diploma in Primary Emergency Care from the College of Emergency Medicine of South Africa in 2007. Subsequently, he pursued his Masters in Medicine specialising in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He was admitted as a Fellow of the College of Emergency Medicine of South Africa in October 2011. Dr Wachira has published several journal articles which reflect his research interests in the development of evidence-based universal emergency care in Kenya.
Kariuki Waigwa is a commercial pilot (Captain), flight instructor and flight examiner with the national carrier Kenya Airways which he joined in 2009 as a first officer on the Boeing 737 fleet. He is currently deployed on the Embraer fleet which operates regional flights and he joined this fleet as a Captain in 2012. Prior to that, he worked as a charter pilot and instructor at Wilson regional airport with Kenya School of Flying (KSOF). He completed his initial flight training at KSOF. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, golf and cycling.
If you would like to become a Beacon Home Country Mentor please contact the Beacon Special Africa Adviser.
Each current Beacon Scholar at University is paired with a Beacon Away Country Mentor for pastoral support in the country where they are attending University.
The following are currently Beacon Away Country Mentors:
Rosemary Brazel is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and is currently a Design Manager at Atkins Ltd, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group. She graduated from the University of Bristol with a MEng in Civil Engineering. Since joining Atkins as a Graduate Engineer, Rosemary has worked on large infrastructure projects in the UK and overseas, including the Elizabeth Line in Central London. Rosemary has also worked in Kenya, advising the Kenyan Government on renewable energy policy at a domestic level, and in Sri Lanka, mitigating against flood and drought risk in 10 river basins across the country. She mentors junior members of staff at Atkins and spends her free time triathlon training or playing classical music.
Arthur Ddamulira was a Beacon Scholar who graduated from Cardiff University in 2023 with a First-Class Honours degree in Law. He is currently working in the disputes practice at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Dubai, and will commence his SQE in March 2024, and start his legal career at Freshfields London office as a trainee associate. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Arthur is already making a difference in people’s lives, leading by example and mentoring others. He sits on various panels, on the board of a charity in Uganda and is passing on his experience to others through events on career paths, leadership and his own journey into law. At Cardiff, he organised socials to help first years to settle into halls, and as Corporate Relations Officer for the 93% club, he hosted panels and helped raise money by securing long-term partners for the cause. His work with students from the Sutton Trust has encouraged more than 30 students this year to apply for university places, and his contact with Pro Bono Uganda has led to facilitating book clubs remotely and encouraging partnership with Aga Khan schools.
Areeg Emarah was a Beacon Scholar who graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in June 2021. She studied towards an MEng in Information and Computer Engineering, achieving a Distinction for her Master’s project on image compression and graduating with a Merit overall. In 2021, she received the Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award for her access initiatives and student activism and was part of the founding committee of May Week Alternative (MWA), a student-led charity initiative that places giving at the heart of May Week celebrations in Cambridge. During her involvement with the MWA, the movement grew to a community of over 400 strong, raising £110,000 for the Against Malaria Foundation in 2020. Areeg also co-founded the Cambridge University Women in Engineering Society, where she helped create an inclusive and empowering space for women in her field. As Cambridge University Engineering Society’s first Access Officer, Areeg organised their inaugural Access Day, hosting 50 students from backgrounds under-represented at Cambridge. She also mentored young African undergraduate Cambridge applicants and has been involved in the Students’ Union Shadowing Scheme, Target Oxbridge, and the Islamic Society of Cambridge. Areeg is now working as a Software Engineer at Cisco Systems, Inc. In her free time, she continues to mentor current university students, goes on runs and meets up with friends.
Peter Gerstrom was born and brought up in Kenya, moving to the UK after university. With an Engineering Science degree from Oxford University, he started his career in water engineering, developing water resource and wastewater projects around the world in the 1980s. Following an MBA at London Business School, he then moved into new business development having identified the environmental sector, and waste in particular, as a changing and growing sector. At Balfour Beatty, he set up a joint venture with the large German Utility RWE. Moving next to Veolia, he ran Hampshire Waste Services then SELCHP, their new London business. Following a short spell spent at Cleanaway as Director of Municipal Services, he joined Cory Environmental in 2003 to help it transform itself from a landfill-focused company to offering waste treatment and technology services, including developing London’s largest Energy from Waste facility. After five years as CEO he retired in 2016, and is now spending much of his time travelling and touring, usually in classic cars, whilst keeping an eye on a small family property business.
Farzana Huysman was a Beacon Scholar who graduated in 2019. She attended Trinity College Cambridge and graduated with an MEng in Engineering, achieving a Distinction and winning the Sir George Nelson Prize in Applied Mechanics (top mark in Mechanical Engineering). Farzana joined McKinsey and Company in London as a Business Analyst in January 2020 and is now an Engagement Manager based in Singapore, working on sustainable finance. In her 6 months between university and work, Farzana taught English to high school and university students in Japan, coached football at a youth programme in Uganda and backpacked through North India. At McKinsey, Farzana has been active in leading voluntary consulting support for a global NGO and taking on core roles in the annual summer intern programme.
Ifenya Huysman is a master’s graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Birmingham. He was born in Kenya and lived there up until the age of 18 when he moved to the UK. While at university, he was actively engaged in the Shell Eco Marathon - an engineering competition seeking to create ultra efficient vehicles. He was part of this team for 5 years and overcame many technical hurdles to create race ready vehicles. He is currently plying his trade as a mechanical design engineer at the engineering consultancy eg Technology. He creates bespoke solutions to a wide range of problems within the field of medical device development and consumer product development. He considers himself a creative individual and prides himself with coming up with novel and elegant mechanical mechanisms within devices.
Dr Barbara Hughes-Moore is an Early Career Researcher and Lecturer in Law at Cardiff University. She graduated with an LLB in Law in 2014 and was awarded a PhD in Law and Literature in 2020, both from Cardiff. Subsequently, she worked as an Associate on the Health Law in Wales project, led by Professor John Harrington and funded by a Welsh Government Sêr Cymru award. The project investigated whether Welsh health law can be invented on the basis of values. Barbara’s research interests include law and literature, criminal legal theory, and Gothic fiction, and her work has been published in the Journal of Law and Society and the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. She has co-designed and taught on law and drama in collaboration with Professors Harrington and Ambreena Manji and the Sherman Theatre’s community programme. She is also the Reviews Editor for the Cardiff-based literary journal, Romantic Textualities, and is a published theatre critic.
Katie Kironde is originally Ugandan but grew up in Eswatini, Botswana and Lesotho before moving to South Africa where she studied Econometrics at the University of Pretoria. She went on to work in Johannesburg as a Quantitative Analyst at a retail bank and then in Cape Town as an Investment Analyst at an Asset Manager. She moved to London to study a Masters in Economics and Finance at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has since joined Citibank in London and now works as an Emerging Market Macro Economic Strategist and Economist. Katie is extremely passionate about Macroeconomics and its intersection with Finance in Emerging Markets.
Kendi M’Marete attended boarding school, high school, and university in Kenya, qualifying in Community Development, Projects Planning and Management. For 17 years she worked in the NGO, iNGO and public sectors in various parts of Kenya, including the infamous Dadaab Refugee Camp with UNHCR, the slums of Nairobi and rural Kenya where she empowered local women and girls on human rights, helped set up SMEs for poverty eradication and established projects to support disadvantaged and disabled children and young people. She moved to Cambridge over 10 years ago where she worked with various disability inclusion charities whilst pursuing Inclusive Education research-based studies towards her International Development qualification at Cambridge University’s Madingley Hall. Her career has predominantly centred on the International Development and charity sectors with a focus on Disability Inclusion, Education and Socio-Economic Development. Kendi is currently the Head of Disability Inclusion Policy and DWAT Team Leader in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She recently graduated with a postgraduate qualification in Public Policy Analysis from King’s College London's International School for Government. During her career in the Civil Service, Kendi has worked on labour market issues, private pension policy and international labour policy through tripartite engagements at the ILO with the aim of improving global labour standards; including elimination of indecent work, child labour, modern slavery/forced labour, and promotion of workplace equality and safety working practices. She mentors young people in and outside the Civil Service, and enjoys reading, travelling and hiking.
Dr. Tedd Moya Mose is a qualified lawyer, academic, and consultant with over 15 years of transaction, advisory, strategy, and dispute resolution experience in energy, ESG, technology, trade, and sustainable development. He is also a board member of conservation, education, philanthropy, and technology ventures in the UK and EMEA. As an Oxford Martin Fellow at the University of Oxford, he examines the role of law, policy, and regulation in the transition to a low carbon future. His current focus is on addressing the legal challenges to sustainable development in emerging economies and the role of technology in enhancing sustainable energy, agriculture, and intra-African trade. He has taught and held various multi-disciplinary research positions at Queen Mary University of London; The London School of Economics; the University of St. Andrews; at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, and Mineral Law and Policy at University of Dundee; the University of Michigan; and the University of Cape Town. In his spare time, Tedd likes travel, sports, photography, and technology. He sometimes thinks he can dance.
Zawadi Mwambeyu was a Beacon Scholar who graduated in 2023 and is now a Graduate Structural Engineer at Ramboll UK Ltd, undertaking initial professional development towards chartership. She achieved a first-class honours MEng in Civil Engineering at the University of Bristol, and was awarded the Werthemier Memorial Prize for her 3-year contribution to the life of faculty and students as course representative. Following her undergraduate research in regenerative materials and 4th year design project on Design for Manufacture, Assembly and Disassembly (DfMA-D), she joined Ramboll's Buildings Technical Excellence network. She has been a guest speaker at the WiP South-West awards 2022 and at the National Awards 2023. She is a member of several professional institutions. She was the 2021 National and South-West winner of the Women in Property (WiP) National Student awards. At Bristol, she was East African Society President, secretary of the Civil Engineering Society (CivSoc) in her fourth year and Senior Peer Mentor for the 2022 first-year cohort. At CivSoc, she helped run the 7th annual Graduate-Undergraduate Recruitment Evening. In her free time, she mentors university and secondary school students, travels locally and explores the Kenyan music scene.
Rachel Nabirinde is a two-time master's graduate from The University of Edinburgh with a Masters (MSc) in Psychology of Mental Health focused on Clinical Psychology, and an MSc in Mind, Language, and Embodied Cognition. She is currently studying for a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of East Anglia. She aspires to expand the scope of the mental health sector in Uganda, create awareness, and provide accessible and affordable mental health services. Her career to date has included work in the Ugandan and UK mental health sectors; work with refugees; children with disabilities; HIV/AIDS patients with psychiatric illnesses, and substance and drug abusers. In 2020, she started a mental health service in Uganda – Emotiva - to provide affordable and accessible mental health services to Ugandans.
Zibah Nwako was born and raised in Nigeria, then moved to the UK in 1990 after her first degree. She worked in numerous roles at the British Council and the London Borough of Croydon until 2000 when she set up her own business as Director of TOP Kids Company Limited. She co-ordinated five OFSTED-registered out-of-school clubs and nurseries in Croydon and Sutton, employing over 30 members of staff. Zibah also served as a primary school governor, consultant for the Croydon Day Nurseries Business Forum, organiser of the Out-of-School Providers Network and member of the Training Bids Panel for the Croydon Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership (EYDCP). In 2008, Zibah shifted careers to birth AFFIRM Consulting, Training and Coaching Ltd, and became the pioneer licensed trainer in Nigeria of the Springboard UK Women’s Development Programme. Over the next 6 years, she facilitated Springboard and other training programmes for women associations, youth groups and corporate organisations across the country. Returning to the UK in 2014, Zibah started a Master’s degree at the University of Bristol in Educational Leadership, Policy and Development. She obtained a distinction for her dissertation on the experiences and aspirations of female secondary students in rural Nigeria. Currently a doctoral researcher, Zibah is exploring the wellbeing of female undergraduate students in Nigeria and Kenya. She also has a portfolio career as an academic administrator, graduate teaching assistant, trainer of the Sprint Development Programme for female university students and trustee of the Professor Festus Nwako Foundation. She is a member of several international, professional and research networks.
Dr Christopher Obwaka until a few years ago resided in Nairobi and holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and graduated with a distinction in his Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Nairobi. He has also successfully completed his MBA in Health Leadership and Management from the United States International University (USIU-Africa) and is well on his way to becoming a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG-UK). Chris is on a mission to play his part in the elimination of maternal mortality on the African continent and beyond. His passion stems from his natural affinity and love for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the immense value he places on human life and the critical role he believes mothers play in the world right from conception. Beyond playing a key role in the elimination of maternal mortality by the provision of personalized, well researched and outstanding healthcare, his vision is to have every mother leave the health facility happy and with a healthy baby in her hands. As part of the 2020 Young Executive Leaders (YEL) program run by the International Hospital Federation (IHF) headquartered in Geneva, Chris undertook a year long international collaboration with 16 other healthcare leaders from 9 different countries looking at the role of young leaders in the COVID pandemic under two main themes: “The Challenges of Being a Digital Leader in Times of Covid-19” and “Towards postCovid-19: Lessons Learned and Challenges for Hospital Leaders”. In keeping with the biggest pandemic of our times, he is now a trained and active workplace vaccinator in his exoclinical time helping to prepare and administer the Pfizer-BioNTech at the St Richard’s Hospital vaccination hub to the population of West Sussex and beyond.
Dr Gabriel Onagoruwa is a co-founding partner and chair of the Finance and Project Development practice of Olaniwun Ajayi (UK) LLP, Africa’s first international law office in the city of London. Prior to this, he was a senior lawyer at the London office of the international law firm of White & Case LLP. His practice focuses on advising development finance institutions, national and international oil companies, sponsors, developers, commercial banks, multilateral lending agencies and export credit agencies, in project, banking and international finance transactions across the power, oil and gas, mining and metals and real estate sectors. He has advised clients on financing transactions with a cumulative value of over US$50 billion. He obtained his LLB degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria graduating with a First Class Honours. He is a Gates Scholar of the University of Cambridge, having obtained his master’s degree in law (LLM) and Ph.D. from Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. He is a recipient of numerous international laurels and awards. Gabriel is widely published in reputable international journals and has honoured several speaking engagements. He is a member of the International Law Association; the International Bar Association; the Nigerian Bar Association; and the Law Society of England and Wales. He is happily married to Ayo Onagoruwa and they are blessed with children.
Vanessa Sadler is an Executive Coach specializing in leadership development. She has worked with senior leaders of many different nationalities in global and national corporates in financial services, recruitment, non-profit, consulting, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and oil and gas sectors. For the last 15 years she has also worked with INSEAD, London Business School and Cranfield delivering workshops, facilitating group learning and coaching MBAs, and as a Leadership Solutions Associate with the Center for Creative Leadership® (CCL®). She is an Associate partner with Leadership Choices GmbH and a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach (MGSCC®). Vanessa lived for over 13 years in Singapore, The Netherlands, Gibraltar and is now based in the United Kingdom. Prior to training as a coach she worked as a Strategy Consultant for The LEK Partnership, a Project Manager with Schiphol Management Services, and a Marketing Manager for AT&T. She began her career as a chemical engineer working for Shell. She gained her MBA from INSEAD in 1989 and graduated in chemical engineering from Sheffield University in 1984.
If you would like to become a Beacon Away Country Mentor please contact us.
Beacon Mentoring is a 'high-touch' programme designed to guide and assist Beacon Scholars as they travel up the vertical pathway through secondary and tertiary levels of education and move into the workplace.
The programme targets those points in a Beacon Scholar's education where performance targets are set and reviewed; where important choices have to be made; and when Scholars have to be prepared for the next step in their development.
Types of Mentor provided to Beacon Scholars:
- School Mentors - for Beacon Schools Scholars
- Target Sheet Mentors - for all Beacon Scholars
- Away Country Mentors - for Beacon University Scholars
- Home Country Mentors - for Beacon University Scholars
- Beacon Buddies - for all new Beacon Scholars
- Peer Mentors - for Beacon University Scholars
1. School Mentors
Key to The Beacon Scholarship for Schools, School Mentors are staff members of the Beacon School where a Beacon Scholar is enrolled, and are generally appointed by the Head of the School.
School Mentor responsibilities include:
- Meet with Beacon Scholars first to set targets, then at mid-term and finally at the end of term to assess performance against target;
- Send completed Target Sheets to The Beacon Equity Trust on time; Target Sheets serve as donor reports for the charity and are an important aspect of monitoring the investment in Beacon Scholars and their education;
- They should be sufficiently trained to be able to offer tailored advice to Beacon Scholars on how to improve performance against targets;
- Act in a pastoral or consultative capacity to Beacon Scholars for any issues or problems they are encountering in any aspect of school life;
- They need to understand how to enhance leadership traits in children within a school environment;
- Help place Beacon Scholars in leadership roles so they can test their leadership capabilities.
2. Target Sheet Mentors
A team of Beacon Mentors work with Scholars and School Mentors to help develop and fine-tune appropriate goals for Beacon Target Sheets. This team also produces an Annual Evaluation which is individualised for each Scholar. The Annual Evaluation reviews achievements in the past year as well as suggesting a focus for next year in each of the 4 Beacon Leadership Criteria: academic; co-curricular; social influence; and citizenship.
3. Away Country Mentors
Away Country Mentors are based in a University Scholar's education destination country, and play an important role in keeping Scholars connected to their home country. They live close to universities Beacon Scholars are attending.
Away Country Mentor responsibilities include:
- Meeting at least once a term;
- Bonding with their paired Scholar socially, and widening their horizons;
- Acting in a pastoral or consultative capacity for any issues or problems Scholars are encountering in university life;
- Offering career guidance and advice on how to improve performance;
- Connecting them to personal and professional networks;
- Understanding how to enhance their leadership skills and traits;
- Helping them find internships and jobs;
- Liaising with the Scholar's Home Country Mentor;
- Helping to shepherd these young people into ‘changemaker’ roles as they mature, to increase the probability that they will indeed one day return to their home country and ‘give back’.
See Bios of of current Beacon Away Country Mentors.
4. Home Country Mentors
Beacon Home Country Mentors are individuals who have been educated overseas at a world-class university, and have subsequently returned to their home country. They occupy a high-level position in a profession, industry, entrepreneurial venture, or public service and want to 'give back' by mentoring a Beacon University Scholar.
Each current Beacon Scholar at University is 'match-paired' with a Beacon Home Country Mentor to guide their leadership development and keep them connected to their home country.
Home Country Mentor responsibilities include:
- Make at least 6 contacts with their Beacon Scholar per year, and report on the contact;
- Assist in resolving any cultural acceptance or orientation issues the Scholar encounters overseas;
- Maintain contact with the Scholar's family in their home country;
- Help find holiday internships/work experience/placements, and provide career counselling.
See Bios of of current Beacon Home Country Mentors.
5. Beacon Buddies
This is an informal relationship facilitated by Beacon between a new Scholar and an older Beacon Scholar at the same school or university. The senior 'Buddy' helps the newcomer with their induction into the school or university, as well as 'showing them the ropes' for Beacon requirements, for example helping them understand the Target-setting process; encouraging the adoption of Beacon values; getting them involved in extra-curricular activities; and building confidence.
6. Peer Mentors (P2P)
The P2P process is designed to create a broad framework for discussion on how to build self-efficacy. Beacon University Scholars are each paired with another University Scholar, likely from a different University, to exchange and give feedback on Target Sheets.The process begins with Scholars giving suggestions on Strengths and Improvement Areas that they see in each other's Target Sheet and goes on to exchanging tips on career advancement, internships and life at university.
