Board Member

Dr. Maina Gioko

Dr. Maina is a dedicated learning facilitator and teacher educator, passionately driving sustainable change through innovative strategies for high-impact responsiveness and sustainability. With a distinct focus on championing innovative pedagogies, inclusivity, pluralism, and ethics, he specializes in education leadership, digital literacies, and cutting-edge teaching methods. Leveraging his extensive experience, Dr. Maina actively contributes to the field through responsive projects and initiatives, ensuring a dynamic and inclusive educational environment. As a seasoned researcher and author, he engages in educator preparation, resulting in impactful publications, conference presentations, and policy involvement. Dr. Maina’s international role as an examiner and master facilitator reflects his commitment to shaping education globally, prioritizing inclusivity and quality education for every learner.

Board Member

Mildred Omino

Mildred Omino is a Kenyan Gender Justice & Disability Justice Champion and Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity. She works as a Disability Liaison Officer at the University of Nairobi and runs Equity Voice , a platform for candid conversations on equity from a Social Justice & intersectional lens. She is a Just Cities Working Group member and Kenya Network of Women with Disabilities. Inspired by her lived realities as a Woman with disability and professional experience , she advocates for Just, Inclusive and Healthier societies and promotes Health Equity, Education Equity, Climate Justice, Gender Justice & urban justice. Her academic and professional background is in Public Administration and Development Studies.

Board Member

Josephine Karianjahi

Josephine Karianjahi, MPH (Master of Public Health) develops creative ventures which deepen understanding, tolerance, and connection between people across the world. She drives a stick-shift in an automatic world, using audio, podcasts, and storytelling to counter persistent negative stereotypes about Africa and Africans. Her work prioritizes podcasting as a community building practice that makes people feel less lonely and amplifies traditionally underrepresented persons.

Josephine is a creative project manager with notable work in the audio and podcasting, international development, hospitality and tourism, and philanthropy sectors. She is the Global Audio Content Manager at tonies® , the world’s largest interactive audio platform for children. Her background in public health and cities informs her work creating public facing projects which help people become better informed about where they live, what they consume and how they are interconnected with others around the world. Whether in the EU or beyond, her past and present colleagues enjoy her attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Board Member

James Chege

James is an information professional in the area of information science with interests in knowledge management, organisation and continuous learning. He has previously worked in business process outsourcing, graphic design, media, academia and in professional capacity building. He has a wealth of experience in pedagogy and having recently transitioned to the online training space and is now plying his trade in artificial intelligence.

Board Member

Dr. John Mugo

John Mugo is the Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation. His research and programs address key themes connected to foundational learning, whole-child development, parental engagement and empowerment, and assessment of core competences and values. He leads the Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE), the largest initiative assessing and promoting social emotional learning competences in Africa.

Over the past decade, John has researched extensively on youth skills and employment in Kenya, and the evidence produced by Zizi Afrique has informed many public and policy decisions, including the review of the TVET framework of competences, integration of essential skills in the Trainer curriculum, development of a national integrated communications plan for youth skills development, and the development of national safeguarding standards for TVET institutions in Kenya. John’s work history straddles several aspects of special needs education, including his teaching career at Kenyatta University (5 years), and the establishment of the Disability Enterprise Support Centre (DESC) to facilitate the skilling and economic empowerment of youth with disabilities.

Previously, John headed the Uwezo learning assessments in East Africa and chaired the Department of Special Needs Education at Kenyatta University. An accomplished and well-published scholar, John holds a Doctorate and Masters degree in special needs education from the University of Hanover (Germany), and a bachelors of education (Music) from Kenyatta University. He sits in many boards at local, regional and global levels.

Founder & Executive Director

Maria Omare

Maria Omare is a visionary and dynamic leader who has made a significant impact on disability inclusion in Kenya and Africa. With over 14 years of dedication to non-profit management as the Founder and Executive Director of The Action Foundation (TAF), she has demonstrated exceptional abilities in raising funds, developing strategic plans, and leading projects supported by multi-national donors, family foundations, and individual donors. Maria is deeply driven and passionate about empowering children, women, and girls with disabilities, and she has spearheaded numerous initiatives to ensure their well-being and inclusion.

Her extensive expertise in disability programming allows her to develop interventions, design comprehensive training programs, and conduct capacity-building sessions for organizations at various levels—locally, nationally, and globally. Maria serves as a trustee of Able Child Africa and a board member of Amplify Girls, showcasing her commitment to advancing disability inclusion.

Maria’s outstanding contributions have been recognized through various prestigious awards, including the Ford Motor Company International Fellowship and the Cordes Fellowship, both acknowledging her as an exceptional leader in her field. Additionally, her achievements and impact were acknowledged when she was listed in Business Daily’s Top 40 under 40 in 2016 and received the US State Department Professional Fellows Program Alumni Impact Award in 2019.

Her dedication to building an inclusive and resilient Africa has garnered international recognition, leading to her inclusion among Red Magazine UK’s 25 Visionaries to Watch. Notably, this nomination came at the recommendation of Michelle Obama, underscoring Maria’s exceptional talent and potential for making a lasting impact. As a Segal Family Foundation African Visionary Fellow and a Metis Fellow and Mentor, Maria leverages her experiences to improve education and health outcomes for children, adolescent girls, and young women with disabilities in Africa.

Board Member

Peninah Ringera