Our People.
Building a Generation for Change and Development for Kenya.
Our People
Our principal directors, staff and the majority of our volunteers are, or have been residents of Northern Kenya. We have the insight, level of expertise, and in-depth local experience that is uncommon in regional or international NGOs.
UK Staff
Abdirashid is the Chief Executive and the founding member of GENCAD. He has worked as a trustee for the charity for many years including as the Secretary and Chairman. He has played a pivotal role in the development of the charity over the years. He holds a B.Ed degree from Kenyatta University and MSc Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from London School of Economics. He has a vast amount of experience in the Education Sector and International Development having worked both in Kenya and UK for over fourteen years.
Zahrah joined GENCAD as a volunteer fundraiser in 2006. Ever since she has supported the charity in many different roles: fundraising, event planning and proofreading of charity documents such as annual reports, funding bids and website contents. Zahrah was the initiator of the ‘Step Up for Africa Sponsored Walk’ fundraising event for the charity that has been a success over the years. Previously, she has worked for WHO, Hargeisa, Somaliland and FORWARD UK, the principal charity leading the campaign against FGM in UK which also runs programmes in Africa.
Rachel is a Solution Engineer at Salesforce in Sydney. She joined GENCAD as a volunteer 4 years ago as part of the Salesforce Volunteer program. Originally from London, she is a Digital Advertising Specialist with over 13 years experience working in the Search, Social and Display industry. She is responsible for GENCAD’s Google AdWords accounts and has an advisory role in their social media.
Helen works for Salesforce in Sydney and joined GENCAD as part of the pro-bono Salesforce Volunteer program. Born in Sydney, she volunteered in Sri Lanka and India during her university years which opened her eyes to the world of non-profits and the incredible impact it can have in the community. She has a background in digital marketing and sales, and is responsible for GENCAD’s website development.
Board of Directors, UK
Shaban has held various positions within TfL since 2003. Currently, he is a Duty Station Manager with Transport for London overseeing 4 Central London Stations. He has a Master of Law (LLM) Birkbeck College, University of London, BA Hospitality Management from University of West London and Diploma in Hospitality Management from Kenya Utali College. He joined GENCAD as the Board of Trustee Chairman September 2014.
Ahmed has been a volunteer and supporter of the charity since 2006. He joined the board of trustee as a secretary three years ago. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Radiography from London South Bank University. He is currently working at Barts Health Newham University Hospital Trust as a PACS/RIS Manager. He is passionate and enthusiastic about GENCAD’s values and objectives in serving the less fortunate members of our society.
Nur is currently working for London Bus as Service Controller. He is one of the founding members of GENCAD and has held the treasurer post for the last four years. He is a very keen supporter of the Charity having held various other positions for example Organising Secretary. He is also responsible for health and safety and first aid during charity events. Nur is currently studying PC Hardware at the University of Westminster.
Abdirahman graduated from the University of Northampton with a first class Joint Honours in Sociology with Politics, and he is currently pursuing an MSc in Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Development at the University of Northampton. He is a nationally accredited Race Equality and Diversity trainer. Abdirahman had previously undertaken community research projects in collaboration with University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) and De Monfort University Leicestershire. He is the founder and Managing Director of a social enterprise organisation called the diversity centre based in Northampton. Through his extensive community work, he has developed his leadership, research, governance and community development skills that he has gracefully accepted to share with his fellow trustees.
Natasha has worked at GENCAD International since 2014 where she started as an intern. Most recently, she has joined the board of trustees. Natasha has an academic background in history and human rights with a Bachelors degree from Queen Mary, University of London and a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Cultural Diversity from the University of Essex. Natasha’s academic career led her towards Kenya with her primary academic focus being human rights and history within Kenya, looking at the country’s colonial history. This led her to conducting field research in Kenya, focusing on the political implications on human rights in the country during its recent elections. Currently Natasha works in the refugee and asylum sector and is based in London.
Mustafa has been a volunteer and supporter of the charity since 2006. He has also worked as a fundraiser and an administrator before joining the board of trustees three years ago. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology and after a brief career in the Pharmaceutical industry producing “specials”, he followed his passion that is to work in the educational sector. He is currently working at Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools as a Cover Supervisor. Mustafa believes in the transformative impact of education on the lives of individuals and communities and its potential as a force for societal change. That is why he is so passionate about the work that GENCAD has been doing and aspire to do in order to serve the less fortunate members of our society.
Having gained extensive experience in the corporate sector, Alice made a conscious decision in 2012 to focus her efforts on improving education and employment opportunities within disadvantaged communities. After spending 6 months in Kenya working with a variety of community based organisations, she relocated to London where she completed a Masters in International Politics and Human Rights at City University. A firm believer that businesses have a duty to support and shape the work force of tomorrow, Alice currently works as the Business Development Manager at Career Ready, a charity that delivers a structured employability programme to underprivileged children in 250 schools across the UK.
Board of Directors, Kenya
Assistant Director, Frequency Licensing & Monitoring, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Mohamed Haji graduated from Moi University (Kenya) in 1998 with a Bachelor of Technology Degree in Electrical and Communications Engineering. He obtained a Master of Science degree in Telecommunication and Information Systems in 2005 from University of Essex (United Kingdom). He joined Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) in 2000 and worked as an Assistant Engineer, Standards & Type Approval until 2006. In 2006, he was appointed as Manager, New Technologies at CCK. In 2012, he was appointed to head Standards function at CCK. In October 2012, he was appointed as Assistant Director in charge of Frequency Planning at CCK. Since June 2015, he is appointed Assistant Director, Frequency Licensing & Monitoring at CA (former CCK). Mohamed is passionate about education, and since he joined the charity as a trustee this year, he has consistently provided his management experience to the executive team.
Dr Rilwan Adan joined GENCAD Kenya this year as a Programme Manager for health, girls and women empowerment. She is also a Senior House Officer at Aga Khan University Hospital since 2012. She has MBChB, Medicine and Surgery from University of Nairobi and MSc in Public Health from the University of Warwick, UK. Dr Rilwan has extensive experience both in the public and private sector. She worked with the ministry of health Kenya as a medical officer 2009-2010, Nairobi women hospital 2010-11 as a medical officer attached to Gender Violence Recovery Centre providing care to survivors of both sexual and physical abuse. She is often called upon to provide expert witness during court cases. She has also worked as a chronic diseases self-management tutor and stop smoking advisor with solutions4health. Dr Rilwan is currently pursuing a postgraduate Diploma in Diabetes at Cardiff University UK.
Shukri holds a BA degree in HRM from Kampala University and MA in Governance & Ethics from Mount Kenya University. He is currently running two private businesses Xplico Insurance Co. LTD and Cosmopolitan General Investment Co. LTD where his a Director. Previously, Shukri has worked as a manager to a Humanitarian Aid and Development Organisation in Yemen, as an Election consultant for the UN in Afghanistan and as a logistics and Elections Manager in the UN mission in Sudan, DRC, Liberia and Afghanistan. He joined GENCAD International Board of Directors in 2016. He brings a wealth of management experience to the board and the executive team.
Mubarak worked previously with GENCAD as a part-time Administrative and Finance Manager. In addition, he has 11 years work experience in the private sector in finance, accounting, auditing and administration. Currently, Mubarak is also the MD of Ankara Farms Limited. Mubarak holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Nairobi. He is currently studying ACCA part II.
Kenya Staff
Abdirahman holds a Diploma in Community Development & Social work from Nairobi Technical Institute. He has over 10 years experience working for Interntional Development NGOs in Northern Kenya including as a project officer with Save the Children UK programme focusing on social protection & Hunger and Safety Net (HSNP). Abdirahman also managed GENCAD’s Livelihoods programme in Elwak Sub-county, Mandera. He is currently our child protection officer.
Naima has been working as GENCAD’s M & E Officer since 2018. Previously she worked as a project officer managing GENCAD’s eductaional projects in Mandera South Sub-County, Mandera County, Kenya.
Ibrahimrashid joined GENCAD as a volunteer in January 2023. He has a vast experience in the development sector having worked for many NGOs in Kenya and Somalia. Ibrahimrashid was appointed as Project Coordinator in October 2023.
Our values are:
Caring Attitude
We are supporting orphans, vulnerable children, and adults to access education and other opportunities that will enable them to achieve their full potential.
Building Capacity
We are building the capacities of poverty-stricken communities in Northern Kenya so they can overcome political and economic marginalisation perpetuated by political leaders inside and outside the region.
Advocacy
We will take every opportunity to challenge the status quo which exploits the community's economic vulnerability and lack of opportunities to perpetuate tribal rivalry.
Respectfulness
We will strive to ensure poor communities in northern Kenya are given the opportunity to play an instrumental role in addressing their underdevelopment.
Partnerships
We will work with relevant partners and beneficiaries in a collaborative and respectful manner to address the beneficiaries' needs and aspirations.
Integrity & Accountability
We will always be fair to all and strive to adopt best practices such as transparency, accountability, fairness, and equality of opportunity.
Value for Money
We will ensure that our projects and the activities we undertake satisfy a value for money agenda.
Financial Sustainability
We believe our work as an advocate and service provider will be needed for many years to come. We will ensure that our choices are thoughtful and strategic so that we have enough financial resources to carry out our work.