FORGING LINKS - TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

OUR TEAM IN THE UK

OUR TRUSTEES

Hefin Rees QC is the Chair of Trustees and a founding member of the charity in 2006. He has overseen all our projects in Uganda, visiting there over 20 times. Hefin is a leading international commercial barrister and international arbitrator. He is called to the Bar in 5 jurisdictions around the world and is a senior Silk at one of the UK’s leading commercial barristers chambers. He has also sat as a Recorder of the Crown Court and of the County Court for over 10 years and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is passionate about the successful delivery of our projects to the poorest of communities in Africa.

Dr Bethan Rees is the Clinical Director for Harpenden Primary Care Network and over the last 25 years has been a local GP in Harpenden with a specialist interest in Gynaecology. Bethan has been the Health Advisor for the charity since 2009 and was appointed a Trustee in April 2018. She is passionate about the work of the charity in Uganda and has been involved since the evolution of the health programme in 2009. She travels regularly to Uganda to oversee all projects. Bethan ran the London Marathon in 2016 to raise funds towards the health clinic.

Wendy Howson is the Trustee Representative on the Events and Schools Committee. She is a founding member and Trustee of the Desmond Tutu Diversity Trust in South Africa and Trustee of the Himalaya Consortium for Himalayan Conservation (HIMCON). She has considerable experience in delivering integrated development projects in her role as Corporate Relations Manager for Hewlett Packard South Africa, the ICT partners in the World Summit for Sustainable Development. Wendy was appointed Trustee in April 2013 and visited our work in Uganda in 2015 and 2019.

Laura Bailey was appointed a Trustee in 2019. Having studied International Development and International Relations at university, Laura worked for the Royal College of Physicians, and later the Royal College of Surgeons, in their international teams to provide clinical training for a stronger global medical workforce. She managed projects and fostered partnerships across a dozen countries including Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. She has volunteered for a number of international development charities and is a member of Chatham House. Laura currently lives near Harpenden and is Senior Parliamentary Assistant to a Member of Parliament.

Will Treasure was appointed a Trustee in 2020. He was co-founder and director of a retail consulting business, which grew from 3 to 250 people over 20 years. He is chairman of the trustees of Step, a local Christian school’s work charity, founder of a church leaders pastoral support charity, and is active in his Harpenden church. He is married with four children and is passionate about helping the poor in a sustainable and empowering way. And he loves cycling!

Nadine Kaneva was appointed a trustee in 2022 following her trip to Uganda for the opening of the HSoA Maternity Centre. Originally from Bulgaria, Nadine has been closely involved with a number of successful community projects through her work for NMF.org. Nadine runs a luxury goods trading business and previously taught linguistics to university undergraduate students. She is passionate about African development work and excited for the future of Uganda.

CHARITY TREASURER

Sandra Meyer is the HSoA Treasurer from January 2021. Sandra is a Chartered Accountant who qualified while working for PWC and later worked for KPMG. She spent time working in Financial Control and Operational Risk in the banking sector. Presently, Sandra is on a career break "which gives me time to keep an eye on my teenage daughters and help with HSoA (which is much more fun!)".

CHARITY SECRETARY

Sallyann Boschetti was appointed to the role of Secretary in mid-2018. Her professional background is in HR and Education and she volunteers for other initiatives in her hometown of Harpenden as well as Spotlight on Africa.

EVENTS & SCHOOLS TEAM

Hilary Hollick is Chair of our Events and Schools Team with responsibility for local fundraising and our relationships with schools. Hilary is a retired Head Teacher and has visited our projects in Uganda twice, most recently in 2017.

OUR PATRONS

Lord Antony St John of Bletso has been an independent cross-bencher in the House of Lords since 1978. He is a spokesman in the House of Lords on African affairs and has a very keen interest in new technologies and how they can help develop countries in Africa. He is involved in a number of other charities in senior positions as Patron, Trustee and Chairman. He joined the Spotlight team as a Patron in March 2018. He is a very active member of our Fundraising Committee and hosts a number of events for the charity in the House of Lords.

Bim Afolami MP is Member of Parliament for Hitchin and Harpenden since 2017. Bim is the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss. Despite being one of the youngest Members of Parliament, he has already had a varied business career in the City advising some of the biggest companies in the world, both British and international - first as a corporate lawyer and then for HSBC. Raised by parents who worked in the NHS, he is passionate about improving equality of opportunity for a good education and access to healthcare. Bim has also been a primary school governor and has volunteered for charities that focus on helping people return to work. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Ditchley Foundation. Bim is a very active member of our Fundraising Committee and hosts a number of events for the charity in the House of Commons.

OUR TEAM IN UGANDA

SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA -UGANDA FOUNDATION BOARD

Hefin Rees QC

As Chair of Harpenden Spotlight on Africa, Hefin also attends all meetings of the Spotlight on Africa – Uganda Foundation Board, which is the registered NGO in Uganda through which Harpenden Spotlight on Africa deliver our projects. All finances sent from the UK are closely monitored by the Ugandan Board to ensure fiscal compliance with all our strict financial requirements. Hefin has been involved in charity work in East Africa for over 30 years.

Dr Bethan Rees

As Health Advisor for Harpenden Spotlight on Africa, Dr Bethan attends all meetings of the Ugandan Board to monitor all of our health projects, including the new Maternity Centre and Level III Health Centre. She also monitors our UK Aid community health programme, which involves 250 trained Community Health Promotors. The Health Centre we have built sees over 50,000 patients every year.

Pius Mwalye - Independent Director and Chair of SOA-UF Board

Pius Mwalye has been HSoA’s independent financial monitor in Uganda since 2006 and is a founding member and Chair of Spotlight on Africa - Uganda Foundatiion. Pius works very closely with our Chair in the UK, Hefin Rees QC. Pius was formerly a senior lecturer and Dean of Studies in the Social Sciences Department of Makerere University in Kampala. He has for many years been engaged in a similar monitoring role as a Trustee for the Windle Trust, a well-known organisation within the UK and Uganda.

Richard Okotel – Executive Director, SOA-UF

Reporting directly to our Trustees in the UK, Richard leads our team in Uganda, with overall responsibility for project planning and implementation. He has weekly meetings with our Chair in the UK to oversee the finances and to monitor our projects. Richard has over 25 years’ experience of working on development projects in Uganda and has worked with a number of international charities. He has extensive experience in resettling internally displaced communities, and in mobilising communities to maintain development initiatives in projects involving education, health, clean water and income generation. Richard has visited the UK twice, and is an important link between Harpenden and Uganda, communicating the importance of our work at school visits and fundraising events.

Dr Edith Fomum joined the Ugandan Board in September 2016. Originally from the Cameroons she studied in the UK and Nigeria. Since 2003 she has worked for TASO as Medical Officer, one of the largest HIV/AIDS organisations in sub-Saharan Africa. She has a particular passion for female child development and takes part in many conferences. Dr Fomum Chairs our Health Committee, and works very closely with our UK Health Advisor, Dr Bethan Rees.

Mr Michael Malomo joined the Ugandan Board in September 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Makerere University and is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants in Uganda. His career started as an auditor in a professional firm, but after joining Mbale Municipal Council he rose to Senior Accountant there. He is member of many committees in the community and is the Honorary Treasurer for Spotlight on Africa - Uganda Foundation. Michael works very closely with our Treasurer in the UK, Sandra Meyer.

Mr Peter Ayo joined the Ugandan Board in September 2016. He holds a BSc in Agriculture from Makerere University and a post graduate diploma in project planning and management. He joined the Department of Agriculture in 1983 and was appointed District Agricultural Officer for the Mbale District in 2005. Peter chairs our Economic Empowerment Committee.

Mrs Lornah Wamono joined the Board in 2014 when the current local NGO was started. She helped with the drafting of the constitution at that time. Lornah is a social worker who has worked for 26 years in training and counselling communities involved in development. She is a member of several church and community committees, and a member of our Economic Empowerment Committee.

HSoA Trustees - Bethan Rees, Hefin Rees & Will Treasure