Our Team

Gabrielle Fondiller, 27

Director,

Gabrielle is co-founder and director of Hatua Likoni. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and is a class of '07 graduate of Wesleyan University with degrees in History and Government. She first lived in Kenya as a student in 2006 while conducting field research for her senior essay, entitled "Divided Definitions of Development: State Policy towards Street Vending in Mombasa, Kenya". In 2007, together with Peter Kwame, Gabrielle founded the Likoni Scholarship Fund which provides full scholarships and weekly mentoring to bright and needy Likoni students. That year she also received the Brodigan Prize for Public Service in Africa. Since graduating from University Gabrielle has spent most of her time living and working in Likoni, Mombasa. Her work is motived by her belief that all effective development is locally created, and that youth, with passion, talent and perseverance can be development's driving force.

Peter Kwame Mwakio, 29

Programs Director,

       Peter kwame Mwakio is a native of Mombasa and a fourth born in a family of nine. he was born in June 20^th 1983 in the sub-urban part north of Mombasa town in Kisauni district. Together  with his family they moved to Likoni , south coast of Mombasa town in 1988, Kwame has grown and lived in Likoni ever since.

        He went to Stella Mary's nursery school then joined consolata, a government primary school, he later attended his o level education at Likoni Secondary school and completed his o level in 2002. Through his period of education kwame had learnt a lot within this community of likoni, being one of poorest towns in kenya, likoni is infested with poor education, school drop out, early pregnancy,child abuse, lack of jobs, drug abuse, prostitution, HIV and aids, injustice and many more. One essential thing he learnt was how to listen, understand, communicate, share and live with the natives of this community.

        In 2006 Kwame and Gabrielle Fondiller a student from Wesleyan university (USA) carried out a research on government policies affecting the street vendors. The research helped him have a brooder understand on the community, as most of them are small scale traders. As a result kwame and Gabriell initiated Likoni Scholarship Fund (LSF) in June 2006, a scholarship program for the less privileged, deserving and dedicated students within Likoni division. They started by funding 7 students in primary school and currently they have 41 beneficiary throughout Likoni division, 21 in secondary and 20 in primary. Kwame is also a mentor and in charge of a mentoring program that runs every Saturday for the program beneficiary, his also initiated an after school tuition program and intends to have a computer room and a library for the community, As a fonder and a programme coordinator, he is in charge of running and growth of the program within the country. Kwame is also in the process of initiating a micro-finance program for the parents of LSF beneficiary.

          In 2008 he joined hands with TWAAYF a children development center with 17 orphans and Madaraka Community nursery School for 124 pupil form poor backgrounds. This two programs are run by youths whom they shared the same interest of having a better community.  

Cynthia Oyier, 26



Account Manager,

         Cynthia is the sixth born in a family of eight. She was born in Nairobi in 1986 where her family used to reside, in 1991 her father got transferred to Mombasa where the whole family was forced to move. Cynthia managed to complete her nursery and primary school  without any difficulties since her father was a professional accountant and her mum had her own saloon therefore the family was well catered for. The year 2002 life became a bit of a struggle for Cynthia's family since her father's company shut down and in 2003 her mother past away, by that time Cynthia was in High school with two of her sisters who were forced to stop their education due to lack of school fees. Cynthia was in form two but had to stay home for at least two years but her dreams to complete high school never faded. The family was forced to move from North coast to South coast to a place called Likoni where cost of living was much cheaper. In 2004 Cynthia was able to get a scholarship with Universal Trust Fund where by she resumed school and was able to complete high school in the year 2006. After high school she was forced to stay home and do house chores, her dad had promised to take her to college but all was in vain.

Early 2007, Cynthia met Gabrielle and Kwame who had, by then had established the Likoni Scholarship fund for the children living in Likoni; being friends with the two, Gabrielle and Kwame asked Cynthia if she might  volunteer with them, this was like a dream come true for her and she gladly accepted  as it was an opportunity to learn new things. After volunteering for a year, Cynthia was finally appointed as an accountant where she has been working to date.

Priscillah Ali, 23

Office Manager,

Hannah Janoowalla, 22

Hannah is originally from Mombasa, Kenya. She moved to the United States when she was 8 years old and is now a first year the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Brandeis University (2010). Hannah interned with Hatua for the first time when she received the Louis D. Brandeis Social Justice Fellowship in the summer of 2009. She spent two months in Likoni, teaching the baby class at Madaraka Community School and starting the sponsorship project. She has continued to work on the sponsorship project, volunteer outreach, publicity and website maintenance, and returned to Likoni in July 2010. Hannah hopes to become a physician in Mombasa after completing her medical education and work on health care access in underserved parts of Kenya.

Claire Davis, 33

Project Manager,

Claire is from High Wycombe, England. She is a Project Manager in a translation company having a linguistic background (Claire speaks 7 languages to varying degrees!) with an Honours degree in Hispanic Studies and studying for another Honours degree in International Studies. Already working looking after the elderly and adults and children with special needs, Claire sought to help further afield and first went to Likoni on an i-to-i volunteer holiday with her mum in 2009. On her return to England, she lobbied with her company for funding for Hatua Likoni. This resulted in 3 million shillings of funding in 2009. Claire went back to Likoni in 2010 where she worked on filming a documentary about Hatua. Back home she coordinates the child sponsorship programme, is registering Friends of Hatua Likoni UK as a charity and continues to raise money for Hatua. In July 2011 Claire will be climbing Kilimanjaro with a group of friends to raise money.