Our Operational Team
Meet the team that drives our organisation closer towards achieving its goal of providing safe, accessible education facilities to children in Malawi.
Country Facilitator
Muli Bwanji! From Dezie. Dezie leads our organiastion in Malawi, coordinating our annual School Development Programme, ranging from project managing construction and renovation programmes and supporting our commmunity led projects at our partner schools. Dezie has a Bachelors Degree in Education from the University of Malawi as well as a Masters Degree in Education Policy and Planning from the University of Massachusetts. Dezie is a qualified teacher and schools inspector and has extensive knowledge of education and community mobilisation in Malawi. Prior to Classrooms for Malawi, he worked for USAID on the very successful Early Grade Reading Activity programme.
The Board of Trustees
Chair
Founding trustee and current chair, James Kelly, is a retired HMRC manager with many years experience in leadership, organisational development and planning.
With a passion for providing opportunities for every child to receive an education James said “feedback from our partner schools and communities inspire me to keep developing Classrooms for Malawi and to continue working in collaboration and partnership as we move forward”.
Vice Chair
David has been working in international development for approximately 25 years, mostly on long-term assignments in Bangladesh, Tanzania, The Gambia, northern Nigeria, Kenya/Somaliland and Ethiopia.
David’s background experience is diverse, and includes work in fisheries, water supply, girls’ education, rural development and governance.
Patricia Duffy
Charity Secretary
Patricia is a former teacher with experience in early years. She is a firm believer that education is the driving force to alleviate poverty and has a particular interest in ensuring girls have equal access to education.
Patricia also loves organising an event and has superb organisation skills – definitely the teacher in her!
Michael Cunningham
Charity Treasurer
Michael is an Accountant with over 20 years’ experience of charity finance and he currently works for Down’s Syndrome Scotland. He is also Treasurer of Revive MS, a Glasgow based charity that provides services to those who have MS. He has volunteered with many charities in the past and this is his first volunteering opportunity with an international charity – he is looking forward to making a difference to the lives of those who need our help the most.
Trustee
Andrew is a business owner and entrepreneur with a career background in finance and project management. His role focuses primarily on marketing and communications and he loves working alongside the people of the warm heart of Africa and thinking up innovative ways to solve problems. From running half marathons (in a not so athletic way), to bricklaying – Andrew is very passionate about working toward our goal of alleviating poverty through education and will turn his hand to anything!
Lucky Katundu
Trustee – Community Engagement
Lucky is a community development professional with over five years of experience in project management and resource mobilisation in the nonprofit sector. Currently, a Field Officer at GiveDirectly, Lucky plays a critical day-to-day role in delivering GiveDirectly’s gold-standard cash transfer products to recipients in Malawi. Lucky has also worked on the Cyclone Freddy Recovery Project and as Peer Educator on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for International Citizen Service (ICS). Lucky has experience in stakeholder management, resource mobilisation, business development, community mobilisation and M&E.
Precious Mbale
Trustee – Girls’ Education
Precious Mbale has a background in law and human resource management and believes in the power of education and learning to shape a brighter future. Precious is actively engaged in community service and is driven by a desire to use her skills, knowledge and experience to create a positive change for youth, particularly creating a better future for young girls and inspiring them to reach their full potential.
Maureen Casey
Trustee – School Engagement
Recently retired from teaching Maths and Religious Education, Maureen has developed a strong interest in Malawi through leading school projects for Mary’s Meals and also several school trips to Malawi: two of these school trips had projects supported by Classrooms for Malawi. As a result of these visits, Maureen has seen first-hand the difference improving the educational environment can make to the children in Malawi, and to the young people in Scotland who participate in supporting Malawi schools.
Julie Minal
Trustee – Governance/Grants
Originally from County Durham, Julie has worked in project management, fundraising and training as well as Head of Office for a UK politician. Working for Mary’s Meals in a fundraising role Julie learnt much about working overseas and supporting international projects and this triggered an interest in working in similar organisations. Julie has two sons who live in Scotland and two step-daughters who live in Bracknell as well as three grandchildren. A lifelong Sunderland supporter, Julie enjoys watching football in her spare time and reading all sorts of books .
Want to know how you can support the work we do as we move towards our goal of giving children in Malawi the ability to learn safely, in purpose built facilities?
You can simply donate to Malawi, join us as part of our corporate partnership or charity school partnership initiatives, or become involved in our work directly by volunteering in Malawi on one of our projects.