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.
Chief Executive Officer
Amy is the CEO of Classrooms for Malawi, she has worked in the charity sector for over 20 years for organisations of many different sizes both nationally and internationally. Prior to working at Classrooms for Malawi she was Director of the International Voluntary Service where her role focused on international volunteering and global citizenship.
Amy leads Classrooms for Malawi in this exciting phase of growth, taking forward the 2020 – 2023 Strategic Plan and ensuring that the charity continues to meet its purpose of lifting children and young people out of poverty through education.
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.
Jemima Lonsdale
Intern
Jemima is our current intern for Classrooms for Malawi.
She is currently doing an MSc at the University of Edinburgh in Africa and International Development and has a BA from Oxford Brookes University, in International Relations and Politics.
Prior to interning with Classrooms for Malawi, she has also interned with the Shell Foundation.
Jemima has experience travelling and working in Sub-Saharan Africa and is passionate about how education should be the main priority for NGO’s in order to give young people opportunities to be entrepreneurs.
Research Assistant
Pascal is our voluntary Research Assistant here at Classrooms for Malawi. He recently completed an MSc at the University of Edinburgh in International Development and has a BA in History from the University of Kent. Pascal joined us in 2020 undertaking a research placement looking into Classrooms for Malawi’s application of bilateral school partnerships between Scotland and Malawi as a means of helping to improve school infrastructure and educational attainment. After completing his placement, Pascal has stayed on to help us with various research projects. Prior to working with Classrooms for Malawi, he has over four years’ experience in Digital Marketing having previously worked as a Digital Manager for an education and employment focused social enterprise based in London. Pascal is dedicated to ensuring that everyone is afforded equal opportunity when it comes to access to education and is thoroughly passionate about our mission.
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”.
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!
Treasurer
Michael is the Treasurer of Classrooms for Malawi and has a career background in Audit and Finance within PWC, SCIAF and currently the British Red Cross. As Treasurer, his role is the ensure that all charity funds are used to make the greatest impact and go as far as possible in providing a better education for children and young people in Malawi. In his words ‘making sure that together, we can make the biggest difference possible’.
Trustee: Marketing
Andrew is a business owner and entrepreneur with a career background in finance and project management. His role focuses primary 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!
Trustee: Communications
Ian has 15 years experience working in journalism and charity communications. Born in Zambia, he has reported from across Africa and is currently the communications lead on the Climate Challenge Programme Malawi, the largest international development programme ever undertaken by the Scottish Government. He is passionate about help young people achieve their potential and helping Scots and Malawians to connect, communicate and learn from each other.
Trustee: Income Generation
Kerry has 20 years experience working in fundraising and communications. Starting with the British Red Cross and now with Sight Scotland. She is passionate about Malawi and has a strong family connection to the country. Kerry is looking forward to helping grow Classrooms for Malawi’s fundraising so that we can help as many children as possible out of poverty through education.
Trustee: International Development
Aurelie is a senior consultant and international trade and development expert, with more than 15 years of experience in analysis, policy formation and negotiation within Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Aurelie is dedicated to making a positive and long-lasting impact on communities, with a specific focus and passion for agricultural trade, food security, sustainable development and education. Aurelie holds a Master’s in Agricultural Development Economics from the University of Reading and a diploma in Montessori early childhood education.
Trustee: International Development
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.
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.
