leadership

Marianne Kent-Stoll earned her B.A. in English from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her M.A. in English from The Pennsylvania State University. While in graduate school she published poetry in notable journals. She has worked in education for thirty-eight years, eighteen of them as an administrator. She served as  Vice President, Educational Programs and  Head of School at Idyllwild Arts Academy, Southern California’s internationally acclaimed arts high school, where she has made the same commitment to social justice and equity that has driven her work with Karimu. Idyllwild Arts programs that hold special meaning for her include Art in Society, which engages young artists in efforts to address social crises, and the partnership she has forged with a handful of schools on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in South Dakota, home of the materially poor but culturally rich Oglala Lakota people. When she was eight, the film Born Free inspired her dream of visiting Africa, which she clung to for forty years before visiting Tanzania on a vacation that became a vocation. She has now visited Tanzania many times. She is driven by her admiration of the local community, especially its commitment to improving their lives and the lives of their children. Marianne devotes most of her volunteer time to fundraising, strategy, communication, and multiple annual trips to the region.

Don Stoll earned his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1981, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy from The Pennsylvania State University in 1985. He returned to California to teach at Santa Clara University and in high school. He has worked since 2012 in the Admission office of Idyllwild Arts Academy, a residential high school near Palm Springs. In 2007, a Tanzanian safari vacation led Don and his wife, Marianne Kent-Stoll, to discover the manifold needs of the tiny village of Bacho, an hour’s drive from Tarangire National Park, for a new primary school. The following year Don and Marianne brought volunteers from California back to Bacho for school reconstruction and the start of their enduring relationship with the residents of Bacho and neighboring villages. 

During his thirty-year career as a technical executive in Silicon Valley, Nelson Mattos was Google’s Vice-President of Product and Engineering for Europe and Emerging Markets, an IBM Distinguished Engineer, and Vice-President for Information and User Technologies, as well as an Associate Professor at the University of Kaiserslautern, in Germany. Currently, Nelson is an independent consultant, an advisor to startups, a member of the Board of Directors of organizations around the world, and a frequent speaker at conferences. He leverages his experience and cultural skills, acquired by having lived on multiple continents and traveled extensively across the globe, to mentor professionals worldwide and to help organizations create technical solutions that will have a positive impact, particularly in emerging markets. He is actively involved in charity projects in East Africa and Southeast Asia. Nelson became a volunteer for Karimu in 2016 and COO in 2017, driving a twenty-fold growth in its operations and impact.

Shau obtained his  Bachelor degree in Arts and Education with specialization in History and Swahili from Ruaha Catholic University in Tanzania’s Iringa Region in 2015. After graduation he returned to Dareda Kati village, his home, and held a series of leadership positions: Village Youth Chairperson for Dareda Kati Village, Youth council at Babati District, and member of the local Catholic church’s extraordinary choir. Shau was also a volunteer teacher at Bacho Primary School in the 2016/2017 school year focusing on maintaining the school’s high pass rate on the national exam to qualify for secondary school. He joined Karimu in 2017 in order to collect data, measure the impact of Karimu’s projects, and drive initiatives on the ground. He was certified as a Village Savings and Loan trainer by Stella Tungaraza, International Facilitator of Saving Groups, Entrepreneurship and Federation. In April 2018, he became treasurer for Karimu Tanzania and, in April 2019, its regional director. Shau continues to pursue his education. In 2019, he participated in a workshop about organization values, and in 2020 in a project management training.

Daniel Amma has been involved with Karimu from the beginning. He came to Ufani Primary School as a teacher in 2005 and played a pivotal role in consulting on the improvements that Karimu brought to the school. Financial assistance by Karimu helped him earn his Bachelor’s degree in education in 2014, and two years later he was appointed Ufani’s Head Teacher. Only months after that, however, he was promoted to serve as Education Officer of Secheda Ward, bordering Ayalagaya Ward, where Daniel still lives with his wife, Victoria, and their son and daughter. Recently, he became the Education Officer of Dareda Mission Ward - the most important ward within Babati District. His many local leadership roles include service as the accountant and one of the signatories of the co-op microlending group, UFAGRO. Integrity, dedication to the well-being of the community, and calm analytic intelligence make Daniel the most trusted local advisor to Karimu’s work. Since April 2018, Mr. Amma has been a member of the Karimu Tanzania board since 2019 and became chair of the board in 2020.

Claudia Mattos has a degree in Architecture from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil with specialization in precast construction at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany. Claudia has over twenty years of experience in architecture executing projects in Brazil, Germany, and the USA. She retired in 2007 and has since been active in the nonprofit world. Claudia has a passion for eliminating poverty and protecting animals with impactful activities in Indonesia, East Africa, Fiji, and Brazil. Claudia became a volunteer for Karimu in 2016 and joined its executive leadership team in 2017. She has participated in all strategic decisions of the organization and driven architectural and landscaping projects.

Holly received a B.S. in Computer Science from Washington University in 1980 with postgraduate studies in computer science, business management, marketing strategy , and leadership. She has thirty-eight years of experience in Information Management with IBM as a software developer, development manager, market manager, product manager, and consultant where she was valued for her problem analysis and synthesis, listening, communication, influence, and teamwork. Since retirement Holly has been interested in learning about and participating in social justice work, learning and practicing skills in Non-Violent Communication and The Work of Byron Katie, and contributing financially and personally to nonprofits. She joined Karimu in 2018 and the leadership team in 2019 when she began leading the financial services program. She began the entrepreneurship project in 2021. . She has also contributed directly to social media, website, and donor communication, health related communications, fundraising, girls leadership curriculum development and delivery, and staff hiring.

Cathy has a Masters Degree in Education and more than thirty-five years of experience in K-12 and university education. She has also worked in the private sector as an educational consultant, curriculum developer and trainer. Her areas of specialization include educational technology, STEM education and curriculum development. She is dedicated to the mission of providing quality education to those most in need while building partnerships and collaboration with all stakeholders. Cathy first became involved with Karimu in 2009, as the co-creator of the Sister Schools and Pen Pal projects. Since 2014 she has visited Tanzania regularly, focusing on developing and implementing educational content, demonstrating current instructional strategies and guiding computer integration. In 2018 she became a member of the Karimu Leadership Team. In 2022 Cathy began developing and delivering computer training to teachers and medical staff via Google Meet. She continues to build out curriculum in the technology and health areas as well as develop classes to extend and enrich educational content available to the teachers and students of the area.

Alberto is a business executive with broad experience at prominent companies such as Google, X (The Moonshot Factory), Microsoft, Rio Tinto Alcan and AT&T having built up a solid international career in sales, marketing and partnerships. He is a successful entrepreneur too, with eight years leading the fast growth of a Brazilian technology company, Auteq. Alberto drives the expansion of Karimu’s health program to improve the overall health services provided to the communities. He is focusing on critical interventions that should be implemented in the next few years.

Mariana has a degree in Law from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Brazil and post graduation in Business Administration at INSPER - Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Brazil. Mariana has worked in the Capital Markets for a top-tier law firm for seven years dedicated essentially to investment fund formation, public offerings and mergers and acquisitions transactions of Brazilian and foreign institutions. Mariana has traveled to Tanzania as a volunteer for Karimu twice (2017 and 2019) joining its permanent volunteers team in April 2019. Since then, she has participated in projects related to the health and income areas, and also led the three-day training on girls empowerment and leadership. She is proud to work toward Karimu's goals of eliminating poverty and increasing the local farmers’ income.

Mauro is a Senior Director at X, one of Google’s innovation labs. Mauro shapes business models, oversees product management, marketing campaigns, and leads the go-to-market strategy for Project Taara, bringing abundant and affordable broadband to everyone using wireless lasers. Previously, Mauro was the Chief Strategy Officer for Loon, a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space to expand coverage to unserved and underprivileged communities. Before that, Mauro held operations and finance positions covering Google’s advertising business in Europe and Africa, and new advertising solutions globally. Prior to joining Google in 2009, Mauro was a strategist and marketer with mobile carriers Vivo and Telemig Celular, and a strategy consultant with Gradus in Brazil. Mauro received his Industrial Engineer degree in 1999 from Universidade Federal de São Carlos,  his MBA in 2005 from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing in Sao Paulo and his Sloan Fellow Masters degree from London Business School as a Chevening Scholar and Ling Scholar, with overall Distinction, in 2008. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration with Grenoble Ecole de Management, focused on social entrepreneurship. He is co-lead for the developing income projects.

Bibiana is responsible for the architectural layouts of all Karimu construction projects. She received her Master Degree in Engineering (Dipl. Ing.) in 2006 from the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany. Bibiana has over ten years of experience in architecture, executing residential and commercial projects in Switzerland. As an expert for commercial reconstruction design and execution she worked, for example on the JTI Tower renovation in Geneva / Switzerland and the Migros City Shopping Center downtown Zurich / Switzerland. Before that, she worked on luxury residential real estate in Germany and Switzerland. In 2018 she became a Karimu volunteer, focusing on the creation of master plans for schools and medical centers and drawings for the building process.

Lesley has a Masters Degree in Social Work from New York University and a career of almost forty years in the nonprofit world, working in both clinical and management roles. Before retiring in 2018, Lesley was a member of the  Senior Management team of Catholic Charities. In her role as the Division Director for their Children and Family Services Division, Lesley’s responsibilities included extensive involvement in program development and implementation, program management, staff development, leadership training, grant writing, fiscal management, strategic planning, change management, performance improvement, and contractual and regulatory compliance. Lesley has been a volunteer with Karimu since 2017, traveling to Tanzania in 2017 and 2019. She is a member of the Leadership team and has been involved in the education, communications, and fundraising areas.

Regina has a master’s degree in Translation from the University of Johannes Gutenberg, in Germany, and more than twenty-five years of experience in translation and interpretation of German, English, and Portuguese. She is passionate about exploring how languages, histories and narratives can be shared and understood across different cultures. Regina was impressed by the Karimu approach in Tanzania and became a volunteer in 2017. Since then she has worked in communications, keeping donors, supporters, and the general public updated about the Karimu work through the website and social media.

Veronique earned her Ph.D in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University.  She worked both in industry and as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford.  Then her career took a major turn as she was given the opportunity to pursue her childhood dreams of training horses and art.  She started volunteering in the organization of internationally recognized horse shows, both as a treasurer and a volunteer coordinator.  An avid traveler, she soon realized that the world is full of people whose potential will never be realized due to lack of resources.  First, she became involved as a donor and volunteer for a non profit organization building and running schools in an underserved area of Kenya.  Impressed by Karimu's model of close partnership with the community it serves, she became involved as a donor and volunteer and remains very committed to this organization.

Carol has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kaiserslautern. He has a wealth of experience in managing large, complex projects, acquired during twenty-five years as Product Manager and later as Program Manager for SAP in Germany. He became a volunteer for Karimu in 2019 and now oversees project planning and execution as well as audits Karimus finances.

Joyce has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Counseling with post graduate studies in Information  Technology (IT). She has twenty-seven years of IT experience, including IT Director for a nonprofit organization of thirteen hospitals, ambulatory, and physician offices. She led a team of application developers, DBAs, and IT consultants for all hospital business applications. She has had many years of mentoring/coaching with her team and managers within her organization. She has also mentored and tutored elementary children from local schools. She works as a mentor/coach with a local women’s organization, Dress for Success, and has acted as a divorce support group facilitator at nights. Joyce has also started an educational program for children of five and under with developmental disabilities in rural Appalachia, and worked as a marriage and family counselor. She volunteered for Karimu in Tanzania in 2019. She first secured medical supplies for Karimu and is now acting as a mentor/ coach for the Karimu Tanzania team and volunteering as an IT project manager for the IT clinical implementation in Ayalagaya.

Victoria pursued a Bachelor in Business Administration and  Human Resource Management at Arusha University, graduating in 2016. She volunteered at Meru Community Bank in Arusha, working as Customer Service Officer and Operation Officer for a year. Later, she joined the NAF group to work as Human Resources Officer at Naf Beach Hotel. She joined Karimu in 2019 to lead the financial services area after she was certified as a Village Savings and Loan trainer by Stella Tungaraza, International Facilitator of Saving Groups, Entrepreneurship and Federation. Victoria also drove Karimu’s health program through December 2020. She became a Street Business School Certified Lead Coach in 2021 and is the local leader for the Entrepreneurship Program. A favorite project was the three-day training on girls empowerment delivered to Ayalagaya Secondary School students in 2019.

John holds a Bachelor Degree in Arts and Education from the University of Dar Es Salaam, Class of 2016. He received three months of National Army Basic Training in 2013 and was awarded a certificate. He worked as a Geography and Kiswahili Teacher at Ganana Secondary School in 2014 and at Mahida Secondary school in 2015, and taught English at Manyara Perfect Choice English Medium School for a few months. John was certified as a  Village Savings and Loan trainer by Stella Tungaraza, International Facilitator of Saving Groups, Entrepreneurship and Federation. He started working for Karimu as a translator and local guide in the summer of 2019 and officially joined Karimu Tanzania in April of 2019 as the local leader of the Education area. John oversees all school metrics, checks maintenance of the schools, trains the schools on maintenance and reporting, collaborates with the head of schools and chairs of school committees in the implementation of Karimu’s Education Program, oversees the scholarships project, and teaches computer skills to the different schools in the area.

Swaiba received an ordinary diploma in clinical medicine from the Center for Education Development in Health Arusha (CEDHA) college in 2019. She worked as a volunteer in hospitals in Tanzania, in some national health projects such as Malaria project at National Institute Of Medical Research (NIMR -TANGA), in HIV/AIDS, GBV, STDs, and TB screening, as well as a member of NGOs focusing on family planning methods. She held leadership roles as team leader of the EPIC project and JHPIEGO. Swaiba joined Karimu in December 2020 as the local leader of the health area.

Barakael has a Diploma in Finance and Banking from Arusha Institute of Accounting (AIA) graduating in 2014. He started working in 2015 at the Institute of Agriculture and Vocational Training-Bacho as a cashier and accountant up to 2021. He joined Karimu in 2021 as one of its Local Program Area Leads focusing on all internal operations and finances as well as our focus on the poorest members of the communities we support.

Augustino received his Bachelor of Science (with honors) in Civil Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, College of Engineering and Technology in 2017. Before joining the University of Dar es Salaam, he attended military training at Bulombora JKT (821 KJ) in Kigoma for three months.  After graduating he joined Del Monte (T) Limited, a class one construction firm located in Dar es Salaam as Civil Engineer.  He worked for more than four years with this firm in various projects varying from small to large in road construction, building construction, and drainage structure construction. He was also involved in constructing and supervising Tanzanian strategic projects such as Standard Gauge Railway Project (SGR), Dar es Salaam to Morogoro and Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) in Rufiji river. In November, 2022, he joined Karimu Tanzania as the local leader for all construction projects.

Francis holds a bachelor degree in arts and music from University of dar Es Salaam, class of 2019. He volunteered at Chamwino Art Center as a coodinator and music researcher during Chamwino Music Festival 2019.  He started and runs a poultry business. Francis graduated from the Karimu Entrepreneurship Training in 2022 and became a field officer for Karimu Savings Group training in 2023. Francis officially joined Karimu in May 2023 focusing on projects in the income and financial services areas.

Lucy holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Tanzania Institute Accountancy in Dar es Salaam, and graduated in December 2019. After graduating she was involved in different small businesses until she was hired in August 2020 by Royal Village Company Limited  as a front officer in Dodoma, Tanzania.  She was promoted to Assistant General Manager in early 2021 and  worked there for one and a half years. Lucy joined Karimu Foundation in July 2023 initially as an interpreter for the volunteer trip and later as the Local Program Area Lead for sanitation.