Hefin Rees KC is the Chairman of Trustees for Spotlight on Africa, and has over 30 years’ experience in the charity sector in Eastern Africa. He was a founder of the Spotlight on Africa charity in the UK in 2006, and has visited our projects twice every year since then. He has overseen the delivery of all of our projects, and is in daily contact with the team in Uganda to ensure the smooth running of our programmes. Hefin is also a leading barrister based in one of the top commercial barristers sets in London with an international practice in commercial disputes around the world. He is called the Bar in 5 different jurisdictions, and sits as an international arbitrator and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has also sat as a part-time Judge in England for over 10 years. He is passionate about the successful delivery of our projects to the poorest of communities in Africa.

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.

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 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 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.

Scott is the CEO and Co-Founder of Africa Legal (Africa Professional Services Group) - an online media and learning platform for lawyers across Africa. Scott has a broad career after initially joining the RAF he went on to set up a legal and financial recruitment consultant in London before falling in love with Africa. He has previously served on the South Africa advisory board for Save the Children and Chaired the UK based African advisory board for Save the Children. Scott sits on the funding raising committee for SoA.

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. She is also the Chair of the NHS LMC Committee for the Counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Dr Bethan has been the Health Advisor for the charity since 2009 and was appointed a Trustee in April 2018. She is overall responsible for all of our health projects, and has worked very closely on the community outreach programmes that were delivered through funding from UK Aid. She has been involved since the evolution of our health programme in 2009 to oversee its growth. She travels regularly to Uganda to oversee all the health projects. Bethan has run the London Marathon in 2016 to raise funds towards the health clinic.

Wendy is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Africa Legal (Africa Professional Services Group)- an online media and learning platform for lawyers across Africa. With a background in the law, project management and technology integrations she has a special interest and involvement in sustainable African projects that can provide both educational and health benefits but can also be replicated in a cost effective manner. Wendy also sits on the marketing committee for SoA.

Simon has more than 20 years’ experience focused on group strategy, growth and development in global real estate, sporting clubs, aviation, travel and leisure sectors. Having worked with many leading companies and corporations around the world, Simon has extensive experience in navigating different environments to enable commercial creativity and collaboration.

Philip Lee Harvey is an acclaimed film maker and photographer with over 20 years experince working around the globe in often difficult and demanding locations. For Philip, Africa has always been a much-loved continent to work in. He has visited Uganda several times for Spotlight on Africa to create the films and photographs you see on this website.

Professor Pius Mwalye has been Spotlight on Africa’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 KC in delivering all of our projects. Pius was formerly a Senior Lecturer and the 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. Professor Pius also chairs our Construction Committee meeting, which has met every fortnight for the last 6 years to monitor our construction projects.

Richard Okotel is our Executive Director who reports 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.

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 to monitor all of the funds that are sent to Uganda to ensure that they are always used appropriately and in strict compliance with the donor’s wishes.

Dr Edith Fomum joined the Ugandan Board in September 2016. Originally from the Cameroons she studied medicine in the UK and in 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. Since 2022, Dr Edith has been the Clinical Director at our Maternity Hospital and oversees all of our community health projects in Uganda.

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. 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.

CHARITY TREASURER

Paul has over 40 years' experience as an accountant in public practice, with investment banks and latterly as CFO of a UK consumer business. He has also been treasurer of local charities for over 18 years. Paul’s connection with Uganda started when his son spent 3 months helping build and then teach in a school in rural Eastern Uganda. Paul and his family have provided support to students and community projects in the 8 years since, and the school continues to thrive. Through these projects and visiting Uganda Paul saw both the beauty of the country and its people but also the practical challenges, especially financial and health, for them to achieve their potential. Paul is married with 2 children and a grand-daughter and loves walking the Camino routes and cycling.

ASSISTANT TREASURER

Lindsey Venner is the HSoA Assistant Treasurer from May 2022. Lindsey is a Chartered Accountant who qualified while working for EY. She worked as an auditor for 13 years before setting up The Little Gym Harpenden, a develomental gymnastics programme for children aged 4 months to 12 years. After selling the business in 2019 Lindsey has taken on various voluntary roles including administrator for Harpenden Vaccination Center and Commodore of a School Sailing Club. She is happiest when on the water or working with numbers!

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.

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. 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.

Nick is a British investor, philanthropist and conservationist. He is the founder of The Nick Maughan Foundation, a self-funded charity working in education, environment, and civic support areas for disenfranchised communities. In addition to being a Patron for Spotlight on Africa, he is the Patron of the charity Street Doctors, as well as the medical research charity Womb Transplant U.K. He is also the founder of BoxWise, Britain’s largest boxing-related non-profit that works with disadvantaged young people through sport, a trustee of the youth sports charity founded by the former England Rugby captain: Dallaglio Rugby Works and a trustee of Tusk Trust, the leading African wildlife conservation charity. For more details, please view Nick’s Wikipedia page here.

Chief Justice Emeritus, Uganda

Bart Magunda Katureebe has had a distinguished career in law and politics in Uganda. He started his legal career as a State Attorney in the Attorney General's Chambers before going into private practice. He subsequently served as a Minister in various portfolios including Health and Attorney General / Minister of Justice. He was awarded the special rank of Senior Counsel. He also served as an elected Member of Parliament for Bunyaruguru County. Upon his retirement from Government and politics in 2001 he returned to private Legal Practice, starting one of Uganda's leading law firms. In 2005 he was appointed Justice of the Supreme Court and in 2015 he was appointed Chief Justice, retiring in 2020.

He currently runs a private Conflict Resolution Centre with focus on Mediation and Arbitration. Having been a Health Minister, he has a particular interest in matters of Health and has been helpful in advising Spotlight on some administrative issues in Uganda.