Erick Ogello
Trustee
Erick has a wealth of experience in social and community development work where he has worked with inner city housing and built environment developments.
For Erick, being a trustee enables him to make a contribution to a cause that he is very passionate about—supporting the most vulnerable and enabling disadvantaged communities to realise their full potential, i.e., children and young people prepare to meet challenges in modern life and to fulfil their full potential. For a large part of Erick’s career, he has worked in social housing within London local authorities. Erick has experience as a chair of organisations similar to Riana Development Network (RDN), non-state actors, international charities, and housing providers in Europe. However, after volunteering at Riana Development Network for 6 years, Erick is delighted to be given this opportunity to chair the organisation. This is a great honour for Erick to provide leadership to Riana Development Network, ensuring that the organisation has maximum impact for its beneficiaries. This involves: making sure that Trustees fulfil their duties and responsibilities for effective governance; regularly reviewing major risks and associated opportunities; and ensuring systems are in place to take advantage of opportunities.
Hellen Odiembo
Trustee
Hellen holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Statistics from the MS University of Baroda in India and also a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of West London, UK.
Hellen has over 10 years of work experience in Africa in the financial sector (banks and insurance companies) and 10 years of work in Europe. Hellen’s work experience has involved interacting with people from diverse backgrounds in both the finance and health sectors. She is currently working with the Ministry of Health (NHS) in the UK, where her work involves a specialism of dealing with vulnerable people with high physical and health needs. This has inspired her to enrol in a Master of Science Degree in Public Health and Health Promotion. Her aim is to reach out to vulnerable groups of children and adults in the community, both in the UK and Africa. Her involvement in Riana is a step in making a positive change in people’s lives. Hellen’s motivation is from her family experience in helping and supporting people who have limited resources to meet their needs in the community.
Tei Adegu
Trustee
Tei Adegu is an IT consultant with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has a proven track record of success in helping businesses of all sizes improve their IT infrastructure and operations.
He is a highly skilled and experienced IT professional with a deep understanding of the latest technologies and a proven ability to deliver results, with an MBA from Durham Business School and an MSc in Business Systems from City University of London. He is a strategic thinker with a strong ability to identify and solve IT problems. Tei is a great communicator with a proven ability to build relationships with clients.
Victor Ojwang
Trustee
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Shem Obuya
Trustee
Shem provides expertise in developing the strategic vision of RDN. Shem has worked in the development sector for 11 years and in the education sector for 20 years.
He comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in writing and implementing development programmes on food security. With his skill in applied research, Shem led a team that developed a low-cost artificial propagation technology for breeding the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, which enabled the successful introduction of catfish as an aquaculture species in Kenya.
Shem has plenty of experience working with young people both in Kenya and in the UK. He developed training programmes for young farmers in Kenya and worked with them in the development of aquaculture as a source of income and food. In the UK, Shem teaches science and actively engages students in enrichment activities. This has enabled students to take science-based subjects for their career choices. He has mentored several postgraduate students from various UK universities who have successfully completed their science teaching qualifications. Shem heads the science department at his school, where he leads a highly motivated team of staff to improve the standards of learning and raise the achievement of students. Shem holds a Master of Science degree in Molecular Pharmacology and Biotechnology and a QTS Certificate.
George Osore
Trustee
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Rodgers Orero
Executive director
Rodgers is Executive Director of Riana, focusing on the organisation’s business development.
He has over 15 years experience in community mobilisation and development both in Africa and Europe. He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from London South Bank University, UK. He has provided technical support in the design implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the development project using right-based programming. Rodgers has enhanced and built the capacity of the community-based organisations (CBOs) to formulate and manage their financial resources. Rodgers is convinced that the key to addressing poverty and equality is by educating youth and giving them hope.
George Owino
Kenya Programme Manager
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Mathews Igaga
Research Admin Coordinator
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Nancy Wachira
Associate Salesforce Administrator/ MEL Officer
Nancy is currently the Associate Salesforce Administrator/MEL Officer at Riana Development Network (UK), based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Prior to joining RDN, she was a Supply Chain professional with over ten years’ experience across various corporate organisations in freight forwarding and logistics, telecommunications, and media. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she transitioned to the development sector; that's when she joined RDN, where she's tasked with Salesforce platform administration duties and supporting programme activities in the UK and the RDN Foundation in Kenya.
Since joining RDN, she has had the opportunity to support fund-raising initiatives, proposal research and writing, project launch and implementation, as well as programme monitoring and evaluation.
On a personal note, she says, "I am humbled to be part of a great team that is working every day to make an impact on the lives of women, youth, and the differently abled persons; participating in programmes that improve livelihoods through agripreneurship and that strengthen families and communities as a whole."
Syreeta Roberts
Lead Youth worker
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Syreeta Bains
Youth Development Officer
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Jenny Bains
Youth worker
Jenny is a dedicated Youth Leadership and Training Coordinator with over 25 years of experience in youth development and community engagement. In her current role at Riana Development, she oversees the design and implementation of programs that support youth education, leadership, and personal development.
Jenny collaborates closely with the Director of Leadership Development and Equity to coordinate educational and alumni programs that empower young people to succeed.
Her deep commitment to youth work is evident through her empathetic approach and passion for giving back to the community. She previously worked with London Borough House, where she served as a participation worker with the leaving care team and youth services, further honing her skills in youth engagement and support.
Her experience is backed by numerous certifications and training courses, ensuring she delivers impactful programs effectively. She has also been recognised with a certificate from the Mayor of London and multiple awards for her contributions to community-based leadership programs.
Nayan Limbu
Social Media and Marketing Coordinator
Nayan at RDN assists Riana with its marketing initiatives, which include social media, emails, images, videos, posters, and so on. He had 7 months of experience with Surrey FA before taking on this post, and he has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations.
Nayan has substantial past experience in the charity sector, having worked on Palace for Life's projects and serving as Surrey FA's sustainability champion. He was a member of the Surrey FA team that received the FA Youth Leadership and Youth Engagement awards. Over the years, Nayan has seen over 1000 pieces of kit gathered and donated all across the world as part of his role.
Through his voluntary work, Nayan was able to intern at Surrey FA's Marketing department, where he refined his marketing abilities. In this role, he co-hosted the Surrey FA podcast (Final Whistle) and offered marketing support to specific county campaigns or national efforts developed by The FA. (Play Safe, Rainbow Laces, U-18 Referee Armband, etc.) and increased their TikTok account by 120%, receiving 6700 likes from followers and viewers.