EvPS at Dedication
Rev. Evalyn Wakhusama, an ordained Anglican priest, holds both a Masters in Divinity (M.Div.) and a Masters in Sacred Theology (STM) from Yale University Divinity School (which awarded her the prestigious “Lux & Veritas” award in October 2011). She is the founder and Executive Director of WIKS. Evalyn’s dream is to make a lasting difference in the lives of impoverished rural communities of Kenya. Evalyn believes that education is the best means of ending the cycle of poverty. She recalls that the best gift she ever received was the opportunity to pursue a quality education, and she desires to give some of the most vulnerable children in her nation the chance to access this opportunity as well. Through her involvement in WIKS, many impoverished girls have found financial and emotional support to attend primary and secondary school, before continuing on to college.
In addition to her work with WIKS, Evalyn serves as pastor of St. John’s Anglican Church at the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute, where she ministers to the community of Institute workers and their families in suburban Nairobi. She had previously worked at the Institute as a research technologist in livestock diseases, managing the microbiology laboratory for well over 15 years. She left this position two years ago to devote more time and energy to WIKS.
Ruth Sande & Anne Wafula at NMS Ground Breaking Celebration
Ruth Sande is the Secretary of the WIKS board of directors, and serves as the Standards Development and Human Resource Manager of The Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees. She holds a Bachelors degree in education and has taught in several high schools. She has also been a lecturer at the Kenya Polytechnic Institute and has worked extensively in curriculum development with the Ministry of Education. Ruth has been an examiner for the Kenya National Examinations Council and is very conversant with education policy in Kenya. Furthermore, she is a trained management representative for implementation of the Quality Management System international educational standard.
Beatrice Nasimiyu Ndakwe is Treasurer of WIKS and a key player in the implementation of the Nambale Magnet School vision. She is a research technologist with the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and serves on a number of committees within her employment, including Corruption Prevention and Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention. At St. John’s Anglican Church, she serves as both Mother’s Union Chair and Treasurer.
Daniel Opiyo and Beatrice Ndakwe
Anne Lusike Wafula is a member of the WIKS board of directors, and a university college lecturer with many years in education and instruction at various levels. She also holds an MBA from Kenyatta University, Nairobi. She concentrates in resource-mobilization, career and life skills, leadership and management skills, practical business planning, enterprise management skills and French language instruction. She has also managed curriculum development for schools and developed mentorship programs for youth. Her other interests include social work, community development, international relations and entrepreneurship education.
Maximillah Luchacha is a member of the WIKS board of directors, and possesses an education background. She taught in various schools before switching to entrepreneurship. Currently, she is a dairy farmer and runs her family’s business. She also serves on various school boards in Nambale.
Wendy Wakhusama, the eldest of Evalyn and Sam Wakhusama’s four children, is the newest board member, ensuring continuity in the oversight of WIKS in general and of the Nambale Magnet School in particular. She holds a Bachelors degree in international relations, and currently works as the Resource Development and Partnership Manager with Global Peace Festival Foundation in Nairobi.
Reverend Dr. Evangeline (“Eve”) Tolley is one of two Americans on the WIKS board of directors. An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church, she is an adjunct professor of counseling at Alliance Graduate School of Counseling in Nyack, New York, and an adjunct professor of pastoral care and counseling at St. Thomas University, Department of Ecumenical Studies in Miami Gardens, Florida. She holds a B.S. from the University of Missouri, an M.S. from the University of North Florida, a Ph.D. from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Masters of Divinity and a Masters in Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School. For more than 10 years, she has been actively involved in ministry and mission in Kenya with projects associated with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the Tumaini Children’s Home for orphaned and destitute children and The Sugarbaker Memorial Clinic. She has also served on numerous other boards including the Macedonia AIDS ministry and Pivot House, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation program. For the past six years, she has acted as Vice President of the Everett D. and Geneva V. Sugarbaker Foundation, the principal funder of the Sugarbaker Memorial Clinic.
Reverend Canon Peter A. R. Stebinger, the other American WIKS board member, resides in Cheshire, Connecticut with his wife, Caron. He was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1980. The Rector (pastor) of Christ Episcopal Church in Bethany, Connecticut from 1982 to 2011, he is one of the original developers of the Nambale Magnet School concept, having begun this work with Rev. Wakhusama in 2004. He and his wife Caron have traveled several times to Kenya in support of the project. He is deeply committed to the children of Nambale and has been the principle U.S. fundraiser for the project since its inception. Peter holds a Masters of Divinity from Yale University, a Masters in Sociology from the University of Connecticut, has authored two books on congregational development, and has served as adjunct faculty at both Yale Divinity School and Hartford Seminary. He is an honorary canon of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut in recognition of his scholarship and mission work. Following his retirement from full-time parish ministry, he is working as a hospital chaplain.
Daniel Opiyo Ondiek was appointed as Head Teacher of Nambale Magnet School in January 2011. He is a trained schoolteacher with vast experience in both public and private schools in Kenya. He has taught in a number of schools in Nairobi, including St. Joan’s School in Matasia, Calvary Baptist Academy in Ngong and Nairobi Pentecostal Church Academy in Woodley. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the institution and in particular focuses on supervising educational standards in the school. Consistent with the school’s mission, he believes in self-discipline as a means of providing and achieving a quality education. He is now pursuing further studies with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
Carolyne Owando Olaka is a graduate of Busoga University/Uganda with a degree in sociology. She has worked in a leadership position at the Nambale Magnet School since its inception in 2009. She is in charge of the rigorous selection process of destitute students to the institution, which involves identifying and recommending candidates, through home visits, for placement at the school. She also maintains student bio-data and any investigations of socio-psychological matters related to them. She is the chief liaison between the school and the students’ families. Carolyne previously worked for Africa Network for Protection and Prevention, addressing child abuse and neglect in Uganda. In addition, she holds a diploma in library and archival studies.
Benson STEPHEN Bulomo
Benson Stephen Bulomo (“Stephen”) is one of the longest serving and key personnel in the school. He was recruited as a Clerk of the Works during the construction of the initial phase of the school in 2007 and stayed on as the Facilities Officer when the school opened in 2009. He coordinates a number of areas including continuing capital expansion, facility security, material and supply management, the Dairy Unit, the school farm and maintenance of the general infrastructure in the institution. He holds a diploma in clearing and forwarding and port procedures. He has worked with Magic Construction Company in structural engineering, and the Kenwood Match Company as a machine operator.
