Our Team

Abdoul Aziz Soumare is passionate about leadership and personal development.  Both altruistic and philanthropic, Mr Soumare studied International Business. While pursuing his studies, he joined AIESEC which is a global platform entirely run by youth for youth to develop their leadership potential through international internships and volunteer opportunities.

During 5 years as Talent Manager and then Organization Development Manager, he had to develop several training tools, train hundreds of young people on leadership and entrepreneurship skills and implement AIESEC in 3 universities in Sénégal.

Mr Soumare joined Ashoka Sahel in June 2017 as a Community Management intern, then consultant in communication before taking the role of Fellowship and Changemakers Community Manager.  Currently, Abdoul Aziz is Youth Program Manager at Ashoka Sahel.

👋 Hello everyone!

I'm Fadel Adam, a young #digital enthusiast with a diverse background. Since I started out, I've pursued my passion for digital through my #engagement within the organization AIESEC, where I gained solid experience in the field. 💡💻

As a marketing and communications professional, I've developed a diverse skill set that allows me to add value to any organization. My expertise ranges from graphic design and marketing content creation to establishing #branding and communications strategies, as well as digital project management. 🎨🚀

As a graphic designer, I enjoy bringing ideas to life by creating captivating visuals that tell a story and engage the audience. I strive to create innovative and aesthetically pleasing designs that reflect a brand's identity.

Augustina Emele is a strategic changemaker with over a decade of experience designing and leading programs that drive impact across communities and policy systems. She has scaled national initiatives reaching more than two million people, built cross-sector collaborations, and managed high-value grant portfolios. Her leadership is rooted in equity, guided by curiosity, and anchored in accountability—ensuring systemic change empowers the people it serves.
A Chevening Scholar, Augustina holds a Master’s in Public Health from Imperial College London. She is currently Venture and Partnership Associate at Ashoka Africa, where she identifies and supports systems-changing social entrepreneurs across West Africa, while also managing the CTEACH program, advancing education transformation through changemaking.

Confidence Awak is a Strategic Communications and Storytelling Strategist working at the intersection of social impact, media, and technology. Known for creating strategies that drive action, she has grown digital communities, delivered high-impact campaigns, and brought changemaking narratives to life through influencer partnerships, documentaries, podcasts, and user-generated content.

Her work across the nonprofit and tech sectors focuses on amplifying the voices of changemakers and connecting them to the audiences, opportunities, and partnerships that help scale their impact. At Ashoka Africa, she has led initiatives reaching millions organically, launched storytelling products including a Changemaking Education documentary, and positioned changemaking at the heart of education, policy, and community conversations across Africa.

Dadisai Taderera Co-Director and Venture and Fellowship Lead for Southern Africa. She has worked for over a decade supporting change makers and communities to advocate for transparency and accountability to ensure a more equal and just society. She has worked with organisations such as Global Integrity, Open Society Foundation of South Africa and Accountability Lab among others. She was a founding member of the Right2Know campaign in 2010 a movement centred on freedom of expression and access to information. She was born and raised in Zimbabwe but currently lives in Johannesburg where she is also raising two children and hopefully future change makers.

I am a Chartered Accountant currently serving as the Finance Assistant for West Africa, and I also manage Africa Diamond Finance. I am dedicated to delivering high-quality financial support, with a strong commitment to accuracy, efficiency, and professional excellence.

Ikenna Anyadike is the Venture & Fellowship Manager for Ashoka in Anglophone West Africa, where he leads the search, selection, and support of the region’s most impactful systems changing social entrepreneurs. He drives the growth of a strong pipeline of Fellows by cultivating nominator networks, opening doors to new communities, and aligning with emerging trends and partner priorities. Ikenna oversees the entire Fellow selection process, from initial to deep-dive interviews and on-site visits to authoring compelling Fellow profiles, working closely with country, regional, and global teams to ensure a rigorous, values-driven approach.

As a key bridge between Anglophone West Africa, and Ashoka’s global network, Ikenna secures resources, relationships, and visibility to expand and diversify the Fellowship in Anglophone West Africa. Through his leadership, Ashoka's Fellowship in Anglophone West Africa continues to thrive as a community of changemakers driving systemc impact.

Joseph is passionate about education, children, and instructional practices. He is committed to improving teaching quality and applying educational research to improve classroom practices

He holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in Computer Science and Mathematics Education, and a Bachelor's degree in Educational Technology with a focus on Teacher Education. He had previously held roles focused on educational development, including State Academics Programme Manager for the EDOBEST project in Edo State, Leadership & Development Supervisor for the Lagos State EKOEXCEL Project. He also taught Teacher Education and Instructional Technology courses at the Federal College of Education, Zaria (now Federal University of Education, Zaria).

Currently, Joseph is the Project Coordinator for the CTEACH Program at Ashoka Anglophone West Africa. In this role, he works with teachers to embed changemaking in classroom practices and enable students to become changemakers.

Josephine Nzerem is a Social Entrepreneur who was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2002 for her innovative work in the protection of women from disinheritance and other socio-economic abuses. In 2004 she received an award from the Junior Chambers International as the outstanding young person for the year, in the area of contribution to children, world peace and/or human rights. Josephine believes that women’s human rights must be recognized and upheld at all times. In 2011, she became the Regional Director of Anglophone West Africa. In this role, she is working towards creating an Everyone A Changemaker society by inspiring various communities in Anglophone West Africa to take initiative to solve social problems. She is also inspiring the Anglophone West Africa team to embody a high standard of excellence, innovation and commitment. Josephine’s educational background spams the areas of Dramatic Arts, Public and International Affairs and Psychology.

Joy Akapa is a dynamic young lady dedicated to achieving the best results in any given situation. She holds a degree in Accounting from the Lagos State University in Nigeria. In 2008, she qualified as a chartered accountant under the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and has practiced her profession in three different companies including service oriented organizations. She is presently the financial Manager for Ashoka Anglophone West Africa. Joy likes to engage in community service and to give vent to this, she joined a group of volunteers who on a weekly basis give out food items and clothing to the less privileged in 6th Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos, Nigeria. This group also visits some government primary schools in the Festac area to distribute to indigent students, educational materials and snacks. They also utilise such opportunities to teach the pupils leadership skills and impart in them Godly principles for success.

Très impliqué dans les mouvements associatifs comme CliMates, Together2030, MAJ, SIFE, JCI, notamment AIESEC qu’il intègre en 2009, pour être le directeur pays de 2011-2012. Un stage de 03 mois en 2009 au Nigéria, dans le cadre des programmes de stages de AIESEC, lui a permis de mieux comprendre l’entrepreneuriat. Dès son retour, il devient membre actif et travail à la promotion de l'entrepreneuriat au sein de AIESEC. En 2010, il découvre l'entrepreneuriat social et s’y passionne. Ce sera le début d’une collaboration avec ASHOKA. Pour preuve en 2012, il se propose de communiquer sur ASHOKA à Niamey au Niger lors du premier forum organisé par  l’OIF “Jeunesse et emplois verts ” dont il a été participant / exposant. Gestionnaire de formation, il a rejoint Ashoka en 2013 en tant que stagiaire et occupe aujourd’hui le poste de Responsable des Finances et des Opérations.

Mtha’ meaning “ray of light” is a driven, compassionate, young woman who is intentional about making a significant impact in society. At 16, she became a radio host and used the platform to hold important discussions with community leaders and young people about finding solutions to Africa’s socio-economic issues.
 
As an Allan Gray Fellow, she possesses leadership qualities and an entrepreneurial mindset. Her focus is on empowering Africa. She is passionate about economic development and is a part of Africa Skills Alliance, a think tank which provides data to resolve workforce challenges and African youth unemployment . Mtha has volunteered for various non-profit organisations including Blue Chip Future Fund. She has led community initiatives, working in programs, partnerships and social impact storytelling. She is a master’s candidate in public policy at the University of the Witwatersrand.

As a Legal Officer with a First-Class Bachelor of Laws Degree from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge and called to the Nigerian Bar in 2017, I am deeply committed to advancing human rights, gender equality, and access to education, especially for the girl child and in rural communities. My professional work is a direct extension of these passions, focusing on impact-based projects that promote skill acquisition and educational access for all.

My belief that education is the bedrock of a decent society is a driving force in my career. Currently, as a Change Manager at Ashoka, I apply my legal and advocacy skills to expand the organization's impact on young people. My work directly contributes to the "everyone a changemaker" movement, ensuring its continued growth and success. I am dedicated to being an active force in creating a world where every person has the opportunity to learn and grow.

Nqobile is an Allan Gray fellow and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from Wits University. A passionate advocate for educational equity. During her time at Wits, Nqobile served as the Academic Officer of the Wits Student Representative Council, Member of the Wits Senate Council, Teaching and Learning Committee, and Secretary of the School of Human and Community Development. In these roles, she championed student rights and implemented policies that fostered a more conducive learning environment. In these roles, she championed student rights and implemented policies that fostered a more conducive learning environment.

Okey is a global Leadership Group Member of Ashoka and currently leads the Youth Years strategy in Africa. In the last year, he has been establishing and co-leading strategic partnerships with government, faculties of education, publishers, education unions and the media, towards a movement that creates an enabling environment for young people to feel, act, and thrive as changemakers. Okey has been a pioneer in justice reform, security reform, and social transformation at the national and regional levels in West Africa for 15 years. Previously, he led the ECOWAS Commission reform program in improving transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and people participation in security decision making. He has supported regional policy formulation, parliamentary capacity building, knowledge sharing, and forging multilateral and multisector partnerships. He is the Founder of EduTrust Foundation and Ofala Publishers Ltd. A lawyer and Master’s degree holder in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London, Okey loves to write, to teach, and to capture beautiful moments of joy and wonder through poetry and travel photography.

Paula is passionate about food security, poverty alleviation, youth and female empowerment, and has contributed to academic researches that inform knowledge on the role of African women in Agriculture and the pricing system of agricultural produce on the Italian commodity exchange market.

She possesses a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Food Economics, a Bachelor of Arts combined degree in Economics and Theatre Arts, and has over five years of work experience in diverse areas including, but not limited to, Project and Program Management, Partnerships, Human Resources and Retail Management.

Currently, she leads the Transforming Children and Youth Years program at Ashoka Anglophone West Africa and, supports Partnerships and Venture at Ashoka Africa. In this capacity, she is identifying and supporting young changemakers in the region to increase the visibility and social impact of their work while positioning them for success through collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Born and brought up in the Coastal town of Mombasa in Kenya, where not many young girls went past primary school. Peris knew from a young age that she had to change that, by being a role model to other girls and youth in her home town and create opportunities for others to also succeed. She informally taught neighborhood children while still in primary school and led many other ventures. Currently she runs a Public Benefit Organization, Asilia Africa focused on improving Reproductive Health Services for marginalized and vulnerable women as part of reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. Peris joined Ashoka in 2012 and is currently the Director, Fellowship, Africa

Stéphanie joined Ashoka Africa Leadership team since September 2017, after 13 years with Ashoka on different continents: at the Global Headquarters in the US, Mexico City and Paris. Stephanie is leading the launch of the “Changemaker Company” initiative in Africa to create more bridges between the corporate world and social entrepreneurs and engage businesses in developing their full changemaker potential. Stéphanie is also an international evaluator for the selection of new Ashoka Fellows and a board member of Ashoka Romania. She started her carrier in management consulting with Deloitte in Paris, and Boston, before joining World Relief in Rwanda for 2 years as program director where she supported the launch of Ikirezi, a social enterprise producing essential oils with rural communities led by Ashoka Fellow Nicolas Hitimana. Stephanie was born and raised in France and holds an MBA degree from ESSEC Business School in Paris. She is a mother of 3.

Ugochuku Godfrey is a Computer Hardware Engineer with over 15 years of experience in computer systems and technology solutions. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Computer Engineering from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, and currently serves as Office Administrator and Logistics for Ashoka Anglophone West Africa. In this role, he applies his technical expertise alongside organisational management to strengthen operations and support Ashoka’s mission.

Beyond Ashoka, he is the founder of Solidray Technology, which provides computer hardware repair services, and Solidray Academy, dedicated to equipping learners with practical technology skills.

In addition to his hardware background, He has expanded his expertise into web development, applying coding and design skills to build functional websites.

I joined Ashoka in 2014 as a youth venture program manager. Currently, I lead Ashoka's work in East Africa.