Our Governance

Windle International is an international NGO; its network of members are based in, and operate across, eastern Africa.

We share the Windle name and work together to ensure that education transforms society. Find out more about where we work here. We've been working to provide refugees, marginalized communities and those affected by conflict with quality education and training for over forty years.  

We are an international non-governmental organization (NGO). Our members are based in and operate across eastern Africa, Europe, and North America and together, we have over forty years of experience.  

Our International Council

The International Council is the Trustee Board of Windle International (WI) and its supreme authority. WI currently supports Windle’s work in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, the US and the Netherlands. It is a forum for discussion and resolution of all international issues. The Council provides high level policy and approves guidelines, strategic plans, standards and values for WI and its members. It supports fundraising for the Windle family. It is the custodian of the Windle Brand and establishes guidelines for the use of the Windle name and promotes unity amongst members.

Windle International is registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales and the Council is responsible for the compliance of Windle International with its legal obligations to the Charity Commission. These include not just reporting appropriately on the activities of Windle International but also compliance with the Charity Commission guidance relating to monitoring and reporting on activities elsewhere in the Windle family which fall within the Charity Commission reporting guidance. Windle International also supports members to adopt and comply with Charity Commission guidelines on good practice. The Council supports the strategic planning process across Windle International. The Council is responsible for establishing new country projects and assigning them to any of the country members to provide management oversight. It approves new members to Windle International either as full affiliates or associates. 

The Council is supported by the International Secretariat.   

  • Dr Fred Ojiambo

    Dr Ojiambo is Chair of Windle International Kenya. Senior Partner at the law firm Kaplan & Stratton in Nairobi, Fred joined the Board of Trustees for Windle International Kenya in 2002 and became its Chair in 2004. In June 2017, Fred became the Chair of the Windle International Council.

  • Richard Obonyo

    Richard Caesar Obonyo is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Windle International Uganda, and the Managing Partner at the law firm KSMO Advocates in Kampala, Uganda. Richard joined the Board of Trustees of Windle International Uganda in February 2017 and served as chair of the Board’s Governance Committee before his appointment to chair the Board in December 2022.

  • Martha Hewison

    Ms Hewison has over 20 years of education experience for UN, INGO’s, donors and governments mostly in East, West and Southern Africa with a particular focus on education in post-conflict contexts and fragile states; alternative and non-formal education provision for out of school children and youth and refugees.

    Ms Hewison is a qualified teacher with a first degree in education and a master’s degree in emergency and development practices.

  • Mukhtar Mohammed

    Muktar Mohamed has extensive experience in areas related to refugee education, protection, and humanitarian operations and has dedicated his career to supporting those affected by conflict and displacement.

    Muktar played a vital role in setting up refugee education programs in Kakuma Camp, Kenya as a senior refugee education manager .

    Muktar continues to serve those same aims with a pivotal role in strengthening the Somali government's institutional capacity.

  • Rosemary Horne

    Rosemary Horne sits on the Council as a family representative of the charity’s founder, Hugh Pilkington, and is long-term supporter of refugee rights and working toward the provision of quality education for people affected by conflict or otherwise marginalised.

  • Thor Kristian Hanisch

    Thor Kristian Hanisch has several years of experience as an adviser and teacher for refugees in Norway. While working as a project manager for ARC-aid he was in charge of exchange programs between Norway, Kenya and South Africa. He has volunteered for the Norwegian Church Aid for 25 years, in support of development programs in Africa and elsewhere.

    Educated as a sociologist of migration, Kristian now works as an adviser. He is Chair of Nordic Admission Office for medical universities abroad, and a board member of Isha Development Committee.

  • Robin Shawyer

    Robin Shawyer was a friend of the founder, Hugh Pilkington, and has been involved with Windle from the start - as a trustee on the first Windle Kenya, then executive director and now on the Windle International Council.

    Having trained as an accountant, Robin and his family spent many years in East Africa working in development before working full time for Windle.

    Robin’s wisdom, financial and development experience and above all his values are a vital part of what has allowed Windle to become the charity that it is today.

National Boards

The National boards are responsible for the operations of Windle in the country in which they operate and for any other country operations for which they have been given management responsibility. They also represent their country on the Council. These boards anchor and provide closer oversight and effective coordination of Windle programmes at the country level for the purposes of ensuring accountability, sensitivity to local conditions, efficiency and compliance. The National boards help Windle International safeguard Windle’s reputation in countries where we operate and increased our donors and stakeholders’ confidence.

The National boards adapt and customise Council policies, strategy and standards for the country context. Please go to the specific country pages for more information on these members.

Windle International Kenya and Somalia Board of Trustees

  • Dr. Fred Ojiambo, MBS, S.C.

  • Mr. Karanja

  • Mrs. Florence Wanyoike

  • Robin Shawyer

  • Mr. Gilbert Lukhoba

  • Phyllis Mureu

  • Khalif Kobane

  • Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda

    Chairperson

  • Dr. Yvette Wibabara

    Member

  • Mr. Joel

    Mrs. Wanyoike is a member of the Board of Trustees for Windle International Kenya. Mrs Wanyoike is the Executive Director of Potterhouse School. As an educationist, Mrs Wanyoike is passionate about mentoring the next generation through education. ty.

  • Robin Shawyer

    Mr. Shawyer sis a member of the Board of Trustees for Windle International Kenya. Mr. Shawyer is a qualified chartered accountant who started his career with PwC and worked in East Africa for more than 13 years. He has been fully engaged in development work through Windle Trust when the founder Hugh Pilkington died. He has served as the Executive Director for Windle Trust UK, board member of Windle Trust Uganda and is currently the Director of Windle Trust International Federation.

  • Mr. Gilbert Lukhoba

    Mr. Gilbert Lukhoba is a member of the Board of Trustees for Windle International Kenya has worked in refugee education sector for many years before joining the Kenya Anti- Corruption Commission (KACC). Mr Lukhoba is a Senior Officer in the Education Sector of KACC.

  • Phyllis Mureu

    is the Executive Director of Windle International Kenya, brings a wealth of experience to the role and ensures the smooth running of operations across Kenya and Somalia. In consultation with the Board, she shapes the vision and strategy for Windle International Kenya and Windle International Somalia, providing high level oversight over all areas of the programmes implementation and operations. As the official representative and leader for Windle International Kenya and Somalia she represents the organizational and programmatic priorities of the organization to donors and partners wile leading strategic thinking and planning.

  • Khalif Kobane

    Is a member of the Board of Trustees representing Windle International in Somalia. He is an experienced Educationist, humanitarian and development focused professional with more than 15 years’ experience working and supporting conflict affected populations. He holds a Master’s in Economics of Education, and a Bachelor of Education (Science) Degree. Khalif has worked in refugee and conflict education programming gaining robust skills on integrated education pathways, teacher training and scholarship programmes.

    He has a robust experience in developing and managing multi-million programmes with strong skills in fund raising and networking. He is experienced in managing recovery and development programmes that nexus humanitarian in consortium architectures, amassing a wealth of experience in delivering durable solutions for populations that are affected by conflict and crisis in the Horn of Africa and Middle East.

International Boards: WI-USA and WI-NL

Windle International USA (WI-USA) and Netherlands (WI-NL) are satellite members who support Windle International operations and enable it to attain its mission. These groups are key to Windle’s diversification of funding and have two main support functions: advocacy and fundraising.

Fundraising

  • Help Windle engage with global philanthropists and donors to support programmes in Eastern Africa

  • Explore avenues for getting funding from various government entities in North America and Europe

  • Maintain alumni contact in the USA and NL

Advocacy

  • Establish dialogue with business communities in the respective countries for the benefit of the work of Windle

  • Explore possibilities of working with networks or organisations that advocate for the global education for all

  • Support the development of operational partnerships with NGOs and universities

Secretariat

The Secretariat is led by the CEO, overseen by the Council and supported by the Executive Steering Forum. It supports the International Council and advancement of member offices’ global interests. The Secretariat is funded by the membership and convenes global governance and leadership teams. Key functions of the International Secretariat are:

fundraising, advocacy, communication, capacity building, supporting and implementing Council decisions, provides leadership in harmonisation of policy, support regional and international networking, facilitates convening and coordination of International Council and ESF meetings, management of implementation of compliance of shared values, management of the international office

 The Executive Steering Forum

The ESF is the global strategic steering leadership team constituted of the Executive Director of each operational member and the Chief Executive Officer of the International Secretariat. The ESF convenes regularly to make joint strategic and management decisions to ensure effective coordination amongst members.  The ESF acts as a valuable think-tank for the CEO and advises and supports him/her in leading WI’s efforts to reach its strategic goals in a cohesive manner, bringing in national perspectives but maintaining the perspective of WI as a whole.  

The ESF works with the Secretariat team to implement the decisions of the International Council and Country Boards and is the link between the Council and the Country Boards.  It also has advisory responsibilities to support the decision-making process of the Council and the Boards by keeping them well informed on Windle-wide strategies, operations, programmes and priorities. 

The ESF, prepares, modifies, standardizes, and adapts WI global policies, strategic plans, mission, vision and values, and influences their approval by both the International Council and the Country Boards. The ESF is also responsible for the preparation of the agenda for the International Council. The ESF coordinates sharing of resources across Windle International and with Windle Trust International including Secondment of staff and staff training. 

  • Phyllis Mureu, Windle International Kenya

    Phyllis is the Executive Director of Windle International Kenya, having previously held the position of Head of Finance and Administration. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and ensures the smooth running of operations across Kenya and Somalia. She represents the interests of Kenya and Somalia at the Executive Directors Forum.

  • Andrew Omara, Windle International Uganda

    Andrew Omara is the Executive Director of Windle International Uganda. He previously held the position of Director of Programmes and ensures the smooth-running of the organisation and its programmes.

  • Dr Marangu Njogu, Windle International

    Marangu is the CEO of Windle International, providing strategic leadership and bringing together the international and regional strategies for Windle. Marangu has three honorary doctorate degrees from the Guelph University, University of British Columbia and York University. An internationally-recognised leader in the development of refugee education whose work over almost three decades has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of African refugees.