Staff
At Rooted Wisdom Africa, we champion local leadership, ownership, and a deep-rooted connection with the communities we serve. This commitment is reflected in our hiring practices, where preference is given to individuals from the region or those who have graduated from our programs. We firmly believe that decision-making should be guided by those most affected, tapping into the invaluable insights and experiences of individuals intimately acquainted with the community’s challenges and aspirations. This collaborative approach not only empowers our staff but also fosters a sense of ownership within the community, ensuring the success and sustainability of our programs.
As the organization’s Programs Manager in Uganda, Irene oversees on-the-ground activities. She designs strategies for new programs that help families become economically, socially, and environmentally self-sustainable. In keeping with Rooted Wisdom Africa’s guidelines, Irene manages the ethical compliance of all program activities, including confidentiality between schools, parents, communities, and students. With 15 years of NGO experience, Irene excels in program development, human resources, and training. Previously, she served with Mercy Corp and volunteered at SWEI Uganda. As a team leader at the Community Integrated Development Initiative and field operations manager at Lend A Hand Uganda, Irene navigated challenging environments, contributing to projects spanning health, nutrition, WASH, empowerment, and peacebuilding. Irene has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since January 2023.
As the organization’s Programs Manager in Uganda, Irene oversees on-the-ground activities. She designs strategies for new programs that help families become economically, socially, and environmentally self-sustainable. In keeping with Rooted Wisdom Africa’s guidelines, Irene manages the ethical compliance of all program activities, including confidentiality between schools, parents, communities, and students. With 15 years of NGO experience, Irene excels in program development, human resources, and training. Previously, she served with Mercy Corp and volunteered at SWEI Uganda. As a team leader at the Community Integrated Development Initiative and field operations manager at Lend A Hand Uganda, Irene navigated challenging environments, contributing to projects spanning health, nutrition, WASH, empowerment, and peacebuilding.Irene has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since January 2023.
As a seasoned Project Manager at Rooted Wisdom Africa, Jane Agnes is spearheading the development of the forthcoming Community Empowerment Centre in Byanjiri, Lwengo District. With her expertise in construction management, she oversees infrastructure development, procurement, budget management, and timeline coordination, ensuring project success from inception to completion. With over seven years of experience in construction management, Jane Agnes brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Her strong leadership skills and attention to detail enable her to manage quality works, budgets, and timelines effectively. Jane Agnes’s passion for community development is rooted in her university days, where she served as a Projects Coordinator for three years. She successfully initiated, planned, fundraised, and executed various projects that positively impacted those most vulnerable. Jane Agnes has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since August 2025.
Jovia Apio is a finance professional with diverse experience supporting nonprofit programs and projects in resource-limited settings. Beyond her strong financial and grant management skills, she has actively contributed to initiatives improving access to quality education in post-conflict Northern Uganda, refugee response efforts, and Kingdom Business entrepreneurship. Her commitment to community development was shaped during her two-year Building Tomorrow Fellowship in Kiruhura, where she worked closely with caregivers, school leaders, and parents to boost school attendance and champion children’s rights. During this fellowship, she helped return over 200 out-of-school children to school, earning recognition from Akina Mama Wa Afrika and Forward UK through a grant she secured for a children’s rights awareness project. Jovia is also a proud participant in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) East Africa Regional Leadership Center, where she developed her leadership skills as a leader committed to transforming Africa. As a reliable steward of resources, Jovia combines financial expertise with hands-on program experience, ensuring projects are both well-managed and impactful.
Kansiime Ziadah is an Agricultural Officer with a Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), where she studied agriculture. Passionate about helping rural communities thrive, she trains farmers in practical skills such as soil and water management, pest control, and crop diversification. Through her use of demonstration gardens, farmers gain hands-on experience and confidence to apply new techniques on their own farms. Her patient and supportive approach has led to stronger harvests, higher household incomes, and greater food security across the communities she serves. Guided by the saying, “Little by little, you eventually reach far,” Ziadah believes that consistent learning and effort bring lasting transformation. She has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since July 2025.
Caroline Achola is a dynamic, values-driven executive with over 12 years of progressive
experience leading organizational operations, human resource strategy, and sustainable
community development across East Africa. As the Managing Director for Rooted Wisdom Africa,
she serves as the primary systems integrator, aligning people, processes, and resources to drive
compliant, high-impact program execution in agriculture, education, and livelihoods.
Throughout her career, Caroline has specialized in building robust operational frameworks,
managing complex institutional transformations, and directing human capital structures. Her multidisciplinary expertise spans programming, operations, HR, MEL, curriculum design, and capacity
building. Her leadership track record includes serving as HR & Admin Manager and Operations
Lead, acting as a foundational systems consultant for emerging NGOs, and managing multicampus frameworks as the Human Resource Manager. A committed advocate for grassroots
leadership development, Caroline is also a Global Health Corps alumna and former Uganda
Alumni Chapter President, and is currently serving on the Uganda alumni Chapter Advisory
Board.
Caroline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies from Gulu University. Grounded in
her Christian faith, Caroline balances technical rigor with deep empathy. Outside of her
professional role, she is an avid reader, writer, polyglot, and community volunteer.
As Executive Director, Kristy provides leadership in developing programs, fundraising, and communications. She oversees all strategic and operational responsibilities of Rooted Wisdom Africa’s (RWA) staff and the execution of the organization’s mission, goals, and standards. Before joining RWA, Kristy worked in the international nonprofit sector for six years, focusing on entrepreneurship opportunities through community leadership and education. She has led over 16 vocational training programs and managed five nonprofit partners in the education and health sectors. While working on-site in India, Kristy helped to develop and implement a two-year Masters of Entrepreneur Program and has been a guest speaker in the classroom on topics of time management, goal setting, business etiquette, and employee development. Kristy has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since September 2015.
Gerald brings a unique blend of experience and skills to his Program Officer role at Rooted Wisdom Africa. With 17 years of hands-on farming experience under his belt and through his guidance, farmers are empowered to implement sustainable practices that positively impact their livelihoods and communities. Alongside his agronomic and agribusiness skills, he possesses excellent interpersonal and communication abilities, fostering meaningful connections with farmers and stakeholders. His training skills ensure that knowledge is effectively transferred, empowering farmers to implement best practices. Gerald holds a Certificate in Stenography and Secretarial Duties. Gerald has been working with Rooted Wisdom Africa since July 2023.
Caroline Achola is a dynamic, values-driven executive with over 12 years of progressive experience leading organizational operations, human resource strategy, and sustainable community development across East Africa. As the Managing Director for Rooted Wisdom Africa, she serves as the primary systems integrator, aligning people, processes, and resources to drive compliant, high-impact program execution in agriculture, education, and livelihoods.
Throughout her career, Caroline has specialized in building robust operational frameworks, managing complex institutional transformations, and directing human capital structures. Her multidisciplinary expertise spans programming, operations, HR, MEL, curriculum design, and capacity building. Her leadership track record includes serving as HR & Admin Manager and Operations Lead, acting as a foundational systems consultant for emerging NGOs, and managing multicampus frameworks as the Human Resource Manager. A committed advocate for grassroots leadership development, Caroline is also a Global Health Corps alumna and former Uganda Alumni Chapter President, and is currently serving on the Uganda alumni Chapter Advisory Board.
Caroline holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies from Gulu University. Grounded in her Christian faith, Caroline balances technical rigor with deep empathy. Outside of her professional role, she is an avid reader, writer, polyglot, and community volunteer.
What We Do
