The Children of Kibera Foundation

Full Name (required) Curtis Rooney, Chairperson, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Curtis Rooney has been a member of the CoKF USA Board of Directors since the founding of our organization. He became Chairperson in November 2009 to lead CoKF in the next stage of its growth and the endowment of our programs in Kenya. Curtis is a lawyer by profession and currently serves as the President of the Health Industry Group Purchasing Association in Washington DC. His wife Mittie is a past member of the CoKF Board of Directors too. He can be reached by email crooney@childrenofkibera.org

Full Name (required) Kenneth "Ken" Okoth, Founder of CoKF

Biography Details (required) Ken Okoth is an international educator and children’s advocate changing the lives of orphaned and vulnerable youth in the Kibera slums of Nairobi where he was born in 1978. Kibera\'s one million residents have minimal access to medical care, quality education, or jobs. Although Ken grew up in a one-room shack with his mother, five siblings and other relatives, the importance of education is a key value he learned quickly. Ken graduated with honors from St. Lawrence University in 2001 and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 2005. Ken’s life trajectory first changed when he won a scholarship from Save the Children Fund to attend Starehe Boys Center, a leading national boarding school in Nairobi that focuses on educating boys from underprivileged family backgrounds, and that has produced many leaders in business, civil society, and government in Kenya. At Starehe, Ken was immersed in the ethos of leadership and service. Ken’s path out of Kibera through Starehe led him to other lucrative opportunities all over the world, but he has found ways to return to the slums as a compassionate advocate to improve lives of children facing the same problems he faced before attending Starehe. In 2006, Ken founded the Children of Kibera Foundation (COKF), using his life story to inspire others and improve educational opportunities for the marginalized youth in Kibera. Ken believes that a good education is vital to help Kibera\'s children realize their full potential and escape the cycle of poverty, disease, violence, and other indignities that plague this community. He can be reached by email ken@childrenofkibera.org

Full Name (required) Japheth "Jeff" Ochieng, Projects Coordinator and Country Manager

Biography Details (required) Jeff is the Projects Coordinator and Manager of Children of Kibera Foundation projects in Kenya on a day-to-day basis. Jeff is responsible for receiving and hosting CoKF guests, training and supervising interns and short-term volunteers, developing relationships with CoKF\\'s partner organizations and schools, keeping appropriate financial records, facilitating the selection and mentorship of CoKF scholars, and communications through our blogs, email, and photo galleries. Having grown up in Kibera, Jeff is very involved with the community and the schools that CoKF sponsors. For his work with CoKF and his relationship with local families, he has recently been recognized in Teach Magazine for his exceptional work as a notable face in Kibera. Japheth is currently receiving his diploma in Project Management at the Kenya Institute of Management. Jeff can easily be reached through his email address jeff@childrenofkibera.org

Full Name (required) Leila Atkin, Member, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Leila Atkin is the owner and manager of Hawaii Tours Just 4 U and Makai Rover LLC. Living in Kailua Kona, she is a scuba instructor and boat captain.. Prior to moving to Hawaii, in 2001, Leila taught English and was assistant director of Admissions at Stanstead College, in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada. In addition, as coordinator of the St. Francis Literacy Council, she was instrumental in developing the Eastern Townships Poverty Game, piloting Parents as Partners as Learners, and has published numerous articles, handbooks, and student books to promote family literacy. Notably, for 25 years she taught elementary and high school for the Eastern Townships School Board, in Quebec. In 2000, while travelling to Kenya and Tanzania, she visited Starehe Boys Centre and Kibera, with Ken Okoth’s encouragement. Since that time she has remained a constant supporter of education in Kibera, and at the Red Rose School. She was a founding member on the board of the Children of Kibera Foundation and has worked diligently to raise funds and awareness. She has two sons, Michael and Peter.

Full Name (required) Emily Bernstein, Member, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Emily Bernstein joined the CoKF USA Board of Directors in November 2009. She is currently a student at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC with a deep love for Africa. In the last six years, she has traveled to South Africa, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya with her family, alone, and with volunteer groups. After returning from a family trip to Tanzania in 2007, Emily decided to take Swahili language lessons to improve her understanding of African cultures and societies in East Africa. She is committed to community service, and has volunteered in Tanzania with an Australian family helping a village become self-sufficient while preserving the environment. She has also worked as a tutor for at risk students through the Kid Power program in Washington DC. In 2009 and 2010 Emily spent her summer volunteering at the Red Rose School in Kibera, learning first-hand about different ways to make a positive difference in the lives of underprivileged children in Kenya through improved education opportunities.

Full Name (required) Mike Copps, Treasurer, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Mike Copps joined the CoKF USA Board of Directors as Treasurer in May, 2010. Mike currently works in operations for a management firm in Washington, DC, where he is responsible for financial management and analysis, communications, board relations, and resource management. Prior to joining the CoKF Board, Mike studied to attain his MBA from George Washington University, where he took multiple courses in finance, accounting, and financial management. Mike has worked with multiple non-profits in addition to his private sector experience. He is a graduate of James Madison University, with a BA in English. He resides with his wife, Katie, and his son, Colin, in Washington, DC.

Full Name (required) Sarah Coste, Member, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Sarah Coste joined the CoKF USA Board of Directors in January, 2010. A member of the Potomac School faculty in McLean, VA, since 2003, Sarah values educational opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. Sarah plays a key role in organizing and executing the Service, Learning and Adventure trips to Kenya where high school students have a life-changing opportunity to visit our various projects and volunteer at the Red Rose School in Kibera. Sarah is a graduate of Washington College (BA) and Lesley University (M.ED) and resides in McLean, VA.

Full Name (required) Carrie McGraw, Member, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Carrie McGraw joined the CoKF board in January 2010. She is currently an Allocation Manager at Ann Taylor where she develops allocation strategies and manages a team who distributes product to Ann Taylor Stores. Prior to Ann Taylor, she worked at Gap, Inc. for more than five years as a Merchandise Planner and Store Planner generating inventory plans for all Gap North America locations. In the Fall of 2007, Carrie traveled to Kenya to volunteer at Starehe Girls Centre for ten weeks, assisting the school office with admissions, exam preparation, and IT training for the secretary. She also hosted a university admissions and scholarship session for the girls at Starehe and got involved in teaching ballet, swimming, and physical education classes. Carrie and her fiance Pete have been devoted supporters of the Red Rose School and Children of Kibera since 2006. During her time in Kenya she visited Red Rose School multiple times. She is an avid runner and takes on half-marathon races to raise money for organizations that empower young people such as CoKF. Carrie graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a B.A. in Applied Mathematics with Economics in June 2002. She was a member of the Varsity Track and Field Team at Harvard and was co-captain in 2002.

Full Name (required) Robert Ratemo, Member, CoKF USA Board of Directors

Biography Details (required) Robert Ratemo has been a board member since the founding of CoKF. Robert grew up in Kibera where he was classmates with Ken since early childhood. He also attended Starehe Boys Center and understands the value of a good education in overcoming challenges of growing up in underpriviledged circumstances. He is a strong supporter of CoKF projects and works hard to increase awareness of our organization. Robert earned a Bachelors degree in Computer Engineering from McGill University and a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University. He currently works at LSI Corporation in Allentown PA as a senior test engineer.

Full Name (required) Sarah Ancas, Summer 2009 Projects Assistant

Biography Details (required) Sarah Ancas interned with CoKF for two months after graduating with honours from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in May 2009, where she met Ken Okoth, her inspiring Kiswahili professor. She worked as a computer teacher for secondary school students at Kibra Academy in Kibera, where CoKF organized the donation of thirty computers to jump-start an academic computer program as part of the KiberaOnline Schools Project. Sarah also co-facilitated a weekend retreat for the CoKF High School Scholars, focusing on life skills, confidence building, resisting peer pressure, and tackling community challenges. After working in Kenya, Sarah spent four months in Songea, Tanzania working on rural development education projects, teaching English, and perfecting her Kiswahili! Sarah now resides in South Africa, where she is completing her master’s degree in ‘Justice & Transformation’ at the University of Cape Town. She plans to pursue a professional career related to transforming Africa’s political landscape and empowering communities to overcome social injustices, and hopes to return to East Africa in the not-so-distant future.

Full Name (required) Karima Tawfik, Summer 2009 Projects Assistant

Biography Details (required) Karima Tawfik interned with CoKF in summer 2009 primarily on the KiberaOnline Schools Project, where she worked alongside other interns to set up a new computer lab and teach a computer course at the Kibra Academy, a high school serving 130 teenagers. She also co-facilitated a leadership retreat that fostered self-esteem and dialogue through skits, games, discussion and presentations for CoKF\\'s high school scholars. While in Kenya, Karima also conducted interviews and home visits of elementary students at the Red Rose School to write student profiles that documented progress and existing needs. Karima is currently a senior program assistant at the Academy for Educational Development in Washington DC, where she works on a project that seeks to improve classroom teaching throughout Pakistan. Karima graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University in 2009 with a degree in International Affairs.

Full Name (required) Joscelyn "Jos" Truitt and Jacqueline "Jackie" Espana, 2009-2010 Projects Assistants

Biography Details (required) Joscelyn Truitt and Jacqueline Espana graduated from the NYU Silver School of Social Work in 2009, joining the CoKF team for their internship as Project Assistants in September of the same year. Prior to CoKF, Jos and Jackie were social workers at the Bellevue Hospital Program for Survivors of Torture, providing counseling and services to recently immigrated asylum seekers. In their 10 months with CoKF, they have been teaching Life Skills courses and providing additional support for sponsored children at the Red Rose School and in our High School Scholars Program. In the spring of 2010, Jos and Jackie launched a comprehensive campaign on behalf of CoKF for the elimination of violence against children in Kibera, with a special focus on alternatives to corporal punishment in schools. The campaign has included seminars and workshop trainings for local teachers and an art competition to get students and school leaders to address the topic of violence against children through posters, music, song, poetry, dance, and drama.