BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL - Key Persons
As Head of Finance, Ade manages the finance function of the organisation, ensuring funds collected are recorded, allocated and spent appropriately. Ade is also responsible for financial reporting internally and externally and ensuring the organisation conforms to the various legal and ethical standards in the furtherance of its financial objectives. Ade has worked in finance for over 20 years in both the commercial and not for profit sector and has vast experience of the education sector. Ade joined Book Aid International as Head of Finance in June 2016.
As Chief Executive, Alison leads the charity, working closely with the Board of Trustees which is chaired by Dr Alice Prochaska.
Alison worked for 25 years in international educational publishing. Since joining the charity, she has grown its book provision programme to over one million books a year and has launched a range of new, innovative programmes and partnerships.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Executive Director and Founder, Education Information Services International ( EISERVI ), Cameroon
Andrew Nyenty leads EISERVI's work providing education and information services to underprivileged, displaced and poverty-affected communities throughout Cameroon. His work gives children and young people access to books that enhance their lives and help them develop strong reading skills.
Mr. Nyenty has more than 20 years' experience and has served as Information Services Manager of the British Council, Cameroon where he helped expand its library and education programmes. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Library Science and a Post Graduate Diploma in Library Planning and Design from the Universities of Maiduguri in Nigeria and Newcastle Upon Tyne in the UK.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Senior Librarian, Bulawayo Municipal Library Services, Zimbabwe
Antonetta Sipho Madziva nee' Msimanga is the Senior Librarian in the Bulawayo Municipal Library Services. She has 36 years' experience in public libraries and was Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Library Association from 2003 to 2007.
Ms. Madziva nee' Msimanga holds numerous degrees including a Master of Science Degree in Library and Information Science, a Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies and a City and Guilds Certificate in Library and Information Science. She also advocates for the importance of libraries, taking part in annual activities of the International Association of School Libraries and the Matabeleland Reading Awareness Campaign. She is an International Network of Emerging Library Innovators Sub-Sahara Africa graduate and is an Advancing Library Visibility in Africa Champion.
Job Titles:
- Head of Operations & Acquisitions
As Head of Operations & Acquisitions, Brian oversees the team responsible for warehousing, selecting, packing and shipping more than 1 million publisher-donated books every year, and leads on sourcing and managing book donations from UK publishers. Brian has over 15 years' experience in the publishing industry, having previously worked in Sales Operations for Hachette UK, Titan Books and Bonnier Books and as Operations Manager for Turnaround Distribution.
Charly has over 40 years' experience of warehousing, supply chain, systems and inventory management in the publishing industry. He spent 15 years at Cambridge University Press as Distribution Director and was Vice President of Global Supply Chain at John Wiley & Sons where he was responsible for over 300 staff involved in the global warehousing, distribution and inventory management. Today, Charly heads up an independent global consultancy focussing on supply chain optimisation where he uses his extensive experience of delivering significant and sustainable improvements across local, regional and global supply chains.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Executive Director for ZOCS
- Executive Director, Zambia Open Community Schools ( ZOCS ), Zambia
As Executive Director for ZOCS, Ms. Muma leads the organisation's work securing educational opportunities for learners outside the government school system. Since its founding in 1992 the organisation has built the capacity of thousands of volunteer teachers, empowered communities to provide education locally and collaborated with the government to establish policies and legislation that formalise support to community schools.
Ms. Muma has over twenty years' experience in Zambian governmental and non-governmental organisations which have given her an in-depth understanding of the policy issues that surround social sector development in Zambia. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and a Master's Degree in Development Studies.
Dhivya O'Connor is a charity leader with 24 years' experience. She is the CEO of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and was previously CEO of The Girls' Network, United World Schools, Chartered Institute of Fundraising and Children with Cancer UK. She sits on the Steering Committee of Groundbreakers, a network promoting women leaders, and is Governor of a state primary school. She has also held various strategy, business development and leadership roles in the for-profit sector, including at GE Capital, Lloyds Bank, and OctopusTravel (now part of Expedia Group). She is the creator and executive producer of The Charity CEO Podcast and has also volunteered with NGOs in India, South Africa and Cambodia.
Dr Alice Prochaska has led some of the world's most important libraries and archives. She has served as a board member of the Bodleian Library and Yale University Press, worked at the UK National Archives and as Director of Special Collections at the British Library and led one of the largest research libraries in the world as University Librarian at Yale.
As Chair of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations Dr Prochaska joined the fight against the destruction of libraries in areas of conflict. She has a special interest in the preservation of international heritage collections and has published, curated exhibitions and broadcast on topics dealing with archives and libraries.
Dr Prochaska holds the degrees of MA and Doctor of Philosophy in Modern History from the University of Oxford, and she served as Principal of Somerville College Oxford 2010 to 2017. Her other interests include the history of women's education and diversity in universities, and in her spare time she volunteers with homeless and refugee charities.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Co - Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative
Dr Anne Makena is the Co-Director of the Africa Oxford Initiative, a platform that facilitates impactful partnerships between Oxford and Africa-based institutions and develops bespoke programmes to support the next generation of African changemakers. Anne completed her DPhil in Chemical Biology as a Rhodes Scholar and is currently taking an Executive MBA. She has worked in building networks for research excellence, bridging the research-impact divide and advising on equity in partnerships. Anne believes in the power of robust education and research ecosystems to build innovative, equitable and prosperous societies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Chairman, Tanzania Library Association, Tanzania
Prior to becoming Chair of the Tanzania Library Association, Dr. Alli Mcharazo served as Director General of the Tanzania Library Services Board from 2007 to 2019. He is also an Associate Professor at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dr. Mcharazo holds a Fellowship of the Library Association, PhD and Master's Degree in Library and Information Studies, a Bachelor's Degree in Information Management and a Diploma of Librarianship. He has taught at Thames Valley University London (now University of West London), worked as a Librarian with the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (now Ardhi University) and contributed a number of papers on library and information studies to journals in Africa and Europe.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- AfLIA 's Executive Director
- Executive Director, the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions ( AfLIA ), Ghana
As AfLIA's Executive Director, Dr. Helena R. Asamoah-Hassan leads the organisation's efforts advocating for favourable policies for the African library community and building their capacity to offer effective services. She is also Chairperson of the Ghana Library Authority Board and Secretary-General of the UNESCO African Regional Committee of the Memory of the World Program.
Dr. Asamoah-Hassan has been a library professional for 45 years. She has held numerous chairs and memberships, including with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the Electronic Information for Libraries Advisory Board and the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Ghana. She is also an editorial Consultant for the Ghana Library Journal, is on the editorial board of Library Trends and is a member of the University of Ghana's School of Communication and Information Studies Management Committee. Dr. Asamoah-Hassan has 25 publications, 112 conference papers and 20 major commissioned reports to her name.
Job Titles:
- Lecturer
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Lecturer in Library and Information Science, University of Abuja, Nigeria
Dr. Okojie is a lecturer at the University of Abuja. She has served on the International Advisory Committee, UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, and IFLA's Global Libraries Board. Her prior roles include President of the Nigerian Library Association, Member, IFLA Governing Board; Area Director, The British Council, Ibadan, Nigeria and CEO of the Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria, where she laid the foundation for the strategic direction of librarianship in Nigeria.
With 38 years of experience in the library and information science field, Dr. Okojie has published more than forty papers and received 15 awards. She has a passion for advocacy, mentoring young librarians and promoting access to information. She was a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Libraries Program Adviser.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Founder, Ineza Foundation, Rwanda
Elizabeth Johnson (nee Mujawamaliya) leads the Ineza Foundation's work advocating for improved education for underprivileged children in rural Rwanda. The foundation has so far created 34 new community libraries in Rwanda and supported 68 community libraries. It also created and operates two rural early child development centres and continues to create home based reading programmes which support early literacy at a grassroots level.
Mrs. Johnson was born and raised in rural Rwanda. Her current work is inspired by her earlier underprivileged experiences which have enabled her to empower others to achieve better opportunities for the future. She considers herself a servant leader and as a Rotarian holds the Rotary International District 5050 Governor's Service Award for her outstanding community service. Mrs. Johnson also sits on the national committee of Rwanda Library Forum and holds a Master's Degree in Leadership, Non-Profit stream.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Chief Executive, Ghana Library Authority ( GhLA ), Ghana
Since becoming Chief Executive of GhLA in 2018, Hayford Siaw has led efforts to grow the number of libraries in the library's network from 61 to 113, introduced a new digital library service and increased the number of books in the country's public libraries from less than 400,000 to over 1.2 million.
In 2021 GhLA was declared Library of the Year by the London Book Fair and the United Nations Public Service Award recognised GhLA as one of the world's most innovative public service organisations. Mr. Siaw is a recipient of the 15th Point of Light awarded by Queen Elizabeth II and he holds a Certificate in Governing Digital Transformation from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, UK.
Job Titles:
- Head of Community Engagement at Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Job Titles:
- Head of Communications ( Maternity Cover )
As Head of Communications (maternity cover), Henri is responsible for Book Aid International's brand, its communications through all channels and increasing the charity's profile. Henri has a background in children's literacy and reading for pleasure having previously held the position of Director of Marketing and Communications at BookTrust and more recently Head of Marketing and Communications at Doorstep Library. A qualified secondary school English teacher she has a true passion for children's education and brings a wealth of charity sector expertise.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Founder and CEO, Rainbow Trust Foundation, Ghana
Joyce Ampofo leads Rainbow Trust's work to improve access to quality education through books and reading for underprivileged children in Ghana. The charity establishes libraries in schools, and has so far supported more than 50 schools across Ghana. Her work is driven by her 20 years' experience as a teacher, where she saw the impact of a lack of books.
Ms. Ampofo has been acknowledged by the Ghana Education Service for her role in the advancement of education in Ghana. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from University of Education, Winneba and Teacher's Certificate from Wiawso College of Education.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Founder and Director, Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre, Uganda
Justin Kiyimba founded the Nambi Sseppuuya Community Resource Centre in memory of his daughter, Irene Nambi Sseppuuya, following her sudden death in 2002. The centre works to fight poverty, increase literacy and help the community build a more sustainable future.
Mr. Kiyimba has been an information professional since 1974. He served as Head of the Library and Documentation Centre at the Institute of Public Administration in Kampala Uganda, the Head Research Librarian at the Kagera Basin Organisation in Kigali Rwanda and as the University Librarian at Kyambogo University in Kampala. Mr. Kiyimba helped found the Uganda Community Libraries Association (UgCLA) and has served as UgCLA's Secretary and Chairman. He is a member of the Treasurer of the Reading Association of Uganda.
As Head of Fundraising, Laura is responsible for Book Aid International's income generation. She has a background of over 15 years in charity fundraising which includes working with high-net-worth individuals, trust and foundation applications, running high-profile events and overseeing large individual giving and membership programmes. Most recently Laura has worked for charities whose focus has been on providing advice and information and campaigning for policy change in the UK. She is passionate about the difference philanthropy and giving can make to supporters and people around the world. Laura joined Book Aid International in May 2021.
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- Founder and Managing Director, Mountain Top Educational Publishers, Kenya
Lawrence Njagi has grown Mountain Top Educational Publishers into one of the most respected publishing houses in the East African region, offering textbooks as well as general reading materials.
Prior to working at Mountain Top, he was Chairperson of the Kenya Publishers' Association for nine years and is the Chairperson-elect of the African Publishers Network. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the International Publishers Association and a committee member of the IPA Africa Publishers Innovation Fund, an $800,000 fund to support literacy, book access, indigenous publishing and library restoration in Africa.
Job Titles:
- Fundraising Administrator
The Rt Hon the Lord Boateng, PC DL was born in London but spent much of his childhood in Ghana, West Africa. A civil liberties lawyer, he was one of the UKs first Black MPs (1987-2005) and became the first Black Cabinet Minister (2002 -2005) serving as Chief Secretary to the Treasury until he left Parliament to become the UKs High Commissioner to South Africa (2005-2009).
Ennobled in 2010 he serves on numerous commercial and philanthropic boards with a focus on Africa, youth, health and economic development. He is also the Chancellor of the University of Greenwich and Vice President of the London Library.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Strategic Communications Specialist
Michelle Okwudiafor is a strategic communications specialist with over 14 years' experience in Nigeria and the UK. She currently leads Communication and Engagement at TotalEnergies UK. Michelle has worked on projects aimed at improving basic education, enabling technology and teaching employability skills, including leading the communications strategy for a three year, $2m project providing access to quality education for 15,000 marginalised children in Northern Nigeria. In 2020, Michelle founded Career Invest as part of her work advocating for belonging and inclusion. She regularly delivers workshops on personal branding, inclusion, allyship, confidence and Personal Impact.
Job Titles:
- Honorary Treasurer
- Fellow of Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge
Nick Allen is a geographer and Fellow of Sidney Sussex College at the University of Cambridge. He has extensive experience of the corporate and the charity sectors and has worked in both Africa and Latin America. From 2008 to 2018, he was the Bursar of Sidney Sussex College. While there he was also a Director at the Royal Society Ltd and the Cambridge Business Improvement District.
Prior to this, Nick worked for Unilever in roles in finance, risk management and general management. During this time he spent ten years working with businesses in Africa. In his last two roles at Unilever, he was the UK's Chief Finance Officer and the Managing Director of Unilever's Corporate Venturing & Innovation Group. Nick is a member of the Finance, Risk & Audit Committee of Farm Africa.
Nigel Newton was born and raised in San Francisco. He read English at Selwyn College, Cambridge and in 1986 started Bloomsbury Publishing. Nigel was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to the publishing industry. He is also appointed as President of the Publishers Association.
Nigel has previously served as a member of the Booker Prize Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Charleston Trust, Chair of World Book Day, member of the Publishers Association Council, Trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Chairman of the British Library Trust, and head of the Selwyn Association.
Pam is a professional librarian and has been a lifelong champion of school libraries and librarians. For 23 years she managed the London Borough of Islington's Education Library Service, as well as teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses on children's literature at London Metropolitan University. She is currently researching the role of illustration in children's information books. She is Chair of the Akili Trust, a small charity supporting educational development in rural Kenya and also Chair of IBBY UK (International Board on Books for Young People).
Job Titles:
- Company Secretary
- Head of Resources and Company Secretary
Rebekah leads on Human Resources to include employment life-cycle, policy implementation, culture and EDI. Rebekah ensures that the charity offers an efficient, safe and positive working environment and continually monitors its operational environmental impact.
As Company Secretary, Rebekah ensures that the charity remains compliant and supports the work of the charity's Board and governance sub-committees.
Rebekah is strongly committed to the charity sector, with over 9 years' experience in the sector before joining BAI in 2018. Prior to Rebekah's work in the sector, Rebekah worked in the arts and media and studied photography at university.
As Head of Programmes, Samantha leads the development strategy for the support and development of African libraries through projects and librarian training. Samantha has a wealth of experience in Africa-based education having worked for the British Council on sub-Saharan African programmes and most recently as Room to Read's Zambia Country Director. She brings with her an in-depth knowledge of school library provision and developing literacy and a love of reading through interventions in schools. Samantha joined Book Aid International as Head of Programmes in October 2015.
Sayid Aden Ali works for IFED, an organisation which has set up over 15 schools in Somalia, giving thousands of children an opportunity to learn. This is his story.
Job Titles:
- President of the Lebanese Chapter of IBBY
Job Titles:
- Member of the International Advisory Board
- President, Lebanese Chapter of International Board on Books for Young People ( IBBY ), Lebanon
As President of the Lebanese chapter of IBBY, Shereen Kreidieh works to bring books and children together. She also established and manages Asala Publishers, where she leads the company in producing high quality children's books in Arabic. Ms. Kreidieh holds a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from the American University in Beirut, a Teaching Diploma in Early Childhood Education from the Lebanese American University, a Master's Degree in Children's Literature from the University of Surrey Roehampton and a PhD in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University.
In addition to her work with IBBY and Asala Publishers, Ms. Kreidieh teaches children's literature and social work in Haigazian University. She has served as a member of the Book and Reading Promotion Committee in the Ministry of Culture in Lebanon, was on the IBBY Executive Committee from 2018 to 2022 and she is currently a member of Hans Christian Anderson Award jury.
As a writer and traveller, I think everyone should be able to open a window on the world through books. It's incredible how lives can be transformed through access to books.
One of the things I've found on my journeys is the thirst to learn more about the world, and this is one sure way to help people get more out of life. Thanks to the Reverse Book Club members, Book Aid International sends around one million brand new books to libraries around the world every year.
Susan is a Chartered Institute of Management Accountants qualified accountant. She is currently the Director of Finance & Resources at Womankind Worldwide (since Sept 2023) and in the last 20 years has also held senior positions with London Sport, the Zoological Society of London, Save the Children, BBC Media Action and Restless Development. Susan is passionate about empowering others and ensuring that her work adds value to organisations working to make a positive difference in people's lives and also serves as the non-executive Treasurer of Citizens Advice Lewisham.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Communications Lead at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Zainab serves as the communications lead at the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, a think tank focused on African governance and leadership. She is responsible for all the Foundation's communications across all channels and leads the Foundation's youth initiative, Now Generation Network. She also sits on the Steering Committee for the African Youth Network Movement. Zainab began her career in local government working for public libraries across London and has significant PR and reputation management experience across multiple markets. She was a recipient of the 2020 Gold SABRE awards for a public relations campaign.