2022 UMOJA TEAM
The 2022 UMOJA UWC Short Course will be organised by a diverse and dynamic team consisting of UWC alumni and enthusiasts from around the world.
Team Members
Mwegelo Kapinga| Lead Coordinator
Mwegelo moved to Moshi from Dar es Salaam in 2018 to join ISM (now UWC East Africa) as the school's Advancement Officer. She manages external communications and marketing, supports fundraising efforts and leads the school's engagement with alumni.
Mwegelo graduated from Waterford Kamhlaba UWCSA in 2008 and has been based in Tanzania since completing her undergraduate studies in 2012. Prior to pursuing her postgraduate studies in the area of Development, Mwegelo was part of a research team assessing children's learning in Tanzania- a time when her passion for youth education and development evolved.
Emmyrose Rugumamu| Lead Coordinator
Emmyrose was born and raised in Arusha where she joined UWC East Africa in 2020 as the Assistant Advancement Officer. She is responsible for digital content creation, alumni relations, and communications from Arusha Campus. Emmyrose graduated from Daystar University in 2020 and moved back to Arusha. Before pursuing her undergraduate studies, she had a variety of experiences in TV and Radio Production of content for young women and girls.
Emmyrose is passionate about creative content creation, public speaking, and food. She is actively involved in initiatives that aim to reach young people and promote safe creative spaces for women working in the digital sector in Arusha.
Caroline Noah Mwaikuka| Lead Coordinator
Caroline lives in Tanzania and joined UWC East Africa in late 2019 as an Assistant Communications Officer. She works in the Development office managing the schools' social media, schools Merchandise and more. Caroline graduated from Cyprus International University in 2017 and went on to pursue her Masters in Project Planning and Management which she is finalizing (Thesis level).
Caroline was drawn to UWCEA by the mission statement of peace and unity and finds the UWC movement’s ability to bring the whole world to our backyard very fascinating. She is passionate about books, writing, travel and she is happy she gets to do all these just by being a part of the movement.
Stephanie Guarachi Ayala| Participant Coordinator
Stephanie is originally from Oruro- Bolivia, in the middle of the Andes. Her preferred name is Tef. She is currently working on her social ventures, one related to experimental education and the second focusing on women’s health. She graduated from College of the Atlantic in June 2021. Stephanie is a UWC scholar and a first-generation for UWC Changshu China. She is now the Participant Coordinator for the upcoming UMOJA UWC Short Course. In her free time, Tef likes to play with her puppy and also loves to dance. Music is her main passion.
Siri Johnsen| Program Coordinator
Siri is from Denmark but spent most of her life living between Mozambique, Vietnam, and Eswatini. After finalizing her studies at UWCSA, she went on to study Anthropology and Global Development. Since graduating, she has been working for the United Nations, passionate about good governance and building a more sustainable future. Her love for meeting and learning from people of different backgrounds has led her to spend most of her holidays either participating in or facilitating international short courses, and she is really excited to spend this year’s holiday supporting UMOJA. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, knitting, and documentaries.
Tunu Makamula | Communications and Engagement Coordinator
Tunu is originally from Tanzania. She is a Strategic Communications consultant with 9 years of working experience in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. She graduated from Daystar University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in PR & Communications. Tunu loves working with youths and is thrilled to be part of the Umoja team working to build and enhance communities with the UWC movement.
Tunu loves writing, travelling, and outdoor adventures. She is a fitness fanatic.
Woopi Anesu Takarasima | Fellows, Facilitators & Fundraising Communications Coordinator
Woopi is from Zimbabwe and was raised in the Kingdom of Eswatini. She currently lives in Kigali, Rwanda, and studies at the African Leadership University, pursuing a Global Challenges major. Woopi is passionate about improving tertiary education accessibility for refugee students and is invested in using innovative storytelling to support and elevate the voices of unrepresented groups of people.
She has been a participant, facilitator, and intern with the Together for Development & Umoja Unlocked UWC Short Courses. She enjoys exploring new places, reading, and learning from other people’s life experiences
Emmanuel Cosmas Msoka | Facilitator
Emmanuel is an innovator, changemaker, children & youth activist, and a UNICEF Youth Advocate. He is a former Country ambassador of the World Literacy Foundation and a nominee for the International Children Peace Prize for his effort to educate children on their rights and empowering others to speak out on issues affecting them.
He has mentored youths from different countries and worked with various local and international organizations to address issues affecting youth, children, and sustainability. He believes that youth participation in decision-making is a tool for a sustainable future!
Anne Sharlene Murapa | Facilitator
Anne-Sharlene Murapa is a final year Global Challenges student at the African Leadership University. She is passionate about Art, Creative Technology and Society. Anne is a selenophile who loves reading.
Ana Pongrac | Facilitator
Ana is a proud UWC Alumna (Class of 2011) whose UWC journey began in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She holds a BA degree in Anthropology from Dartmouth College, USA and an MSc degree in International Business and Management from Manchester Business School. While Ana started out her career in international development running financial forecasts for projects based in East Africa and South Asia, she now works in finance and focuses on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing at an asset management firm in London. Ana is passionate about sustainability (especially organic farming) and like most millennials, is a self-proclaimed foodie and an avid traveller.