Name: Mr. Bruce O. Odeny
Position:
Secretary and
Treasurer
Mailing Address: Awori House 3rd
Floor
Bank
Street, P.O. Box 3588
Kisumu
40100 Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Current Job Title: Advocate and
Commissioner for Oaths;
Chief Partner,
Bruce Odeny & Company Advocates
Contribution:
Mr. Bruce Odeny brings to the Sandy Happy
Children’s Home over four years of experience in legal
practice. He also specializes in institutional law and is
well-versed in all legal matters associated with running a
credible organization. He has already shown great commitment in
ensuring that the matters of Home are handled judiciously and
within the confines of Kenyan law.
Background:
Mr. Odeny is the Founder and Chief Partner
of Bruce Odeny and Company Advocates based in Kisumu, Kenya. In
2004 he passed the Kenya Bar Exam and received his Certificate
of Admission to practice as an Advocate of the High Court of
Kenya.
Bruce received a Bachelor of Laws degree with
Honors from Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya in 2002, and in
2003 he completed a Diploma in Law at the Kenya School of Law in
Nairobi. During his schooling, he authored two substantial
works – a research paper submitted to the Faculty of Law Board
at Moi University titled, The Role of Sentencing in the
Judicial System, and his legal dissertation, The African
Growth and Opportunity Act: A Wolf in Sheepskin? – to wide
acclaim within the legal community.
After completing his formal legal education,
Bruce worked as an Associate Advocate with three different
firms. It was during this time that he was exposed to a wide
range of legal specialties – including land law, corporate law,
civil law, criminal law, among others. His experience as an
Associate allowed him to branch out on his own to open a
successful general practice, Bruce Odeny & Company, where he
caters to clients’ legal needs in an ethical, thorough,
knowledgeable, and energetic manner. Though only having
practiced for four years, Bruce’s ambitious nature, strong skill
set, and tenacious/committed approach to handling cases has
positioned his firm as one of the fastest growing and most
respected in Kisumu.
A member of both the Law Society of Kenya and
the East African Law Society, Bruce is very active and
well-connected in the East African legal community. Further, he
holds the position of Secretary in the Kisumu Chapter of the
West Kenya Law Society. Since 1997, Bruce has acted as a
Volunteer Tutor at the Rescue Dada Center in Nairobi, a project
which seeks to rehabilitate former street girls; and since 2002,
he has served as a member of the Justice and Peace Commission at
St. Joseph & Mary Parish in Nairobi.
Bruce resides in Kisumu with his wife and two
children.
Name: Mrs. Percilla Adhiambo Obunga
Position: In Charge of Vulnerable Girls and
Orphans
Mailing Address: Kisumu,
Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Current Job Title: Project Director,
Four Pillars Project, Academy for Educational Development
Contribution:
Mrs. Percilla Adhiambo Obunga brings to the Sandy
Happy Children’s Home nearly 10 years of professional experience
dealing with vulnerable children in Kenya. Mrs. Obunga will offer
to the project expertise in the identification of orphans and other
vulnerable children, advisement on programming to meet the needs of
the children, and consultancy on how to coordinate systems to serve
the orphans effectively and sustainably.
Background:
Growing up in rural Kenya, Mrs. Obunga
experienced firsthand the struggles faced by young girls in Kenya’s
rural communities. Starting Class 6 at her rural primary school (US
system 6th Grade), there were over 30 girls in her
class. When she sat for her Class 8 (US system 8th
Grade) national examinations for secondary school qualification,
only two girls remained. The others had either become pregnant,
been married off, or dropped out due to obligations at home. This
inspired Percilla to pursue a career geared towards empowering young
girls and other vulnerable children in Kenya.
Finishing from Ogande Girls High School in Homa
Bay, Kenya in 1996, Percilla went on to study Home Economics at Moi
University in Eldoret, Kenya. In 2001 Percilla volunteered as a
Community Mobilizer in a Girl Education and Early Childhood
Development Program organized by CARE International in Migori,
Kenya. She worked as a mentor promoting educational activities for
young girls through community sensitization and child-to-child
support. Upon completion of her work with this program and despite
significant pressure to continue her home economics study by family
and community members, Percilla decided to go against cultural norms
and change her major to Sociology. She obtained her Bachelor of
Arts in Sociology from Moi University in 2002 and subsequently
received a certificate in Information Technology from Strathmore
University in Nairobi in 2003.
After completing her undergraduate education,
Percilla volunteered as a Community Mobilizer. This time her work
was with the Africa Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) in Homa Bay,
Kenya and the program aim was to provide HIV/AIDS education and
Other Vulnerable Children (OVC) care and support. As a volunteer,
she implemented programs to reduce the stigma of HIV in rural Homa
Bay, promote behavior change, organize People Living With AIDS (PLWA)
groups, and arrange for the development of micro-finance groups for
young women. In terms of OVC care and support, she conducted
community and individual assessments to determine the needs of
vulnerable children in the area and application of effective
programming to meet those needs. The program sponsored 250 orphans
and children at risk to attend secondary school and provided for all
of their needs.
After volunteering with AMREF, Percilla took a
position as Program Coordinator for The Children Behind (TCB)
project organized by Catholic Relief Services from 2004-2008. TCB
gives provision of care to over 5,000 orphans and OVCs in Homa Bay
District. The program provides education sponsorship, healthcare,
HIV/AIDS prevention activities, and basic needs (food, clothing, and
emotional assistance) to the children. The program goal is to
reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in Homa Bay, a district facing many of
the problems associated with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, including a high
number of AIDS orphans and exceeding poverty. Percilla coordinated
all of the programming, logistics, and human resources of the
project, and she further maintained the organization’s database of
children and oversaw the allocation of project finances.
Percilla currently is the Project Director of the
Four Pillars Project organized by the Academy of Educational
Development (AED), an international education NGO. The Four
Pillars Project aims at empowering 400 vulnerable young girls in
Siaya District, Kenya. The project facilitates professional
development of teachers to better meet the needs of young girls,
scholarships for high potential young girls, training of community
mentors as a means to empower young girls, and sensitization of the
community on matters involving girl children. As director of the
project, Percilla sees to it that the project objectives are met,
manages human resources, oversees the finances of the organization,
and provides progress reports and general evaluation of the project
to AED headquarters in Washington D.C.
With so much experience in managing projects
geared towards bettering the lives and providing opportunities for
orphans and other vulnerable children in Kenya, Percilla will be a
vital advisor in the process of finding orphans and organizing the
provision of services and programming for the children helped by the
home.
Percilla resides in Kisumu with her daughter.
Her husband is currently receiving a Master’s degree in Tennessee,
USA.
Name: Mr. Martin Diemo
Position: Treasurer and Financial Controls
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2376
Kisumu
40100, Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Current Job Title: Certified Public
Accountant; Owner, Martin Diemo Consultancy
Contribution:
Mr. Martin Were Diemo brings to the Sandy Happy
Children’s Home over 30 years of professional accounting
experience. Having served in financial management positions for
international corporations such as General Motors and Coca Cola and
currently running his own management and accounting consultancy
firm, Diemo will advise the board on effective financial management
practices in all aspects of operations and monitor the
implementation of internal controls at the organization.
Additionally as an upstanding member of Kisumu society, he will
facilitate the development of relationships with builders and
materials suppliers, conduct costing analysis, and facilitate a
tendering process to find high quality service providers offering
the lowest possible prices.
Background:
Mr. Diemo is currently the proprietor of Martin
Diemo Consultancy, a consulting firm offering general management
consultancy, market research, capital raising advice, balance sheet
restructuring, tax advising, financial modeling, and accounting
system design. He started his firm after retiring from an
illustrious career of financial management.
Martin graduated from Alliance High School in
Nairobi, arguably the most prestigious public high school in Kenya,
in 1972 and went on to study commerce at the University of Nairobi
graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors), Accounting
Concentration. In 1979 he passed a rigorous examination and
received the designation of Certified Public Accountant.
Following his education, Martin worked for
General Motors Kenya and East Trading Company as a staff accountant,
and in 1981 he received a job as a staff accountant for Rift Valley
Bottlers, LTD, a bottling subsidiary of Coca Cola Corporation. He
was employed with Coca Cola for nine years, finishing his service to
the company as Chief Accountant. Leaving Coca Cola, Martin went on
to become financial manager for two different companies eventually
retiring from corporate accounting as financial controller for Afro
Meat Company, LTD., an organization with annual turnover of over
KSHS 400 million (US $5.7 million).
Martin has done many business training and
professional development programs throughout his career, including
computer training through Strathmore College and an in-depth
leadership training course offered by the Industrial Society of
London. He further co-founded a business consulting firm in
Eldoret, Kenya and worked as a counselor with the Kenya Management
Assistance Program (K-MAP) offering financial advisory services to
small enterprises.
A long-time resident of Kisumu, Martin has served
on many boards in the area. He is currently the Secretary of the
Kisumu Town Residents’ Association and a member of the Kisumu City
Business District Association (KCBDA) Governing Council.
Martin has five children. He currently resides
in Kisumu with his wife – a medical doctor – and his primary school
aged daughter. His other four children have all completed
University degrees.
Name:
Mr. Jitendra “Jitu” Tailor
Position: Acquisition of Food and Animal
Husbandry
Mailing Address: Kisumu, Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Current Job Title: Owner/Manager,
New Inca Hotel and Inca Restaurant
Contribution:
Mr. Jitendra “Jitu” Tailor brings to the Sandy
Happy Children’s Home a breadth of knowledge about entrepreneurship
and food science. A well-known restaurateur in Kisumu, Kitale, and
Eldoret, Kenya, Jitu has run over five successful hotel/restaurant
enterprises. He will act as consultant on food, connecting the
Home to reasonably priced wholesale food distributors, assisting in
linking food with income generation. He will also serve as the
Home’s liaison to Kisumu’s Indian community.
Background:
Mr. Tailor is currently the proprietor of New
Inca Hotel and Inca Restaurant located in the heart of Kisumu City.
Having only been open for two years, Inca Restaurant has quickly
grown to become one of the most popular eateries in Kisumu,
attracting many of Kenya’s highest level officials. This is due in
large part to the Jitu’s refusal to compromise on quality and
service in operating the establishment.
Jitu was born and raised in Eldoret, Kenya in a
family of five children. His two brothers are also well-known
restaurateurs in Kenya. Unflinchingly committed to perfection in
his work and with no formal business or chef training, Jitu learned
the restaurant business through a process of trial and error.
The process paid off when they opened Elcove
restaurant in Eldoret to much acclaim. Elcove was one of the most
successful restaurants in Eldoret for many years until Jitu decided
to sell it. He left Eldoret in pursuit of investment opportunities
in the Kisumu. His first step upon arriving in Kisumu was to take
over management of the kitchens at Kisumu Yacht Club and Nyanza
Club. This proved to be a very lucrative venture for him, and he
built a strong base of loyal customers during this time. Feeling
confident in his customer base, he decided to take another step and
branch out on his own to open Inca Restaurant. In the time since
opening Inca, Jitu has successfully expanded his list of regulars
and has proven he is a genius in the restaurant business.
The Indian community in Kisumu is quite
prosperous and influential. Jitu is very well-connected and will
provide his assistance in establishing relationships with
individuals who can bring goods and services to the Home. Further,
his knowledge of food and crop science will be put to use the in the
development of income generating activities geared towards growing
food and raising livestock. As a liaison to the Indian community,
Jitu will be instrumental in putting the Home on the priority list
of generous Indian donors.
Jitu resides in Kisumu.
Name: Mr. Alvin Opiyo Okinyi
Position: Student, Staff and Volunteer Liason
Mailing Address: Box 793
Kisumu
40100, Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Current Job Title: Volunteer
Director Sandy Happy Children's Home,Student, University of
Nairobi
Contribution:
Mr. Alvin Okinyi brings to the Sandy Happy
Children’s Home a fresh perspective. Having faced many obstacles in
pursuit of his dreams, Alvin has successfully overcome those
obstacles to become the first member of his family to receive a
university education. He has keen knowledge and understanding of
youth culture in Kenya and will serve as a valuable source of
information on programming that will effectively engage the target
group of the Home. Furthermore, he will apply the skills he is
currently learning in his study of business management to aid the
Home in the development of income generating activities and will
serve as a mentor to the children living and learning at the
orphanage.
Background:
Mr. Okinyi is currently a student studying
business management at the Kisumu campus of the University of
Nairobi. He graduated from Nyaduong Secondary School in Migori,
Kenya with university level K.C.S.E qualifications.
Coming from a very humble background, Alvin was
born and raised in Migori, Kenya. He is a first-born twin in a
family of seven children. He has faced many hardships in the
process of defining his path to success. With good scores on the
K.C.S.E. and a strong academic record, he had to put his education
on hold due to lack of finances. For the last four years, Alvin has
worked as a driver in the transport sector. Though unfulfilled and
lacking intellectual stimulation in his assigned work tasks, he
tirelessly persevered to make enough money to take care of his
3-year old daughter. In October 2008 his dream of pursuing higher
education became a reality when he was introduced to an individual
who believed in him and his abilities enough to pay for him to study
business management and Information Technology (IT) at the
University of Nairobi.
Though lacking the professional experience of
other members, Alvin offers to the Board life experience crucial to
the formation of effective programming for the children. With a
keen understanding of the situations many of the children face and
as one of Kenya’s emerging leaders, he will offer a perspective
crucial in the process of running the Home. Further, the
business/IT education he is gaining along with his passion for
learning and high level creative capacity will be instrumental in
the development of student-led income generating activities at the
Home. As evidence of his entrepreneurial spirit, Alvin saved enough
money from driving to start his own second hand clothing stall in
the Nyalenda area of Kisumu in 2007. His story is inspiring and the
successes he has and will experience in his life will help him
mentor the children and allow them to see firsthand that no matter
what other people may say with perseverance their dreams can be
realized.
Alvin resides in Kisumu with his daughter.
Name:
Mr. Brian J. Bourn
Position:
Chairman
Mailing Address: Box 793
Kisumu
40100, Kenya
Nationality: American
Current Job Title: Consulting Project
Manager, Sandy Happy Children’s Home;
Kenya-based Manager, Sandy Happy Children's Fund
Contribution:
Mr. Brian Bourn brings to the Sandy Happy Children’s
Home over two years of successful project management and strategy
development/implementation experience in Kenya. Furthermore, he is
firmly committed to transferring his skills to promote the
advancement of Kenyan enterprises and charitable organizations.
Background:
Mr. Bourn has been the Consulting Project Manager for
the Sandy Happy Children’s Home since August 2008. He was hired to
provide the Kenya-based leaders of the organization with
consultation on effective project management, to fundraise, to
implement income generating activities, and to institute systems of
internal financial control. Due to recent events, he has taken on
the challenging responsibility of directing efforts to reorganize
the Home and strategically place it on a path towards achieving the
vision of its founders.
Brian is a native of Long Beach, MS, a town on the
Mississippi Gulf Coast. He graduated in 2004 from the Else School
of Management at Millsaps College in Jackson, MS with a Bachelor of
Business Administration degree and subsequently completed a Master
of Business Administration degree in 2005 in an AACSB-accredited
accelerated MBA program at the same school. During his
undergraduate and graduate education, he was afforded two
opportunities to study international business abroad. As an
undergraduate he studied management with additional courses in
economics and art history at the University of Cambridge in
Cambridge, England, and as a graduate student he studied management
science and marketing at the London School of Economics in London,
England.
After completing his MBA, Brian worked in Jackson, MS
as a Human Resources Generalist for the nuclear power division of
Entergy Corporation, the fourth largest public utility in the United
States. Struggling to find fulfillment in the cubicles and politics
of corporate America, he decided to embark on an adventurous journey
of service in the United States Peace Corps and was assigned to
Kenya as a Small Enterprise Development Volunteer. He came to Kenya
in September 2006.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Brian managed the
marketing and general operations of the crafts division of a
Kisumu-based NGO. He helped the organization to find international
wholesale buyers for its goods and also assisted in improving
efficiency, product quality, financial management, and general
operating effectiveness. Additionally, he provided entrepreneurship
training courses for youth and women’s groups and facilitated the
startup of various income generating activities for groups in the
Kisumu area and neighboring districts.
Brian currently resides in Kisumu and is prepared to
remain in Kenya until the Home is self-sustaining and successfully
managed.
Name:
Mr. C.F. Sandy Pofahl
Position:
Director
Mailing Address: 6615 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75240 USA
Nationality: American
Current Job Title: Founder/Managing
Director, Sandy Happy Children’s Fund, Inc.;
Director,
Sandy Happy Children’s Home;
Owner/Managing
Director, Commonwealth Companies
Contribution:
Mr. Pofahl brings to the Sandy Happy Children’s Home
over forty years of successful business experience and the
management of major real estate and energy oriented companies as
well as extensive onsite experience in China, Africa and Europe. He
has contributed both time and money in the development of non-profit
organizations for over ten years and has a depth of personal
contacts and financial resources that he has dedicated for the
advancement of education and business opportunities for children in
Kenya and the United States as well as the development of Kenyan
medical, dental and vision services and technologies.
Background:
Mr. Pofahl graduated from high school in Riverside,
California from where he went to Stanford University and received
his Bachelor of Arts. After then attending Princeton Theological
Seminary he returned to Stanford School of Law where he received his
Doctor of Jurisprudence. In Dallas he was Legal Counsel for Lincoln
Property Company and then formed Commonwealth Properties that
developed homes and apartments in Texas and Oklahoma. With the
significant increase in oil prices in the 1980’s he formed
Commonwealth Energy with over 30 successful drilling programs. He
now concentrates in business ventures relating to energy
conservation and efficiency as well as considerable time devoted to
the development of the Sandy Happy Children’s Home and Academy.