Who We Are

As the senior FCDE representative in Uganda, Sylvia has been with the organization since inception in 2011. She has more than 14 years of experience with nonprofit organizations and is passionate about sustainable development through empowering grassroots community groups. A strong believer in positive thinking and team building, she regularly engages her staff in consensus-building exercises and values the power of mentorship, collaborative communication, and spearheading strong leaders. She is energized by the Local Partner Organizations who are championing sustainable development in the communities they serve.

Outside work, she enjoys spending time with her son, reading and dancing to good music (We can dance!). Also ask her about soccer, a game she has loved since childhood. Sylvia can be reached at sylvia@fcde-dev.org.

With more than a decade of experience under his belt in implementing evidence-based community programs, Livingstone has expert knowledge in the areas of health, human rights, education, leadership development, systems strengthening, and institutional capacity building.

He loves watching soccer and reading novels in his leisure time and also runs pro bono mentoring sessions for the youth and children in the rural communities in Uganda.

He is passionate about making a difference in communities and organizations with a strong belief that: “It’s always possible and we can!” Livingstone can be reached at livingstone@fcde-dev.org.

Barnabas is an experienced fundraiser, grant-writer, and program planner. He has been working to promote the right to holistic education and wellbeing for rural children for the past three years.

Dedicating himself to empowering grassroots organizations at FCDE, Barnabas is passionate about working with our local partners to fight poverty and injustices in their communities. He is a certified coach in small business development for low income women and has been an African Visionary Fellow with the Segal Family Foundation.

Barnabas enjoys jogging with his wife and seeing his two sons grow. He can be reached at barnabas@fcde-dev.org.

Robert received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Nkumba University. He is an innovative and self-driven accountant professional who strives to learn new ways of doing things and looks for challenges that take him out of his comfort zone. Robert has been with FCDE since 2016 and is responsible for supporting the fiscal management and transparency of the organization. He has strong interpersonal and communication skills and enjoys the energy he gets from his colleagues that work with him.

Beyond his professional work, Robert loves watching soccer and is a fan of Manchester United football club; He also likes dancing and swimming. Please feel free to contact him at robertm@fcde-dev.org.

A proud member of the FCDE team since 2015, Robert is passionate about building effective programs and trainings that advance knowledge in information communication technology for grassroots community organizations. He has expertise in website designing, computer networking, repair and maintenance, and digital marketing and communication.

Robert enjoys being out with friends and playing with his two children, Elvis and Ellyssa, during his free time. Robert has a strong conviction in teamwork and believes that Together Every One Achieves More (TEAM). Contact Robert at robertb@fcde-dev.org.

Prior to joining FCDE, Juliet worked with grassroots communities to implement innovative initiative programs to improve community cohesion and development. She likes learning new things that help her to grow and create results and also motivated by local partner organizations that are self-driven who enjoy their work and make a difference in their communities.

She loves cooking and singing. Juliet is a community advocate against domestic violence among families through music, and skits that portray messages of hope to those affected by domestic violence and other injustices. She also likes watching soccer and African movies. For any information contact Juliet at juliet@fcde-dev.org.

A true FCDE old timer, having worked with us since 2011, Benard is responsible for maintaining the office premises, and most appreciatively, ensuring that all the FCDE Kasese staff are well-fed, happy, and comfortable every day of the workweek! Benard has almost a decade of experience working in a nonprofit organization in office maintenance and management and holds a certificate in catering services.

In his free time, Benard enjoys watching football and cheering for Chelsea, listening to music, watching adventure and action movies, and doing business at his local retail shop in Kasese Town. Feel free to reach out to him at bernard@fcde-dev.org.

With over 15 years of experience in design and delivery of context appropriate programs, Gordon has managed systems that strengthen programs at community, regional and national levels. A graduate of Makerere University, he is a member of many professional organizations and committees with skills in developing and delivering strategic and innovative programs that address the social and health needs of a wide range of audiences. Joining FCDE in May 2019, Gordon is a natural pacemaker with an excellent sense of humor and is everyone’s friend.

An avid jogger, Gordon can do 21 KM on a good day. He likes sports, especially tennis and would not fail to mention anyone that will offer him a free tennis kit in his will! He is a strong believer in talent development and works with a youth football team in his community with one of his sons training to be a professional footballer. Feel free to contact him at gordon@fcde-dev.org.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Reachel’s expertise includes designing graphics, installation and maintenance of computer systems and the integration of end-to-end security solutions. After joining the FCDE team in 2019, Reachel has been inspired by strengthening communities with knowledge and skills in data communication technology and looks forward to enhancing our local partners’ capacity in creating a positive and lasting change in their communities.

She enjoys spending her leisure time with family, discovering new opportunities, adventuring new places, and listening to music.You can reach out to Reachel at reachel@fcde-dev.org.

A social worker at heart, Ameriah joined FCDE in 2018 after working as a counselor. She is warm, open and direct and combines experience, education, creativity, and a sense of humor with a down-to-earth, realistic approach to community development. Her great passion is to bring change to communities that encounter challenges drawing from a variety of methods to create a tailored approach for each organization and situation.

Aside from community work practice, Ameriah is a research scientist. She also enjoys spending time with her family & friends and listening to music as one of her favorite pastimes. For more info reach out to her at ameriah@fcde-dev.org.

With extensive experience in hotel management, Rodgers joined FCDE in 2017 where he has continued to utilize his administrative, interpersonal and organizing skills. Since then, he has succeeded in strengthening his interpersonal relationships and has greatly managed staff welfare ensuring that everything at the site is taken care of!

In his free time, Rogers enjoys watching football and hanging out with friends. Feel free to reach out to him at rodgers@fcde-dev.org.

A nonprofit devotee, Rebecca has almost (she doesn’t want to age herself!) 20 years of experience working with organizations dedicated to youth and community development across the globe. From both sides of the SF Bay (shout out!), to rural East African villages, to islands of the South Pacific, and now her native San Diegan stomping ground, Rebecca has capitalized on her work in the field (to where her heart always returns) in order to create comprehensive, multi-faceted programs designed to address community-identified needs and solutions. Her education and clinical training include master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology and International Social Development, both of which have focused on cultivating meaningful partnerships across organizations and cultures. As FCDE’s first team member (in it for the long haul), Rebecca is inspired daily by the dedicated teams in Uganda who work tirelessly to impact sustainable change.

When not writing proposals, procedural guidelines, or technical training curricula, Rebecca serves on three Boards, supports the family business, and can be found embarking on mystical adventures with her daughter typically involving coastal sand, fairy dust, and much laughter. Feel free to contact her at rebecca@fcde-dev.org.

Ashley is committed to helping visionaries build stronger organizations. She loves being part of small organizations’ growth and has worked with nonprofits operating in East Africa, the Caribbean and Central Eastern Europe. She has also supported large, internationally-focused institutions including the Peace Corps, Amnesty International USA, the National Democratic Institute and USAID’s Democracy Network Program. Ashley has a background in education and youth development with expertise in strategic planning and program development, improving monitoring and results measurement, and designing and executing training programs. She earned a Master of International Affairs in Economic and Political Development from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts from Claremont McKenna College. Her favorite piece of non-office equipment is her ULA backpack. When she’s not on trail, she can be reached at ashley@fcde-dev.org.

Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Nishtha worked as a journalist with one of the largest English newspapers in the country. As she collaborated with activists and community leaders for news stories, she discovered her passion for social advocacy and community engagement. Since then she has worked with nonprofits and advocacy centers in India and the U.S. to help further their vision. Most notably, she worked as a program associate with the Elma Lewis Center for Civic Engagement, Learning and Research, where she gained experience in community outreach and building a grassroots movement. She also worked with Boston Partners in Education as their program coordinator for Power Lunch, a reading enrichment program for students in Boston Public Schools.

She holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Management from Emerson College in Boston. In her free time, Nishtha likes to bake, watch world cinema, and explore museums. You can reach out to her at nishtha@fcde-dev.org

Carl is an entrepreneur with more than twenty years of experience internationally and domestically. Carl began his international career working at the grassroots level as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. Following his Peace Corps service, Carl obtained an MBA from Colorado State University and has held a number of international positions, including water sanitation consultant in Cote d’Ivoire; VOCA Country Director in Warsaw, Poland; Peace Corps Country Director in Sofia, Bulgaria; SEAF’s Chief of Party of Kasi Agriventure investment project; and most recently, World Learning’s Chief of Party of the Transformational Leadership Program in Prishtina, Kosovo.

In addition to his international work, Carl has extensive experience forming and launching cooperatives internationally and domestically. He was co-founder of Cooperative Solutions and the Main Street Cooperative Group in Phoenix, Arizona. Carl also launched Colorado State University’s Global Social and Sustainable MBA program. His current passion is in developing and applying enterprise solutions that solve chronic development challenges in the base of pyramid markets to produce triple bottom-line results. He is fluent in German, French and Bulgarian and speaks passable Bambara. He is now an avid Albanian language learner.

Heidi served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon from 1989-1991 and has a Masters Degree in Environmental Health from Oregon State University. As part of her graduate work, Heidi conducted a microbiological assessment of water quality in streams throughout the state of Oregon. Following her graduate studies, Heidi moved to Thoreau, New Mexico and worked with Navajo women to provide a home-health visiting program for expecting and new mothers. While in New Mexico, she developed a nationally distributed catalog for Native American artisans that provided them with a greatly expanded market. In 2002, Heidi and her family moved to Sofia, Bulgaria where Heidi worked with a gallery that supported local, disabled, minority and orphaned artisans.

Heidi now lives in Ketchum, Idaho and is the mother of two wonderful boys. She is an active volunteer for the schools, environmental causes and international development.

Founding Advocates for the West in 2003, Laird has been a leader in environmental litigation for over twenty years– compiling a strong track record of success for the conservation movement in Idaho and other western states. He has won many decisions in federal and state courts over public lands logging, grazing, water quality, endangered species, water rights, and other environmental issues. Among other awards, United Vision for Idaho named him the 2002 Idaho Environmental Leader of the Year; the Wilderness Society named him an “Environmental Hero” in 2003; and a leading publication has named him a “Mountain State Super Lawyer” every year since 2007 for environmental litigation. Laird is a 1986 graduate of Yale Law School, and has an MA in International Relations from Yale Graduate School.

Scott is FCDE’S newest Board member and holds an MBA from the University of Washington. He brings private sector experience and perspectives to the table that enrich conversations about organizational growth and business development. We are grateful for his support and passion for the impactful work that FCDE does in Uganda.