Ashoka in Western Africa

Born and brought up in the Coastal town of Mombasa in Kenya, where not many young girls went past primary school. Peris knew from a young age that she had to change that, by being a role model to other girls and youth in her home town and create opportunities for others to also succeed. She informally taught neighborhood children while still in primary school and led many other ventures. Currently she runs a Public Benefit Organization, Asilia Africa focused on improving Reproductive Health Services for marginalized and vulnerable women as part of reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. Peris joined Ashoka in 2012 and is currently the Director, Fellowship, Africa

Okey is a global Leadership Group Member of Ashoka and currently leads the Youth Years strategy in Africa. In the last year, he has been establishing and co-leading strategic partnerships with government, faculties of education, publishers, education unions and the media, towards a movement that creates an enabling environment for young people to feel, act, and thrive as changemakers. Okey has been a pioneer in justice reform, security reform, and social transformation at the national and regional levels in West Africa for 15 years. Previously, he led the ECOWAS Commission reform program in improving transparency, accountability, effectiveness, and people participation in security decision making. He has supported regional policy formulation, parliamentary capacity building, knowledge sharing, and forging multilateral and multisector partnerships. He is the Founder of EduTrust Foundation and Ofala Publishers Ltd. A lawyer and Master’s degree holder in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London, Okey loves to write, to teach, and to capture beautiful moments of joy and wonder through poetry and travel photography.

Angelou’s love for the environment stretches far back to when she was a little girl who had the chance to escape the dense urban streets of Jersey City, New Jersey, to summer in her family’s home in upstate New York. After a brief stint of practicing law, it was through her work as a Legal Specialist for the New Jersey State Agriculture and Development Committee that Angelou embarked upon a career as an environmentalist.
 
 Angelou further honed her skills as a Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL) in both its New Jersey and Georgia offices. In her position, Angelou acquired land for preservation and worked on the New York/New Jersey Highlands Program, Parks for People-Newark, the New York/New Jersey Harbor Program in New Jersey, the Atlanta Beltline and the 20 County Regional Greenspace Initiative in Georgia.
 
While at TPL, Angelou realized the disconnect between the land that was being preserved and the education of people about that preservation—particularly as it related to our next generation. This was the impetus for the Greening Youth Foundation. As a woman and minority-founded and led non-profit, Angelou is at the helm of a movement to provide environmental and wellness education and career pathways to a new generation, both in the United States and in countries throughout Africa. Angelou was elected as an Ashoka Fellow in 2016 for her work at the Greening Youth Foundation, where she remains the CEO today. The Greening Youth Foundation is cultivating a generation of youth of color to be stewards of our land and natural resources, ultimately shifting the demographics of the environment conservation movement.
 
Angelou is a graduate of Spelman College, Georgia. She received her Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Florida, College of Law. Angelou is a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Right’s Women in Solidarity Society, and Georgia Audubon boards; Advisory Board Member for Outdoor Afro, The Million Mile Greenway, Inc., Keeping It Wild, Inc., and Rachel’s Network; and most recently the author of “Engage, Connect, Protect: Empowering Diverse Youth as Environmental Leaders. Angelou is a lover of cultural dance, hiking and birds and good avocado toast! As recent empty-nesters, Angelou and her husband of 25 years, split their time between Atlanta, GA and Lagos, Nigeria.

Sarah Mujulizi became a part of Ashoka in 2019, assuming the role of Knowledge and Communications Associate at the Africa Hub based in Lagos, Nigeria. With a wealth of experience, she brings a multifaceted skill set encompassing strategic planning, community engagement, content management, and project coordination. In her prior positions, Sarah excelled in delivering targeted media and communication solutions, catering to a specific audience of development stakeholders in government, non-profit organizations, and prestigious international bodies such as the United Nations and the African Union.

Currently, Sarah serves as the Fellowship and Partnership Manager for Ashoka in Africa, where she is dedicated to advancing Ashoka's 'Everyone a Changemaker' vision across the continent. Her proactive approach and commitment to meaningful change make her an invaluable asset to the organization as she continues to play a pivotal role in amplifying Ashoka's impact in Africa.

Paula is passionate about food security, poverty alleviation, youth and female empowerment, and has contributed to academic researches that inform knowledge on the role of African women in Agriculture and the pricing system of agricultural produce on the Italian commodity exchange market.

She possesses a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Food Economics, a Bachelor of Arts combined degree in Economics and Theatre Arts, and has over five years of work experience in diverse areas including, but not limited to, Project and Program Management, Partnerships, Human Resources and Retail Management.

Currently, she leads the Transforming Children and Youth Years program at Ashoka Anglophone West Africa and, supports Partnerships and Venture at Ashoka Africa. In this capacity, she is identifying and supporting young changemakers in the region to increase the visibility and social impact of their work while positioning them for success through collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders.