On the 23rd January 2021, Think Africa held its Annual General Meeting and elected a leadership team composed of both new and old members.
As the leadership structure of Think Africa transitions, and our commitment and enthusiasm to engage, promote and empower the African diaspora and enhance collaboration between Finland and African countries continues with fresh perspectives, the task of creating a strong and impactful organisation is at the forefront of this Board. Our achievement will depend on and require strategic partnerships and collaboration to exert impact with multidisciplinary actors and/or stakeholders from diverse sectors of society.
This blog-post is an introduction of the Think Africa Board of Trustees for 2021- 2022 with an inclusive brief of personal narratives and descriptions of their focus of desires, interests, tasks and responsibilities.
About Me: I have been a Board member of Think Africa since 2018, and I am continuing in my role as the Chairperson of the Board, for a two year term. During my term, I want to focus on three things 1. Sustainability of the organisation which includes hiring a paid staff, 2. Growth and expansion of activities outside of Southern Finland (Uusimaa), and 3. Putting in place a process to execute the organisational strategy developed in 2020.
Personally, I also want to use my research and data analysis skills to make Think Africa become more data-driven in its decision making.
Hobby: I am originally from Rwanda, I enjoy music and dancing, watching good movies and tv-shows, and reading books. I also love baking and traveling.
I often share my knowledge and interests in my personal blog http://myriammunezero.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-myriam-munezero-7a352014/
About Me: I am an Ethiopian and a human rights lawyer. I am passionate about issues that are relevant to immigrants in Finland such as integration, wellbeing and employment.
Desires: I would like Think Africa to continue to be a facilitator for the equal participation and inclusion of the African diaspora into the Finnish society.
Hobby: I love netflix, cooking and sauna.
Outside of Think Africa, I work as a research assistant.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-achame-7768b690/
About Me: I have been living in Finland since 2010 and I am originally from Rwanda. I hold a master’s degree in industrial mathematics from LUT and a qualification of professional teacher from HAMK. Currently, I work with basic and high school education (7 – 19 years old) in the context of Finnish education system.
I have a great interest in the Finnish basic education system. I often share my personal views and thoughts on this on my website: https://educhildfirst.com/. I also enjoy spending time engaging in different activities that promote the wellbeing of migrants through Think Africa.
Anyone who shares Think Africa’s goals is warmly welcome to connect with me and join us.
Interests and hobbies include gymming, karate, playing chess and spending some quality time with my family.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/senghor-nkuliza-b7b24231/
About Me:I am originally from Ethiopia. I have been working in international development for several years mostly on gender equality, women empowerment, and children’s rights. I hold an M.Sc in Media and Global Communication from the University of Helsinki.
Desires: My main contribution would be to work towards enhancing Think Africa’s visibility, and keep the conversation going with like-minded people, because “the more the merrier”.
Hobby: I enjoy journaling my thoughts, following news and current affairs, and listening to my favorite podcasts/shows.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feven-abegaz/
About Me : I am originally from Nigeria and have lived in Finland since 2005. I am an early-career social sciences researcher with professional training and work experience in Social Research and small business management advisory and training. I hold a Ph.D. in Social and Public Policy from the University of Helsinki and an M.Sc in Development and International Cooperation from the University of Jyväskylä.
My research interests include African migrants’ welfare, Africa’s regional integration, informal sector development, migrant entrepreneurship, and social protection in Africa.
Desires: I see myself as a professional committed to bridging theoretical analysis with policy development and contributing to concrete improvements in society. My friends describe me as creative, proactive, dedicated and resilient. As a member of the Board, I am interested in increasing the voices of African professionals in the narratives of African migrant experiences in Finland through research, and improving the social and economic wellbeing of African migrants in Finland. I intend to do this through projects on education, entrepreneurship and work-life. I also expect to contribute to project development and actively support social programs for relaxation and recreation. For relaxation I enjoy social gathering, dancing to African music, Hip-hop, and RnB, and listening to classical and gospel music.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christal-o-spel-244a3510/
About Me: My persona is constructive, critical and design thinking. Originally from Liberia, I have lived in Finland since January, 1991. Prior to relocation; I studied History and philology at the Patrice Lumumba Friendship University in Moscow, the former Soviet Union. I am a community educator, psychosocial counselor and youth worker, specializing in empowerment and focus group facilitation. My expertise is embedded in DISCO[Diversity for Inclusion and Social Cohesion].
Desires: My endeavor is to contribute to building bridges of sustainable social relationships for better integration and cultural cohesion with the orientation of exerting impact for utilizing African diaspora social capita in Finland.
“Ubuntu” is my favorite mantra. I believe in our power to empower… and that in our rules of engagement and social interaction; it is best to learn from the past, plan for the future by focusing exclusively on our present situation.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesseh-cucu-63571482/?originalSubdomain=fi
About Me: I am Jukka Pekka and have extensive knowledge in industrial and construction projects, including modular buildings. My expertise include production economics, logistics and local business cultures. I work presently on a project related to recycling and affordable housing.
During my career I have worked on projects in Russia and the Middle East.
However, since 2017 I have been focused on doing business in East Africa with multinational teams.
Jukkaˋs Vision: I see great possibilities in activating cooperation between companies and people both in Finland and in Eastern Africa. The story is just beginning, and we could share a great future. For me Think Africa is a platform to work for it.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lehtinen-jukka-pekka-ab316088/?originalSubdomain=fi
About Me: My name is Marcellinus Chum Dike, fondly called Max. I am from Nigeria and have lived in Finland since 2009. I hold a Ph.D. in International Business from the Aalto University School of Business and an MSc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Tampere University of Technology.
I am currently a docent and work as an Associate Professor in the Management at the School of Economics and Management with the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Russia. I am a lecturer and conduct master-level supervisions for term papers and dissertations, on scholarly research in International Business Strategy.
Desires: I am highly motivated to serve in the 2021 board of Think Africa, with the expectation of contributing towards the betterment of the livelihood of African residents in Finland and to assist make the continent of Africa a better place. I aim to achieve these through research and networking, both within and outside Think Africa.
I am also presently the chairman of Nzuko Umunna Ndi Igbo (an Igbo socio-cultural organization) in Finland; and happily married with three children.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcdike/
Congratulations to our newly elected and re-elected Board members!
This blog has been edited for publication by Mrs. Feven Abegaz and Mr. Cucu Wesseh for Think Africa.
