Meet our tireless and Visionary Board of Directors and their insight motivation !
INNOCENT OWACGIU-CHAIRMAN BOARD
Growing up, I had a dream to manage an impacting initiative/organization for disadvantaged people. This made me engaged in studying course related to community development, and learning a lot to do with empowerment of disadvantaged people.
I hold I Diploma in Social work and Administration from East African Institute for Management Science (EAIMS) and currently pursuing bachelor degree in the same from Gulu University.
While working as Field Guide-Christ Church Child Development centre; Field Officer- Northern Uganda Food Basket; and Research Assistant-Uganda Orthodox Church Mothers Union and working with community groups and organizations as a strategist in institutional strengthening in northern Uganda for more than 7 years, I learned different best practices to proactive managing of community empowerment organizations.
At Carissa, this has become an added advantage as we strive to achieve institutional growth and meaningful change in the lives of disadvantaged young people we work with. I am charged with responsibility to ensure smooth running of Carissa, formulating, discussing and approving of policies, regulations and guidelines, and budget for the effective running of Carissa’s programs and projects. We ensure that stakeholders, partners and donors are keep up to date and relationship maintained through good work.
We are a learning organization, and our goal and objectives are evaluated regularly to ascertain the level of achievements within a particular period. We continue learning and adopting to best practices for sustainability of our impact.
At Carissa, we strive to motive, involve and inspire our participants to achieve their dreams. We tirelessly and collectively work with our partners and stakeholders in ensuring that a concerted effort is put to realize measurable impact in the lives of people we work with.
DIANA ALAROKER OPIRA- VICE CHAIR BOARD
I am a grassroots leader and war victim’s activist based at Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED). I have been involved with groups of returnees from the Lord’s Resistance Army captivity and helped particularly female returnees in social-economic re-integration. I was born and raised in Gulu in Northern Uganda and witnessed firsthand the suffering and plight of families and formerly abducted children and adults in the region.
My passion to advocate for the plight of such groups with regard to development projects has been a key motivation for me to work with vulnerable children and youths in the region. After my Diploma at the Uganda College of Commerce in Pakwach, I joined Alert Agency for Desired Development (A4D-Uganda) in 2015 as Accounts Assistant and Social Worker from where i was able to engage with several returnee and victim communities. I later on joined Youth Leaders for Restoration and Development (YOLRED) where I am currently working as Accountant and Grassroots Leader. Together with my colleagues, I helped to set Sparrow Fund for Vulnerable Children in 2014. This has enabled me to mentor several vulnerable youth and children who were immensely affected by the conflict in Northern Uganda.
Joining Carissa as Vice Chair increases my dream of reaching out to vulnerable young in northern. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Gulu University which has strengthened my administrative skills at Carissa’s board of Directors. At Carissa, I feel happy as our work is yielding measurable impacts on the young people we work with. Our skill training institute is a foundation of transformation through its unique and empowering curriculum designed to suit the interest of the young people. We strive to create an enabling environment for all at Carissa for success and sustainability of impact.
AGNESS ALUBURWOT-TREASURER
After graduating in Business Administration from Gulu University, my firsthand experience in organization management began in 2013 from Alert Agency for Desired Development (A4D Uganda) as Administrative Assistant where I learnt administrative skills, managing of organization income and expenses and keeping of organization assets in working conditions. I also learn how to manage project finance, accountability and report when I was promoted to project manager at A4D Uganda. Currently, I worked as business administrator at Favour of God Ministry based in Gulu, Northern Uganda.
On the onset of establishing Carissa International in 2019, I volunteered as a Manager before the disruption of Carissa training activities by Covid-19 pandemic. I am very happy to see it grow under the guidance and hard work of board members. Carissa vision of socio-economic transformation for young people in northern Uganda is our driving force. We are obliged to work collectively to create sustainable impact on the lives of young people with work with.
As a Treasurer, I am charged with responsibility to ensure formulation and implementation of investment plan, budget implementation, accountability and reporting.
We do respect diversity in cultural and social background as we dream to cover not only northern Uganda but extend our work beyond Uganda in the near future. A dream that is nearly arriving!
JULIUS ODONG LANGOYA- BOARD MEMBER
I had a field experience working with community in Northern Uganda-mobilizing and engaging communities in various development programs implemented by Alert Agency for Desired Development (A4D Uganda) for a period of 5 years, I gained resource mobilization and communication skills. Currently, I am working as community liaison/field officer at Drop In the Bucket-an organization that works to improve the sanitation and water access in the entire Uganda.
Carissa International as organization works to build the capacity of young people in sustainable entrepreneurship, and social enterprise leaders-something only peculiar to our approach to ensuring that we have a team of young people who will be creating positive change as a result of working with them.
As a board member, I am in-charge of resource mobilization, stakeholders’ engagement and strategic plan implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
We work together with our community members in co-creating solutions to challenges affecting young people. At Carissa, we inspire young people to be contributors of social change in their communities. This is what makes us unique among other organizations!