our team

The ladybosses behind the whole operation. Hustle, hustle.

Monica Makori

Kenya Country Director

Monica started working for Zawadisha part time in 2014, and in 2016 took on the formidable job of in-country director. She manages product purchases and delivery, conducts trainings for Peer Educators, consolidates and plans the budget, and oversees the team in Kenya.

Likes: reading, watching movies, acting as a change-maker in her community, and being with family

Dislikes: tardiness, drinking ice water, arrogance, and granola

emilyn kamya

development Relations director

Emilyn rejoined the Zawadisha team in September 2017 and lives in Kericho, Kenya. She manages donor relations, social media, grant and repayment reporting, and fundraising.

Likes: eating, traveling, running, and local market shopping

Dislikes: when people chew loudly, abbreviated texts, and crawly insects

margaret mtuku

executive assistant

Margaret has been the friendly face in the office since January 2017. She inputs loan repayments, assists to resolve defaults, and helps to supervise product deliveries.

Likes: silly movies, church, romance novels, traveling, and playing soccer with her son

Dislikes: gossiping, scary or violent movies, and anchovies

Jennifer Gurecki

Founder & Board President

Jen founded Zawadisha in 2013 after spending years in Kenya sitting under trees, walking through villages, and sharing meals with women learning about what they needed for their lives to be better (and writing a master's thesis about it). She tinkered with a basic micro-lending model, failed a few times, got up really fast, and finally landed on something that truly made people's lives better.

Likes: snowboarding, cycling across Africa, riding on the back of piki pikis, and cooking

Dislikes: having to explain to people why sending clothing to Africa is a bad idea, dirty feet, and Donald Trump

peer educators

(from left) florence wanjala, selina mwambogha, jane nziva, jane mzemba, florence mtemi, scola nyange, monica mlongo, terry mutisya, & peris mbeyu (not pictured: Felister Mdoe)

Our Peer Educators conduct free trainings all over Taita-Taveta County every month and provide life-enhancing guidance and instruction to more than 1300 rural women. Training topics range from permaculture to financial literacy, from entrepreneurship to soap-making.