Our People
Trustees
Steve Broach (Chair)
Steve Broach is a Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. Steve has a public law practice focusing on the rights of children (in particular disabled children) and disabled adults. Prior to coming to the Bar, Steve held a number of senior roles in the UK disability and children’s sectors, most recently as Campaign Manager for Every Disabled Child Matters. He has a particular interest in advocacy for disabled children’s rights and visited USDC in August 2008 to assist with the organisation’s advocacy strategy. Steve has worked at a human rights NGO in The Gambia and studied post-colonial African history and politics in his undergraduate degree.
Zia Choudhury (Vice-Chair)
Zia Choudhury spent 15 years working abroad, primarily as a senior humanitarian response manager, but also with periods as an advisor and trainer, particularly on issues of quality management standards. He has been a keen advocate for improved regulation of the aid industry as well as ensuring that humanitarian and development workers are accountable to the intended beneficiaries of aid programmes. Zia returned to the UK in 2010 to start an ethical sausage business, and in his spare time he is a Trustee for ACA, as well as an international medical relief agency.
Vimal Shah (Treasurer)
Vimal Shah was born in Uganda now works as a Chartered Accountant in the UK as PSJ Alexander & Co. He has been AbleChildAfrica’s Treasurer since 2005.
Nicola Chevis
Nicola Chevis joined the AbleChildAfrica board in 2006. She is an experienced international development professional with overseas field management experience in Southern and West Africa, East Asia and the South Pacific. She began a career in international development in 1994 and spent the next eight years working with OXFAM GB culminating in a period in Mozambique. Since then she has worked as Country Director for GOAL Ireland in Sierra Leone and in Vanuatu for VSO before returning to the UK, where, since 2005, she has been working with VSO on Planning and Review as part of the Programme Learning and Advocacy Team.
Shikuku Obosi
Born and bred in Kenya and himself having a personal experience of disability, Shikuku is an astute human rights activist who has represented the interests and aspirations of disabled people throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. He is currently the West Africa and South Asia Programme Coordinator for Action on Disability and Development (ADD). In 1997 he co-founded APDEM – KENYA, a voluntary, membership funded organisation which encourages employers to recruit disabled people. He has also worked as a project coordinator for Save the Children in Kenya and a VSO volunteer Community Development Advisor in India. In 2006 he was a senior programme officer in a Tsunami programme in Sri Lanka for Leonard Cheshire International.
Nyaradzo Muguti
Nyaradzo Muguti was born in Zimbabwe and has extensive experience within business and manufacturing of the UK food industry designing quality management systems to minimise waste, risk & promote consistent quality. She’s keen to see AbleChildAfrica expand their partners in Southern Africa and has first hand experience of how disabled children in Africa are marginalised and is inspired by AbleChildAfrica to make a difference. Nyaradzo is also keen to share her skills to build the capacity of our partners helping, for example, to develop their management skills.
Judy Oder
Judy is a lawyer at INTERIGHTS where, with partners in Africa, she uses international human rights law to defend and promote fundamental rights. Prior to joining INTERIGHTS in 2004, she worked at a regional organisation in the Gambia, where she undertook human rights litigation and built the capacity of lawyers and activists to use human rights mechanisms. Judy has written and spoken about topical human rights issues focusing on Africa. Born in Uganda, Judy has lived in East, West, and Southern Africa.
Hannah Thompson
Hannah is a child protection specialist with 10 years experience in the humanitarian sector. Hannah has worked on child rights and education programmes in Africa and Asia and in programme management and implementation. She has worked both in Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire on inclusive education and mainstreaming, training staff and government partners on identifying disability and supporting inclusion, supporting advocacy efforts to improve the way in which disability is understood and perceived by communities.
Francine Bates
Francine joined the Board of Trustees in 2010 and has previously worked in the children’s disability movement in the UK for many years. She was Chief Executive of Contact a Family, the UK’s leading charity for parents of disabled children between 2000 and 2007 where Francine was instrumental in bringing together a group of organisations in the UK to champion the rights of disabled children. Francine was awarded an OBE for her services to disabled children in 2006. Between 2007 and 2010, Francine was appointed as a senior government adviser on children and family policy where she advised Ministers on issues affecting disabled children and children with special educational needs. Francine is currently Chief Executive of the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, the national cot death charity. As an experienced campaigner and lobbyist, Francine is keen to support AblechildAfrica develop its role as the leading advocate for African disabled children both nationally and internationally. She has also helped us to raise funds for our work by running for the charity in the Womens Challenge 5k run in 2010 and the British 10k in 2011
Alanzo Blackstock
Alanzo in one of the newest members of the board. Alanzo’s career extends some 20 years in the IT services industry in various leadership and client management positions in the private sector. During his career he has developed solid business acumen and consultancy skills, helping global clients to deploy technologies that improve business performance. His current MBA studies at Warwick University are also helping him to further develop his business knowledge and skills and apply them in other profit and not for profit enterprises.
His business and personal life has given him opportunity to travel and work in different countries, including Africa. He has worked in South Africa, Nigeria and has recently travelled to Kenya. This recent trip, a vacation in Nairobi, included a visit to the Little Rock Early Childhood Development Centre where he helped to organise a Christmas party for the children at this learning centre and it was this trip that motivated Alanzo to join AbleChildAfrica.
Jane Anthony – Executive Director
Jane Anthony brings over 15 years of experience working with disabled children to AbleChildAfrica. While initially working in the USA as a special, and later inclusive, education teacher, she developed an expertise in autism and learning/intellectual impairments. Over time she developed a commitment to wanting to have a greater impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged disabled children and eventually travelled to Africa to support children with autism in Ghana. Initially planned for 3 months, Jane lived in Ghana working on and researching childhood disability for nearly 3 years! In this time she worked on a variety of different projects, including developing an inclusive education teacher training programme with the National Government and supporting grass roots local disability NGO, DPO and parents organisations. Jane came to the UK in 2006 to undertake a PhD, which explored the social and logistical barriers to accessing primary education for children with disabilities in Ghana. Most recently, Jane collaborated on the development of a WHO led initiative addressing the inclusion and health needs of children and young people with intellectual disabilities across the European Region. Currently, Jane is also a Co-Vice Chair on the Board for Action on Disability and Development International (ADD). She fills any spare time she can find with outdoor pursuits and as much travel as possible.
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