Why we’ve hired an Africa-based CEO for the first time

In September 2025, I stepped into the role of CEO – a milestone that marks not only a personal achievement, but a fundamental shift in how we think about leadership across the sector.

Based in Kigali, Rwanda, I am deeply honoured to be the organisation’s first Africa-based CEO.

In my previous roles as Chief Operating Officer and more recently as Interim CEO, I’ve championed locally led development and pushed for decentralised decision making – not just in programme delivery, but in governance as well.

For years, I’ve worked alongside passionate colleagues across Africa, witnessing both the challenges children face and the resilience of their communities. I’ve seen programmes thrive when led by those who understand the local context and can draw on knowledge shaped by lived experience and cultural insight. This wisdom is essential to resolving issues in ways that are effective, sustainable and dignified.

Localisation that goes beyond lip service

For years, international charities have worked hard to support communities but often made key decisions far from where the work happens. This approach, while well-meaning, missed a vital truth: real change is led by those who live it.

At Chance for Childhood, we’re changing that. Our leadership transition marks a major step forward in shifting power and putting local voices at the heart of everything we do.

We’ve already made big moves to decentralise decision making. While our headquarters remain in the UK, our programmes are now run by country teams across Africa. Every programme staff member is an African national, living and working in the communities we serve. Half of our global trustees either originate from, or have lived and worked in, the countries where we operate, bringing deep local insight to our governance. Our senior leadership team currently comprises 60% African nationals.

This shift didn’t happen overnight. In 2020, we set a clear goal: to build teams led by people from the communities we serve and ultimately appoint an Africa-based CEO. In October 2024, our UK-based CEO, Anna-mai Andrews, made the bold and thoughtful decision to step aside after 13 years of leadership. Her vision and humility opened the door for this transition, and I step into this role with deep respect for the foundation she built.

This is more than a leadership change – it’s a commitment to shared power, true partnership and a future shaped by local leadership.

A new strategy rooted in reality

As Chance for Childhood enters a new chapter, I’m proud to lead the delivery of our 2030 strategy – a bold five-year plan to transform the lives of children across Africa. With deep roots in the communities we serve, my team and I bring firsthand knowledge of local policy, cultural context and everyday realities. This proximity strengthens our accountability, sharpens our oversight and ensures our work is grounded in lived experience.

Today, all eyes are on impact. Donors across the development sector are paying close attention – not just to results, but to how those results are achieved and sustained. They’re looking for authenticity, relevance and leadership which reflects the communities at the heart of the mission. This transition delivers exactly that.

A call to the sector

Now we are calling to our peers across the sector: move boldly and move now. Shifting the power is not just a slogan – it is a commitment to fairness, inclusion and shared responsibility. It demands that leadership and decision making reflect the communities we serve.

We’re proud to be part of a growing movement that is embracing localisation and community-led development, because this isn’t a solo effort, it’s a collective shift. Together, let’s build a sector rooted in close partnership, proximity to communities and strong purpose.