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Dr. Joconiah Chirenda, Zimbabwe

Joconiah Chirenda is a Medical Doctor by profession with a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery.  He holds a Master of Medicine Degree in Public Health.  Joconiah is currently employed by the University of Zimbabwe as an Assistant MPH Field Coordinator.  His main responsibility is teaching the Master of Public Health trainees, supervising their field activities and the general running of the MPH programme.  Dr. Chirenda’s previous work experience includes being Acting Deputy Director: Disease Prevention and Control, MOH & CW.  Responsible for the supervision of the programme officers in TB, HIV/AIDS Unit, Nutrition, Maternal and Child Health, National Health Information, EPI, Epidemiology and Disease Control, Rehabilitation Services and Health Education. 

Kai Crooks-Chissano, SADC

Kai Crooks-Chissano was Programme Advisor for UNAIDS Inter-country Team for Eastern and Southern Africa.  She provides programme support for youth, gender and faith-based initiatives addressing HIV and AIDS. MS Crooks-Chissano has lived in sub-Saharan Africa since 1996 and has traveled to numerous countries in the region including Ethiopia, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Mauritius.  She is a Behavioural Health Education Specialist with knowledge and training experience in designing behavioural change interventions for HIV/AIDS prevention in young adults.  She is a doctoral candidate (Columbia University, New York) for continued studies in the area of Health Education and HIV AIDS.  She is an experienced print and broadcast journalist and has 14 years work experience within the United Nations System at Headquarters, New York and in Mozambique.

Miller Nkosazana Kana, South Africa

 Miller is a Line-Manager at the Centre for Youth Development.  This is a position she acquired at an early age of 20 due to her leadership qualities as a LoveLife franchise groundbreaker at the Centre.  Her responsibility involves coordination of programmes and facilitation of SRH workshop for youth in and out of school.  Miller has demonstrated commitment and excellence in executing her tasks.  

Arthur Kitoloh, Kenya

 Arthur is currently in his third year at University of the Witwatersrand studying to be a Chartered Accountant.  Arthur is also a freelance Information Technology (IT) Consultant who has vast knowledge of most computer packages. He has also provided tutorials in Excel for MSCISA course participants for the past 3 years.

Sipho Maphosa, South Africa

Sipho Maphosa has been a Peer Educator and Edutrainer with Vuselela Ulwazi Lwakho Drop-In-Centre since 2001.  He also works as a volunteer and is involved in music.  Sipho is a hard worker, self-motivated young man who believes that success is never ending and failure is never final.

Leah Mashele, Zambia

Leah is a Zambian who has lived in Zimbabwe and now living in South Africa.  She was a leader in Munali High School AIDS Club in the 90s. Leah works with Discovery Vitality as a Call Centre Consultant and has provided administrative support to MSCISA in the past.

Hon James Vumile Ngculu, South Africa

 A member of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa, Hon. Ngculu has a Diploma in Economics, Diploma in Personnel & Training and has undertaken studies in Defence Management and Civil Military Relations at Wits University.  Hon Ngculu currently serves as Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Health and Defence. He has served under different portfolios with the African National Congress, the police and the armed forces.  He is a regular writer for ANC magazine and the Institute of Security Studies Bulletins.  He has recently finished a book on MK experience and has co-authored a book sponsored by ISS on Civil-Military Relations.   Attended conferences of the ANC at Kabwe, Zambia, Durban , Bloemfontein, Mafikeng.  Also attended Youth Conference in Morogoro, Tanzania in 1982.  Represented the ANC at a number of International Conferences, meetings and elections in Africa, Europe, USA, Asia.  

Delphine Mars Niyigena, Kigali-Rwanda 

Delphine, age 24 matriculated in 1998.  She came to South Africa in 2001.  She is presently working in Germiston as a machine operator for a food packaging company.  She looks forward to serving on the MSCISA youth board.  

Musa Njoko (Chairperson), South Africa

Musa Njoko, 30, is a dynamic motivational speaker, singer and HIV positive.  She is one of the first women to disclose her HIV positive status in South Africa.  Musa has been living positively and openly with HIV for the past 7 years.  Has worked with different government departments as well as the corporate sector nationally and internationally. Musa heads Khanya AIDS Interventions, a People Management Consultancy, which specializes in AIDS interventions.  Has been involved in the development of numerous training packages, AIDS policies and programs for the corporate sector, government, NGO’s, CBO’s, women’s groups and the youth.  Musa is an AIDS activist and a lead fighter for the rights of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.  All the challenges that HIV has brought into her life have not stopped Musa from living her dream.  Musa is a singer and composer of her own music.  The first recorded artist in South Africa that is HIV positive and open about it,  Njoko is viewed as a perfect example of what South Africans should be or do in the fight against AIDS.

Masauso Nzima, Zambia

Masauso Nzima has worked in various capacities in the field of Demography and Public Health/Development.  Masauso holds a Master of Arts degree in Demography and undergraduate degree in Demography and Economics.  He has over eleven years combined experience teaching Demographic Techniques, Research Methods and in design and implementation of public health programs, funded by USAID, the European Union and other notable donors, in the Southern African region.  Nine of these years have specifically involved building effective, productive working relationships with community members and other relevant structures of governments for the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (including Qualitative and Participatory Research Techniques, and Ethnographic Research Techniques) of long-standing responses to health problems especially HIV/AIDS.  During this period his responsibilities have also included overall supervision of finance, administration, resource mobilization and interaction with senior officials of host Governments and the donor community.  In his current capacity, Masauso is Head of a multi-million dollar Health care and Psycho-social support program implemented in Tanzania with the support of The Abbott Laboratories Fund.  

Bernard M. Simpokolwe, Zambia

Bernard Simpokolwe is the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.  Trained as a High School teacher, he brings the formidable skills of an educator to his work in youth and community development.  In 1981, he was appointed Principal Youth Development Officer with the Ministry of Youth & Sport and rose through the ranks of Zambia’s Civil Service to become Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth in 1999.  As the Director of Youth, Mr. Simpokolwe played a lead role in the development and implementation of Zambia’s Adolescent Reproductive Consortium, a coalition of government and NGOs addressing youth reproductive health. He facilitated the integration of Family Life Education in the Ministry’s Skills Training Centres throughout the country.  Today, he remains a strong advocate for enabling parent-child communication around sexuality and reproductive health.   In January 2002, Mr. Simpokolwe moved to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services as Permanent Secretary, a post that he holds to date.  He is a serving member on several boards in Zambia and an active member of the United Church of Zambia.  

Eunese Shaw, Liberia

 Eunese Shaw is a young entrepreneur form Liberia living in South Africa, having completed a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm) degree in Information Management and a B.Comm diploma in Marketing and Business Management.  She founded and now manages EQ³ productions, providing multimedia and graphic design services.   With a keen interest in Communication, Culture and Technology, Eunese intends to use a combination of the 3 to develop effective strategies to communicate and interact with Africa's youth on issues such as safe sex practices and reproductive health.

Gail Snetro-Plewman, SADC

Gail Snetro has over seventeen years of international experience in the design and management of integrated health and development programs. She has a proven track record in program implementation, training, coordination and liaison work with government, donors, and NGOs based in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America/Caribbean. Ms. Snetro is highly knowledgeable in adopting and testing community mobilization strategies for effective outcomes in reproductive health, child health, community-based primary health care and HIV/AIDS. She is a seasoned trainer with extensive experience in institutional development and capacity building.  Ms Snetro also brings with her in-depth experience in gender analysis, and adaptive program strategies to address issues of equity, access and participation.  As well, she has ability in strategic planning: USAID and other grant management; field office management; budget, staff supervision, and experience in performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation. Prior to her experience with Save the Children she was engaged in emergency and relief assistance in Southeast Asia, and with US public health. Ms. Snetro holds a Masters of Public Health degree with an emphasis on international maternal child health, an undergraduate degree in environmental education, and a minor in broadcasting. Her specialty interests include women and the environment, use of media for learning, and documentation and utilization of indigenous knowledge.