Economic Empowerment

Denniese Ruiz

Amanda Makosso

Molakun Bankole

Sehrish Aziz

Program Manager

Sehrish is a motivated and personable accounting and business professional with more than 7 years of experience as a Management Administrator and Accountant. She is a member of the prestigious accounting body (ACCA and CAT), and also possesses extensive experience as a project moderator, management consultant, accounting professional, organizational change management consultant, organizational process analyst, and technical implementations.

As a Program Manager – National, she leads the planning, development and implementation of BLFA’s national programs, and ensures that they fulfill her mission and vision. She is also responsible for measuring performance and monitoring national programs operations for quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Team Since 2022

Viviane Kasikwabo Moto

Program Coordinator – DRC

Eugenie Kisikyabo Moto is a dynamic and reliable woman who believes in a community where people can thrive. She brings with her many years of public and private sector experience in community development. Holder of a master’s degree in development sciences (project management and administration), she is a true community mobilizer. Her actions in the community tend to bring about a change in mentality and behavior.

For BLFA, she carries out field missions for the awareness and community mobilization of the population on issues related to sustainable development, equal rights between men and women and more specifically on the protection and assistance to most marginalized people, especially women and children.

She ensures the programmatic and operational implementation of all project components in accordance with the principles and procedures of BLFA and the implementation of projects, and contributes to their success.

Team Member Since 2021

Socrate Katindi Songa

Program Consultant – DRC

Bio Coming…

Team Member Since 2022

Déborah Miriam Katindi

Administrative Assistant – DRC

With a Master Degree in Management Science (Marketing Management), Miriam Deborah Katindi brings 4 years of experience from private and non-profit sectors in administration and human resources management.

She assists the National Coordinator (BLFA Congo) in all administrative, human resources and financial tasks.

Her personality is marked by adaptability and creativity, communication and a keen sense of organization.

Team Member Since 2020

Patricia Amunazo Moto

Executive Assistant

Patricia Amunazo Moto brings over 3 years of experience in Gender, Family and Children.

She works in the public sector in RDC defending the rights of children and women’s empowerment. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism (public relations and protocol) and is pursuing a Master degree in the same field. She is passionate about women and children’s rights. She believes in a Congo where women are empowered and have a voice in the place of decision.

For the past two years, she has been acting as an administrative support person for the management and executive team in DRC, ensuring that BLFA meets all legal and administrative operational requirements. She also serves as a liaison between Canada and Congo BLFA teams. She is the point of contact between BLFA and all external entities for all matters pertaining to the operations of the organization.

Team Member Since 2020

May Phyu Thet

Website Coordinator

May is a Web Application & Website Development Professional with over several years of experience and expertise in delivering high-valued projects and applications in the field of internet-related and e-commerce businesses.

She is a passionate individual with a strong belief in giving back to society. This was expressed by volunteering with BLFA in her first month in Canada, from her home country Myanmar (Burma). She is an advocate of “paying it forward”. She will say “Helping others makes me feel good”

She oversees the functionality of the website, evaluates, and manages website performance, facilitates hosting and server management.

She ensures that BLFA website content and links are up to date and security measures are implemented overseas.

Team since 2022

Shivani Mishra

Web Developer

Shivani is passionate about social good and technology.

With only one year of living in Canada, she has done so much by working as a Research Associate Software Developer in Healthcare System and also doing good for our community.

In 2022, Shivani began working with us as a full-stack developer after completing the certification. As part of the web development team, she has assisted in the presentation of our hard work and efforts by bringing it to the website.

Team Member Since 2022

Danny Markle

Social Media | Content Creator

Danny is a graduate from Fanshawe College with an Event Planning background and a focus on digital marketing with social media coordination. His focus is on increasing awareness of Bright Lights for Africa’s many campaigns on our social media channels and through our website. Danny joined Bright Lights for Africa to further his knowledge in the social media management space while seeking a way to give back to Canada and help people who may not have the opportunity to speak for themselves.

As a member of our remote team and a London, ON local, Danny spends most of his time hiking, camping, playing games and spending time with his friends.

Team member since 2022

Jean-Claude Lingima

Field Officer – DRC

Jean-Claude Mbula Lingima is a public servant in the mobilization of tax and non-tax revenues who brings over 10 years of experience in field work. He is a true community mobilizer, a civil society actor and a man of integrity.

In consultation and collaboration with BLFA Congo Project Manager, he oversees mobilization, sensibilization, recruitment and training of Community based resource persons to enhance promotion and bring awareness on BLFA’s projects. He maintains a link between local beneficiary communities, customary authorities and BLFA coordination.

Team Member Since 2022

Paul Akagu-jone

Social Media Coordinator

Helping us tell our story at Bright Lights for Africa, we have Paul who leads our social media channels. He brings our foundation’s voice and mission to life through the use of graphic design, copywriting, content creation and planning.

Paul is passionate about helping out those who need it most, while also leveraging his love for social media to do good around him. Of Nigerian descent himself, our cause resonated with him, inspiring a desire to increase the awareness of African nations and cultures who are not typically reported on, in order to bring about the change that is required.

Team Member Since 2022

Coming Soon

Grace Kong’a Wai-Wai

Treasurer
Appointed on August 24, 2020

Grace Wai-Awai is an unabashed global citizen with South Sudanese and Ugandan heritages. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya and lived most of her life there. From an early age, she developed a passion and an appreciation for the voluntary sector and is inspired by the life and legacy of her parents and those that came before them. She believes that by demonstrating acts of love, mercy and kindness to others we are able to realize a just and equitable society by empowering all members to reach their personal and shared goals.

Grace believes that the voluntary sector is bridging a gap that the private and public sectors cannot on their own. Developing countries are what they are today because of social welfare leagues and groups that advocated for changes and inclusion in the areas such as healthcare, education, housing, and sanitation. With a background in Economics and a MA(IS) with a focus on Equity Studies, she is committed to creating lasting change and having a positive impact on the lives of others.

Carl Baily

Board Member
Appointed on August 24, 2020

Carl Baily was born and raised in Canada, and has been in ministry for over 25 years, leading with first and foremost, a servant heart. His humility is genuinely seen and felt in everything that he endeavours to do. This attitude and character makes him approachable, as he relates to people in various walks of life. His number one passion is to see souls saved and discipled for the Kingdom of God.

He joined Bright Lights for Africa because of his love for God and for people and his dedication to serving humanity. Our organization provides another avenue for him to demonstrate Christ love by serving the needs of the less fortunate.

Dzifa Owusu

Board Member
Appointed on January 31, 2022

Dzifa Owusu brings to the organization about 6 years of experience directly leading diverse projects within the public and private sector in Canada. She has an educational background in Economics and Statistics, is passionate about organizational effectiveness and has a knack for using analytics to drive business decision making.

She has volunteered extensively within the non-profit sector in Calgary and is passionate about transforming the lives of marginalized individuals in society through acts of service. Her goal is to ensure that Bright Lights for Africa’s resources are utilized effectively to help empower individuals locally and internationally.

Michelle Belle

Michelle Bella

Secretary
Appointed on August 24, 2020

Michelle Bella is a first generation Canadian, born in Calgary to immigrant parents from different backgrounds. Her strong sense of devotion to the non for-profit sector was developed from her personal background and professional career, where she was afforded the opportunity to serve a multitude of populations faced with the realities of local and global social inequity.

She has worked in the non-profit sector both locally and internationally in the following sectors maternal health, homelessness and working with at risk youth. The combination of these experiences drew her to be involved in the meaningful work of Bright Lights for Africa; an organization that can make change for all people from a micro to a systemic level.

Jenny Rutayomba Moto

Executive Director/President
Appointed on August 24, 2020

Jenny Rutayomba is the founder of Bright Lights for Africa. She has a Finance and Accounting background and has a vast amount of experience working in the private and public sectors in Congo as well as with the Federal Government in Canada. Jennys’ strong sense of devotion to the non-profit sector, her love for people and passion for helping individuals realize their full potential, led her to found Bright Lights for Africa.

She is passionate about bringing sustainable change to vulnerable families and communities struggling with poverty and food insecurity thereby empowering them to rise above their current challenges. She believes in giving back to society and over the years has been dedicated to serving tirelessly within the communities she has found herself. Jenny is a doer and is driven by the principles of hard work, perseverance, consistency and dedication. One of her greatest desires is to inspire positive change through acts of love and service, wherever she finds herself.

Outside of managing a non-profit, Jenny is a devoted wife and mother of two biological children as well as a foster parent to three kids. She is also a Pastor in her local church and has been instrumental in transforming the operations of ministries within the church.