Meet The Team

MAGGIE WANJA

Executive Director

Margaret Wanja
Executive Director, Youth for Sustainable Development (YSD)

Margaret Wanja is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Youth for Sustainable Development (YSD), where she leads efforts to empower young people with the skills, resilience, and opportunities they need to thrive. With over a decade of experience in youth and community development, she is driven by a deep belief in purpose, discipline, and the power of young people to shape their own futures.

She provides strategic leadership in designing and implementing youth-centred programs focused on employability, entrepreneurship, life skills, and active citizenship. Her work goes beyond skills-building, creating pathways for young people to access opportunities, build sustainable livelihoods, and develop a strong sense of belonging.

Her expertise spans project management, resource mobilisation, partnerships, grants management, and organisational development.

Grounded in mentorship and Stoic philosophy, Margaret is committed to building a generation that is resilient, self-aware, and bold enough to lead meaningful change.

NYAWIRA KIRORI

Operations Director

Edith Nyawira Kirori, Co-founder of YSD, serves as the Operations Director overseeing grant administration and managing operational functions in all projects. With a background in community development, she specialises in Youth resilience, livelihoods, partnerships, and Organisation Capacity development. Additionally, she is a Co-founder of the Machakos County Youth Assembly and serves as a mentor for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. Edith also works as the Projects Administrator for YSD’s initiatives in Youth-Led Social Accountability, Sexual Reproductive health, Family Planning, and Youth Resilience and Belonging.

BROWN ONDENG’

Finance Consultant and Resource Mobilization Lead

Brown Ondeng’ is an enthusiastic volunteer and member of YSD alongside other pole positions in various organizations. He is a young man with much zeal to be part of the statistics as an agent of change in youth matters. Having a solid background in finance, he seeks spaces to incorporate youth affairs in the larger Global Economy space. He is passionate about charismatic leadership as he has exercised the attribute in various localized setups in his community.  

CLARIES KWAYA

Programs and MEAL Officer (Safeguarding and Wellbeing).

Claries Ingosi Kwaya is the Programs and MEAL Officer (Safeguarding and Wellbeing) at Youth for Sustainable Development. She supports the design and implementation of programs while strengthening Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems to ensure programs are impactful, responsive and grounded in the experiences of the communities YSD serves.
Claries also leads efforts to integrate safeguarding and wellbeing into program delivery helping create safe and inclusive spaces where young people participate meaningfully and lead change. She believes strong development work is built on listening, learning and accountability.
Through her role at YSD, Claries promotes community-led approaches to MEAL working with communities and young people to co-develop learning processes that shape how programs evolve. Her work helps ensure that impact is not only measured but is defined by the people whose lives the work is meant to support.

GILBERT MOMANYI

Chairperson
Gilbert M. Momanyi serves as the Chair of the Board of Advisors, bringing over 17 years of expertise in Project/Programme Management, particularly in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning. His motivation stems from a deep-seated desire to contribute to society and serve as a role model for the next generation. Gilbert is committed to sharing his wealth of experiences and the lessons he has gathered over time. His ultimate goal is to inspire the incoming generation to surpass previous achievements and learn from past mistakes, fostering a positive trajectory of growth and improvement.

BERNARD MUNG’ATA

Board Member
Hon. Benard Muteti Mung’ata, a seasoned Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, brings 31+ years of legal experience. As Managing Partner at B.M. Mung’ata & Co. Advocates, he is also a Certified Mediator, Arbitrator, Industrialist, Politician, and Philanthropist. A University of Nairobi graduate and Master’s candidate in International Investment Law, he served as Machakos County Assembly’s First Speaker (2013–2017) and ICDC Chairman (2018–2021). A 2022 Machakos Senatorial candidate, his expertise and dedication to youth development make him a valuable advisor to YSD Machakos Chapter.

NICOLE B-ROBINSON

Board Member
With 8+ years of national and international development experience, Nicole is a seasoned expert who has been instrumental in reshaping YSD’s organisational identity. Her innovative and collaborative approach, rooted in delivering tangible results, ensures tailored solutions for clients in areas such as strategic planning, project management, marketing, and evaluation. Specialising in charities, small businesses, start-ups, and social entrepreneurship, Nicole offers concise and effective strategies with practical implementation support. Her ultimate goal is to guide organisations towards achieving their objectives, fostering a positive societal impact.