Our Staff Members
Cynthia Bauer, MS
US CEO and Co-Founder
US CEO and Co-Founder
US CEO and Co-FounderCynthia’s work as a wildlife biologist brought her to Kenya, where she was inspired to start Kupenda. She was particularly motivated to do something to help children with disabilities after discovering that she might have been killed if she had been born in Kenya because she was born without her left hand. Cynthia has over 10 years of experience as a wildlife biologist with multiple nonprofit and government agencies, which provides her with an understanding of the biology related to many disabilities and the skills to manage this growing organization. She has also taught biology classes for over a decade, which gives her insight into education systems similar to those in which Kupenda works and helps her present difficult concepts to groups we work with in Kenya and the U.S. Cynthia has a Master’s degree in Biology and Ecology and a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation.
As Kupenda’s US CEO and Founder, Cynthia oversees the organization’s administration, programs and strategic planning. Her other key duties include fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. She reports directly to the Board of Directors.
Cynthia also advocates for justice and inclusion of children with disabilities through her public talks, guitar performances, piano playing, writing, and by facilitating trainings and workshops to help individuals and organizations around the world become more inclusive.
Read more about Cynthia’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Jessica Charles Abrams, MPH
Director of Development
Director of Development
Director of DevelopmentJessica Charles Abrams is a global health professional with over 20 years of experience as a technical writer, communications specialist, project manager, and teacher trainer. She lived in China and Botswana for three years managing health and education projects and has supported field teams in more than 20 low- and middle-income countries implementing USAID, UNICEF, CDC, PEPFAR and privately-funded projects. Jessica holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Writing.
As Kupenda’s Communications and Development Director, Jessica is responsible for developing and updating all of the organization’s marketing and training materials as well as its website and blog. She also led the organization’s Child Case Management mobile application development and is now supporting its testing and rollout in Kenya. Jessica is also responsible for increasing Kupenda’s operational efficiency, program monitoring and evaluation, engaging new donors, developing and implementing strategic fundraising plans, and expanding the organization’s capacity.
Read more about Jessica’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Rebecca Heidorn
Program Officer
Program Officer
Program OfficerRebecca Heidorn is a current Master of Public Health student at Liberty University. She graduated from Gordon College in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, minoring in Psychology. As Program Officer, Rebecca manages our donor and beneficiary databases, interviews and oversees our interns, and produces all of our blogs, newsletters, and social media posts. She also leads all of our data collection, collation, and cleaning projects. She represents our organization at global conferences, meetings, and technical working groups and travels to Kenya to collaborate with our field team. She is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the work Kupenda is doing to serve children with disabilities in Kenya and around the world.
Read more about Rebecca’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Sandra Bauer, MA
Child Sponsorship Coordinator
Child Sponsorship Coordinator
Sandra has three decades of teaching experience, 20 years of which she spent working with gifted children in need of specialized education. She also has two years of experience working for a tax preparation company and is the mother of Cynthia, Kupenda’s founder, which helps her relate to the parents of children with disabilities with whom we work. Sandra manages Kupenda’s child sponsorship program and is responsible for the organization’s financial recording and reporting. She holds a Master’s degree in Gifted Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Primary School Education.
Sandra’s understanding of education, child development, financing, and bookkeeping making her uniquely qualified for Kupenda’s bookkeeper and child sponsorship coordinator positions. Her success in these roles is also driven her deep compassion for children in need of specialized assistance.
Read more about Sandra’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Kenya Staff Members
Kupenda’s name in Kenya is “Kuhenza for the Children’s Foundation.” Kuhenza has a Kenyan board of directors that oversees and supports the organization’s staff and operations. Kupenda and Kuhenza work side-by-side in all strategic planning and program implementation tasks, including the hire and training of the following qualified professionals who lead the organization’s field work.
Leonard Mbonani
Kenya Executive Director and Co-Founder
KENYA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
KENYA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDERLeonard Mbonani Bikanga has been working to defend the rights of children with disabilities in Kenya for more than 40 years. He began his career as a special educator and then a disability assessment officer but 20 years ago transitioned into his current role as the founder and Director of the Kenyan nonprofit organization, Kuhenza for the Children.
Leonard and staff have supported hundreds of thousands of children with disabilities in accessing life-saving medical care, education services, and loving inclusion in their families and communities. As part of this work, Leonard has designed and delivered a suite of disability training programs, tailored to different influential community leader groups including pastors, traditional healers, and government officials. He has also developed these trainings for children with disabilities themselves and their parents. Trainees who complete these workshops go on to advocate for the rights of children with disabilities in their communities by bringing them out of hiding, counseling them, helping them access schools and medical care, and sensitizing their communities on the rights of people with disabilities through public talks and stakeholder meetings. Leonard has also designed and delivered abuse prevention workshops for youth with disabilities, teacher workshops on inclusion, and Disability Awareness Days that sensitize communities through public speeches, performances, and celebrations.
Each year, Leonard and his team train hundreds of community leaders as disability advocates who improve the lives of more than 40,000 children with disabilities. He shares the success of this work in global conferences, technical working groups, and most recently, as the Disability Advocacy and Community Engagement Advisor to Kings College and Aga Khan University’s SPARK Project (Supporting African Communities to Increase Resilience and Mental Health of Kids with Disabilities). Leonard holds a diploma in Learning Difficulties from the Department of Special Education in Denmark and a diploma in Special Education from the Kenyan Institute of Special Education. He also has earned certificates in Primary School Management, Primary Education and Education Assessment and Resource Services. Leonard’s evidence-based disability advocacy approaches are now being used by practitioners in more than 20 countries around the world.
Read more about Leonard’s experience in his LinkedIn profile here.
Lucky Mahenzo
Child Protection Officer
CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER
Lucky is a Kenyan lawyer who has devoted her life to advocating for justice and quality care and inclusion for children living with disabilities. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Law from Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya and then went on to complete a Masters degree in International Human Rights and International Disability Law and Policy from Syracuse University College of Law in New York. Lucky has supported Kupenda and Kuhenza in developing a Disability Law Guide and a Law Guide Summary and regularly facilitates the discussion of these laws during our Disability Advocacy Training workshops for families and community leaders in Kenya.
Read more about Lucky’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
James Katana
Bookkeeper and Resource Center Manager
Bookkeeper and Resource Center Manager
James holds a diploma in accounting and a certificate in computer applications from Mombasa Polytechnic University. Before joining Kuhenza, James worked for over three years as a bookkeeper for the Marafa Community Development Programme, managing records for both World Vision and the local government. As Kuhenza’s bookkeeper, James is now responsible for recording Kuhenza’s income and expenses, collecting receipts, developing financial reports and preparing for Kenyan government audits. He also oversees the purchase, cataloging and inventory of all materials in Kuhenza’s Resources Center.
Read more about James’s experience in his LinkedIn profile here.
Martha Karo
Project Director
Project Director
Project DirectorMartha has over 30 years of experience as a teacher for students who are deaf. Until 2017, she was also the head teacher at the Gede Special School, the first special needs school supported by Kupenda. Martha’s work and experience helps Kupenda stay connected to the local education system. Her devotion to children with disabilities is demonstrated by the endless hours she works with the Kuhenza team. As Project Director, Martha co-manages the organization’s Advocacy, Education and Medical activities alongside the Executive Director. She also manages the organization’s Child Sponsorship Program.
Thomas Katana
Project Officer
Project Officer
Thomas is a Kenyan pastor, nonprofit manager and child advocate who has been a member of our team since 2014. Initially, Thomas worked as Kuhenza’s office manager for several years, which made him sensitive to the situation of families impacted by disabilities. This inspired him to earn an Education degree with a concentration in Special Needs. After completing his studies, Thomas returned to Kuhenza and was hired as a project officer. In this role, Thomas collects information for the child sponsorship program, assesses and monitors children with disabilities, connects children with special needs schools and hospitals, writes reports, and assists the Kenya director, as needed. He recently also earned a diploma in Computer Information System from Kenya Methodist University.
Getrude Mwenda
Project Officer
Project Officer
Gertrude has more than 17 years of experience teaching at the Malindi Star Junior School, Kakuyuni Primary School, and the Gede Special School and specializes in working with children with autism. As a project officer for Kuhenza, her dedication and history equip her to assess and monitor children with disabilities in the child sponsorship program and connect them to appropriate educational, medical, and community resources. In addition, Gertrude assists in facilitating disability training workshops that educate community leaders to act as disability advocates. Her efforts equip communities to better understand, support, and include those with disabilities in daily life. Gertrude also holds a teaching degree in early childhood education from the Kilifi District Centre.
Joseph Karisa
Project Officer
Project Officer
Joseph Karisa is an experienced secondary school educator and has earned diplomas in information technology and business English. Since 2017, he has also been a member of the Kilifi County Microfinance Fund Board of Directors. Joseph has certificates in peer guidance and counseling and computer repair and maintenance. In his work with Kupenda he assists our Kenyan team with program implementation, reporting, family counseling and disability advocacy training. As a person living with a disability, Joseph is particularly passionate about serving persons with disabilities and enjoys the time he spends interacting with Kupenda’s child beneficiaries and their parents. Joseph recently completing a bachelor degree in business and information technology at Mount Kenya University in Malindi.
Kalu Charo
Driver
Driver
DriverKalu is a licensed, professional driver with experience transporting staff and clients and maintaining vehicles for numerous Kenyan nonprofits, schools, and farms. Prior to his driving career, Kalu worked as a mason contractor in the private sector. In recent years, Kalu has developed a passion for disability work; when not driving for Kuhenza, he often volunteers at the local special needs school. He enjoys helping the house parents there and spending time with the children, who are very fond of him.
Martha Omar
Mental Health Officer
Mental Health Officer
Mental Health OfficerAs the Mental Health Officer for Kuhenza the Children, Martha provides psychological and psychosocial support to the organization’s program participants and their families. She also strengthens community awareness and support for families impacted by disability by training and sensitizing local leaders and community members. She is experienced with providing psychological and psychosocial support to patients in various health center and hospital environments. She has also provided counseling and educational services to youth with drug addictions and their caregivers. In addition, she has helped to address sexual and gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health concerns among adolescent girls and young women. She is currently the Vice Board Chair for the community-based organization, Firm Stance, which counsels, educates, and mentors youth and adolescents on health issues and career development. Martha has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from Pwani University.
Mwanhawa Joto
Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Occupational TherapistMwanhawa is an occupational therapist who works at the Gede Special School and leads regularly mobile clinic therapy training sessions for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities.
Loice Maluki
Project Officer
Project Officer
As a Project Officer, Loice manages the Kuhenza’s child sponsorship program, assesses and monitors children with disabilities, connects children with special needs schools and hospitals, and facilitates disability trainings for families and community leaders. Loice has always had a heart for people with disabilities and believes the church is key to improving the culture around disabilities in Kenya. Loice serves on the Board of Directors for Kakayuni Special School. She holds certificates in Primary Education, Secondary Education, Computer Maintenance, and Computer Software. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and a Master’s degree in Religious Studies. Loice is also the lead researcher and author of “Christian Response to Challenges Faced by Children with Disabilities” a journal article that was published in the Kabarak Journal of Research & Innovation in 2019.
Consultants and Interns
Kupenda’s consultants and interns support our marketing, research, film, mobile application, and program monitoring and evaluation activities. You can learn more about our volunteer and internship opportunities here.
Jialan Wang
Mobile App Development Consultant
Mobile App Development Consultant
Mobile App Development ConsultantJialan Wang is a student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) majoring in electrical engineering and computer science and minoring in linguistics. She has had previous experience in web-app development. She has a deep interest in learning about various social issues and is eager to use her knowledge and skills to support and empower people that are under- represented or marginalized. She is excited to be able to become a part of the team at Kupenda for the Children and participate in the development and testing of Kupenda’s mobile app, which enables our Kenyan staff and local leaders to provide effective counseling and care for children with disabilities. As a mobile app development intern, she focuses on testing and making edits to the app and integrating Kupenda’s sponsorship and app databases.
Read more about Jialan’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Grace Santa
Kuhenza Intern
Kuhenza Intern
Grace provides data collection, translation, research and child and family counseling support to both Kupenda and Kuhenza. She is an environmentalist by profession and has been an intern at Kuhenza for the Children since 2019. Grace completed her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Monitoring and Management at University of Eldoret in Eldoret, Kenya.
Phil Knowlton
Media Consultant
Media Consultant
Phil is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, commercial editor, and photographer. Born in Paris, France, he became fascinated with the creative world at a young age. Since then, he has produced a number of impressive works, including the KUPENDA, a 70-minute documentary which won Best Feature Documentary at the Inclús, Barcelona International Disability Film Festival and was also shown at the Beloit Film Festival and the ReelAbilities Film Festival.
Read more about Phil’s experience in his LinkedIn profile here.
Sona Kalatardi
Program Management Intern
Program Management Intern
Program Management InternSona Kalatardi is a current senior at the University of Virginia majoring in Global Public Health and Cognitive Science. She exemplifies her commitment to inclusion through her leadership roles, notably as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for her school’s Alpha Delta Pi chapter. Additionally, she has served as a Policy Officer for Students for Equity and Reform in Virginia, managing relationships with state representatives and spearheading the educational policy team.
Sona was introduced to Kupenda through undergraduate research at UVA investigating the implications of stigma on healthcare outcomes for children with disabilities. She traveled to Kenya in November of 2023 to help the Kuhenza team facilitate interviews and write a survey to assess the stigma held by healthcare workers. After her transformative experience in Kenya, Sona recognized the profound impact of Kupenda’s work and felt a deep commitment to continue advocating for children with disabilities. Inspired by the organization’s mission and the tangible change it brings to children with disabilities, Sona is eager to contribute her skills and passion and is dedicated to making a lasting difference in the global landscape of disability inclusion and healthcare equity.
Read more about Sona in her LinkedIn profile here.
Stephen Kitsao
Disability Advocate and Journalist
Disability Advocate and Journalist
Disability Advocate and JournalistAt the age of 10, Stephen Kitsao fell out of a coconut tree and became paralyzed from the waist down. Although this traumatic event reshaped his life, 18 years later he is now a powerful disability ambassador who uses his speaking, videography, and journalism talents to fight for justice and inclusion for others living with disabilities, both in and beyond Kenya. Stephen’s advocacy work takes various forms – he gives public talks at community events, shares his testimony as NGO sensitization workshops, and has an active following on his Facebook page, YouTube channel, and blog. Stephen has also served as the Rotary Club’s World Disability Club Chairperson for the Kenyan Chapter and Kenyatta University’s representative to Standard Charter Bank and Light for the World’s Employment Program (which built the employability capacity to 4,000 Kenyan students). As a journalist, Stephen has also developed dozens of written and video articles on the topic of disability justice and inclusion — several of which have been published on popular media broadcasts including KUTV News in Kenya and the Rotary Club’s World Disability Advocacy Newsletter. One such broadcast is a weekly show called “I Stand Able” which ran on KUTV in 2019 and 2020 and was created by Stephen to emphasize the strengths and abilities of people with disabilities in order to dispel the widespread view that they are beggars or always seeking sympathy. In 2020, Stephen earned a diploma in Communications and Media Studies from Kenyatta University in Nairobi. After graduation, Stephen devoted his life to working as a disability advocate, of which he says, “I am passionate about many things, however, what I stand for is serving others. My mantra is ‘service above self.’”
Read more about Stephen’s experience in his LinkedIn profile here.
Amy Allaire
Design Consultant
Design Consultant
Design ConsultantAmy has over 13 years of experience in graphic design, working both with in-house design teams and on independent contracts. She has designed and built websites, produced award winning magazines, and brought new brands to life. You can find samples of her work at www.amyallaire.com.
Amy has been working as a consultant to Kupenda since 2015 and has found it a great privilege to help them communicate both to the communities they are assisting and the donors who make the work possible.
Read more about Amy’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Lauren Boswell Blair
Program Consultant
Program Consultant
Program ConsultantLauren is an experienced policy writer and author. After she earned an honors degree in English, she went on to write policy for multiple government agencies and contracting companies. She also wrote An Unlikely Gift, a book about Kupenda’s founding and growth. Lauren has a heart for Kupenda’s mission to serve children with disabilities because she underwent numerous pediatric health challenges herself. In addition to working with Kupenda in Kenya on multiple occasions, Lauren has hosted a variety of awareness and fundraising events. Without her fundraising efforts in the early stages, Kupenda would not be where it is today.
Her love of the children she met in Kenya is also evident in her devoted leadership of Kupenda’s board of directors. Lauren served as the board chairperson for over a decade. She currently serves in a non-voting ex officio capacity while also operating in a program support contracting role with an emphasis on writing and editing projects.
Read more about Lauren’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Julia Nash
Mobile App Development Consultant
Mobile App Development Consultant
Mobile App Development ConsultantJulia Nash has a demonstrated history working in both academic settings and the non-profit sector with significant experience in clinical research, worksite wellness, and civic engagement. She currently serves as Kupenda’s App Development Team Lead assisting the Director of Development in identifying and tracking deliverables for the Kuhenza App Outreach project. She works closely with the project’s interns, supporting day-to-day operations and weekly app content demonstrations with our U.S. and Kenyan teams. Previously, Julia and her graduate school colleagues from Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) built a mobile health application that helped Kenyan community leaders support children with disabilities and their families during Covid-19.
Currently, Julia is finishing her Masters in Public Health degree at Boston University specializing in program management with a focus in chronic and non-communicable diseases. Her work revolves around chronic disease management, tackling food insecurity, and creating more equitable environments. Julia excels at program management, digital health application development, and leveraging multi-disciplinary frameworks to tackle multi-layered issues.
You can learn more about the Child Case Management app here.
Read more about Julia’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Julie-Ann Burkhart
Design Consultant
Design Consultant
Design ConsultantJulie-Ann is a design consultant based in San Francisco. She has been a professional designer for over 15 years. She brings a solid background from the agency world, both traditional and interactive design. She strives to create unique design solutions to solve visual challenges. She has successfully completed interactive and branding design initiatives for Fortune 500 clients and a variety of small-to-medium-sized businesses and organizations.
Julie-Ann is honored to utilize her design skills to spread the word about Kupenda’s mission to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
Read more about Julie-Ann’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Nicolette Elliott
Software Engineering Intern
Software Engineering Intern
Software Engineering InternNicolette Elliott is an upcoming junior at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in computer science and neuroscience with prospective minors in finance and biomedical engineering. She plays on MIT’s varsity women’s soccer team and is a former undergraduate researcher studying gender disparities in healthcare startups. She is also an active member of MIT’s Healthcare Hackathon, Hacking Medicine, and Camp Kesem, where she serves as a camp counselor for children whose families have been affected by cancer.
As a Software Engineering Intern, Nikki is responsible for making and advising edits within Kupenda for the Children’s mobile application and facilitating data analysis efforts within the organization’s database. By analyzing the app and its corresponding data, Nikki is able to tailor the program to best suit the needs of the field workers and children Kupenda supports.
Read more about Nicolette’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
Stephen Abrams
Software Engineer and Architect Consultant
Software Engineer and Architect Consultant
Stephen has more than 15 years of experience building enterprise, web, and mobile applications. At TruMedia Networks, he co-developed the ESPN 2014 World Cup analytics platform. At Jumptap / Millennial Media, he built high-performance mobile ad platform technologies and cross-platform automation solutions. At AccelGolf, he built the Android 1.0 and Blackberry 2.0 applications. He has also volunteered his skills and led an initiative to rebuild an application portal for non-profit incubator Rootcause. Most recently, he developed a genomic medical diagnostic platform for clinical trial and therapy recommendations for cancer patients. In his spare time, Stephen is a musician and loves working with his hands. His creations include a guitar tube amplifier, a poker table, and a pottery wheel.
Since January of 2020 Stephen has been providing technical support to Kupenda in developing a Comm Care mobile application for child case management. You can learn more about this app project here.
Read more about Stephen’s experience in his LinkedIn profile here.
Anthony Calandara
Illustration and Design Consultant
Illustration and Design Consultant
Illustration and Design ConsultantAnthony Calandra is a talented and versatile illustrator and designer based in New York City. Anthony has a solid foundation in traditional drawing and painting as well as digital design. He has enjoyed maintaining a successful freelance career and was excited to share his talents with Kupenda when he illustrated our first children’s storybook.
Anthony grew up just outside of Buffalo, New York and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2001. He later earned his Master of Fine Arts in illustration from the Hartford Art School / University of Hartford in 2013, studying under such famed American illustrators as Murray Tinkelman, C.F. Payne, and Gary Kelly.
Read more about Anthony’s experience on his LinkedIn profile here!
Sanjida Azad
Program Management Intern
Program Management Intern
Sanjida Azad, a recent graduate from the University of Virginia, holds a Bachelor of Arts in global public health and a Bachelor of Arts in cognitive science with a concentration in neuroscience. As a first-generation college student, she deeply understands the value of education and the importance of diligent effort in pursuing her passions. Throughout her undergraduate years, Sanjida held numerous leadership roles in diverse organizations, such as Women in Medicine Initiatives, the Bengali Student Organization, and Hearts for the Homeless, among others. In addition to her involvement in various groups, she also undertook multiple jobs and internships, including serving as a Clinical Medical Assistant and volunteering at local hospitals and free clinics.
Following this year, Sanjida hopes to pursue a Master of Public Health in order to follow a career path that aligns with public health and helps disadvantaged populations. As a Kupenda Program Management Intern, Sanjida is excited to contribute her skills to the program and make a real difference for children with disabilities around the world.
Read more about Sanjida’s experience in her LinkedIn profile here.
