Katutandike - Let's Get Started - Transforming Lives in Uganda

Our Team in the UK

Greetings from Ka Tutandike Trust UK! We are a registered charity for children and for disabled people living in Uganda. The Trust is governed by a Board of seven voluntary Board Members, and Chaired by Heidi Kruitwagen. We have one paid officer, who manages the day to day operations of the charity.


We are here to assist the Ugandan NGO with the long term view to have them fully take over the operations. It is the role of the UK office to support the growth of Ka Tutandike (Uganda) over the next few years, and facilitate fundraising initiatives and provide strategic directions towards helping to grow robust, transparent programmes and projects, which are:

  • well researched
  • good value for money
  • owned and sustained locally in Uganda
  • well documented
  • marketable and attractive to external donors/partners

Please contact us for further information, and to help us achieve our goals for children and for disabled people in Uganda.

 

Founder

Patricia Brenninkmeyer

"After hearing about Africa and children in need when I was a young child, I was seriously determined to go there when I was grown up, however I had a lot of growing and training to do before my dream came true." Patricia graduated from St. Andrew's University in Scotland with and MA degree in Geography and Modern History and went on to do a post graduate diploma course in Child Care and Social Administration at Liverpool. This qualified her as a Social worker - Child Care Officer.

Patricia's first job was with The Child Welfare and Adoption Society (CWAS) in Uganda where she was responsible to a local Committee and ultimately the Catholic Secretariat at Nsambya.  Her role was to supervise the care of "orphans" in Catholic Missions and hospitals throughout the country, and to work towards rehabilitating children with their relatives or with foster parents. At the end of her two year contract which had cemented her wish to work in or for Africa in reality, she returned home to the UK and went to work with Oxfordshire Social Services to gain additional experience. Patricia felt fortunate when she was asked to go to Uganda back for another two years by CWAS, during which time the Nsambya Babies Home was completed, staffed and became the Head Quarters of CWAS. Patricia returned to UK at the end of 1970.

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Chair

Heidi Kruitwagen

"The status of children, illiteracy and disability in Uganda continue to be areas that need serious attention. To address these  negative conditions, Ka Ttutandike plays a small but dynamic role in protecting the rights of poor and marginalised children in Uganda.  I am particularly passionate about our work in helping children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. To educate and empower them so they and their families feel a sense of optimism and hope when looking to the future.

We want to create compassionate blueprints for lasting change that can be replicated to benefit other similar communities in Uganda and in time, perhaps elsewhere in the region.  Our strength lies in being pro-active and empathetic to the ever changing needs and priorities at the grass roots level."
 

International Development Advisor

Anisha Rajapakse

Anisha has been in the field of international development for 17 years with extensive knowledge of global development issues covering Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Pacific regions.  She has a strong background of establishing successful collaborative partnerships between governments and civil society as well as experience of NGO capacity building, institutional strengthening and fundraising. As an advocate for policy change Anisha has been employing rights-based development approaches with an emphasis on vulnerable people of the global South including people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS and disabled persons. Prior to joining Ka Tutandike Trust UK in 2010, Anisha has spent four years as the head of the Human Development Programme at the Commonwealth Foundation. Prior to this she has worked in Afghanistan for the German Government as well as the UN and international NGOs. Anisha has a MA in International Studies, BA in Sociology, Economics and English and a Diploma in Journalism.

"I am delighted to be working for Ka Tutandike to continue sharing my knowledge and technical expertise in building capacity of the team in Uganda. I am greatly inspired by the potential and passion that exists in Uganda among the various stakeholders and beneficiaries towards championing the rights of vulnerable children. It is hugely rewarding to be able to work in close collaboration and consultation with these groups and empower them with new skills and knowledge to equip them towards meaningful sustainability and bring about tangible improvements to lives of vulnerable communities”.