Winny Cherotich

Winny Cherotich is the Action Manager, The People’s Action for Learning (PAL) Network, and is responsible for supporting growth and ensuring the smooth functioning of the PAL Network, as well as coordinating the implementation of interventions to help children acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Winny previously worked with Twaweza East Africa as a Program Officer in Uwezo Kenya. Winny’s interest is in helping children learn and enjoys seeing them smile. Winny has experience in conducting citizen-led assessments as well as interventions to help children accelerate the acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Winny holds a bachelor’s degree in special Needs education from Kenyatta University and is currently pursuing a master’s in education management at the same institution.

Samwel Mwayi

Samwel holds a degree in Community Development from Egerton University and an MA in Gender and Development from UoN and is presently pursuing an MA in Project Planning and Management from UoN. Samwel has certificates in Gender, Poverty, and Development and Participatory Rural Appraisal (from Egerton University

Samwel has over 10 years of experience in implementing programs mostly in Kenya’s slums and pastoralist areas. He has served as the Head of Programs at PACEMAKER International in charge of the organization’s programs in Nairobi and Kisumu’s informal settlements. Samwel has also been the Gender Programs Manager at SHOFCO, tasked with overseeing the organization’s GBV prevention and response strategies across the major informal urban settlements in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa.

As the lead consultant at Scofield Associates, Samwel led several programs including the US State Government Funded “Community Together Initiative I &II.” His role was to design interventions that used poverty prevention including the promotion of urban farming as a strategy to Preventing Violent Extremism in the urban slums of Nairobi. He was also the lead consultant in developing a violent extremism index, funded by NIWETU currently under review for adoption.

Samwel has also been a lead or co-consultant in Life and Peace Institute, DANIDA, and Women Elect-funded projects in Kenya and East Africa. He presently works at Grassroots Nest for Innovations and Change (GRiC) where he leads MEL and supports PE&E programs in East Africa.