| People of Edirisa | |
| Since the establishment of Edirisa in 2001, the number of people involved has grown rapidly. At first it was just Ambrose and Miha, the two co-founders, and a small international group of student volunteers. Nowadays Edirisa has over 30 staff members from Uganda and abroad. Founders  Miha Logar was born in 1974 in Kranj, Slovenia, Central Europe. His life has been devoted to development studies, journalism, computing, and scouts. In 1999 he was in East Africa for the first time. Quickly realising how exciting the region was he returned to Slovenia only to finish his military service and Bachelor's degree. In 2000 he started a Master's in development studies at Uganda Martyrs University, in 2001 he founded Edirisa and after his graduation in 2002 he moved to Lake Bunyonyi. There he invested his own money to build The Heart of Edirisa. He is married to Pamela, they have a daughter Enyanja ('Lake') and a son Maani ('Power'). They are based at Nkozi, near the university where they met.To understand the reasoning that led to setting up Edirisa, you might want to read Miha's Master's paper which talks about culturally-grounded development.  Ambrose Kibuuka was born in 1971 in Mpatta village in Mukono, Uganda. He has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Administration (Makerere University, 1996) and Master's degree in Development Studies (Uganda Martyrs University, 2001). He is one of Uganda's leading motivational speakers, the author of two best-selling books (Remaking the Youth: The Key to Success in Life and After University - What Next?) and the central figure of the Human Capital Development Consult. Ambrose's Master's degree dissertation Education in Uganda - A Tool of Development or Factor of Underdevelopment? has significantly influenced Miha during the formation of Edirisa. Ambrose kindly accepted to be the co-founder of our organisation and although his participation hasn't been constant, he remains a major figure. Ambrose lives in Kampala, together with Doreen and their son Manuel Antonio. Directors and assistants  Pamela Kanyunyuzi (born Fort Portal, Uganda, 1980) and Miha lead Edirisa Ltd, a non-for-profit company. Before becoming a director, Pamela set up Edirisa's fair trade crafts. She is a graduate of Uganda Martyrs University with a degree in Business Administration and Management. She was a member of the student group that started Edirisa in 2001. Munira Grcic (born Kranj, Slovenia, 1982) is the directors’ assistant. After graduating in Management from the Faculty of Organisational Sciences, University of Maribor, she came to Edirisa in July 2009. Despite her plans to work for crafts for three months, she extended her stay after Pamela invited her to become her assistant.Location managers and assistants The Home  Nelco Tumwesigye (born Muko, Uganda, 1979) is our manager at The Home of Edirisa. He has a certificate in catering and hotel management. He previously worked at a number of Kabale hotels, but we stole him from a Bunyonyi neighbour.  Fred Beinomugisha (born Bufundi, Uganda, 1984) is assistant for customer service at The Home of Edirisa. He has a diploma in tourism and hotel management. Before working for us in Kabale, Fred had a job in Queen Elizabeth NP. However, fearing that one day he may be attacked by a wild animal, he came to the Home of Edirisa where he began life as a waiter before being promoted to customer service assistant. Moses Nkurunungi (born Kabale, Uganda, 1986) is an assistant for tours. He has a diploma in computer science from Kabale University. In 2006 he came to The Home of Edirisa as a waiter but in late 2007 got involved in tours. As one of our more vivacious staff members he is responsible for guiding guests around the wilds of Queen Elizabeth and the tranquillity of Lake Bunyonyi.The Heart  Clement Banyenzaki (born Karambo, Uganda, 1985) is the manager of The Heart. He joined The Heart in 2007 and has been involved in a number of construction projects at Bufuka.  Phionah Ashaba (born Kagarama, Uganda, 1985) is the assistant for crafts at The Heart. She enjoys making crafts herself, so is happy not only to form new friendships with local crafts women but also to learn new skills from them. Phionah is also the Edirisa Nursery School headteacher.Leadership of Edirisa Smiles Community Based Organisation  Our Smiles Education Coordinator is Sarah Lee Cover (born Maryland, USA, 1980). Sarah studied German History at Randalph Meacon Women’s college and later graduated in African Studies MA from UCLA. This is not her first time in Uganda, she has previously spent three months teaching in a primary school in Nasuuti.  Denis Twinomugisha (born Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda, 1987) is the Smiles Administrator. He first started in 2008 as a workshop translator at The Heart, became an activity leader and finally the administrator. He enjoys sports, particularly football and swimming, and leads swimming lessons at Bufuka and Kyabahinga. Martin Aijuka Depories (born Kabale, Uganda, 1981) is the chairman of the Edirisa Smiles CBO executive committee. He has completed a three-year industrial and fine arts course at Makerere University and has been with Edirisa since 2004. photo: Ali Dunn, Andrea Stultiens, Miha Logar & Edirisa archives | |
| 18. Oct. 2009 | |
