Fr. John Webootsa is a Catholic priest with the Comboni Missionaries, best known for his long-standing work in Nairobi’s Korogocho slums and his deep commitment to social justice. As CEO of SIFA MILELE AFRICA, he leads the organization’s overall strategy while guiding its fundraising and communication efforts.

Fr. John has spent over a decade working directly with communities facing poverty, crime, and marginalization. His efforts in Korogocho, one of Nairobi's biggest slums, have focused on education for girls and young mothers, rehabilitation programs for youth, and alternatives to crime and drug use. He has also led the clean-up and rehabilitation of the Nairobi Dandora dumpsite and launched micro-loan programs to support small business creation among local residents.

He played a key role in exposing extrajudicial killings at the Dandora dumpsite and supporting human rights work through the Kutoka Network, a collective of faith-based and civil society groups. Fr. John also helped start the Ghetto Classics music program, giving young people in the slums a chance to learn and perform classical music as a positive outlet.

While deeply rooted in his faith, Fr. John works with people of all backgrounds and beliefs. His focus has always been on standing with the community, walking alongside them, and creating practical ways for people to build better lives.

Rev. Sr. Damaris Muthusi is a passionate social transformation leader, educator, and community development expert, deeply rooted in Gospel values and social justice. A religious sister with the Sisters for Christian Community (SFCC), she brings over 15 years of experience in social entrepreneurship, transformative community development, and youth and women empowerment.

Sr. Damaris serves as a Lecturer and Exam Coordinator at Tangaza University, where she also leads proposal development and grant writing efforts. She has trained and mentored hundreds of youth and community groups across Kenya through organizations such as AVSI Foundation, YALI, and the Switch Africa Green Project. Her teaching and research focus on food security, sustainability, servant leadership, and community engagement in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).

She has consulted widely with NGOs, faith-based organizations, and development agencies on M&E, proposal development, capacity building, and safeguarding frameworks. Her work has directly impacted over 500 MSMEs and multiple community-based projects.

Sr. Damaris is the co-founder of the Youth Watch Foundation, founder of Mawia-CBO and BAFANet, and a board member of several schools and community institutions. She has authored numerous publications on food security, child safeguarding, and social entrepreneurship, and continues to present at international forums on practical strategies for transformative change.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Transformation at Tangaza University, Sr. Damaris also holds a Master’s Degree in Social Ministry and a BA in Human Development. She is a member of SESOK, AFELT, PAST, and the Global Sisters Report Panel.

Her leadership at SIFA Milele Africa reflects her deep commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and faith-rooted community empowerment.

Charles Kimathi is a seasoned media and corporate communications expert with over three decades of leadership in top Kenyan organisations, including Nation Media Group, the Standard Group PLC, and the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA). He brings deep experience in journalism, strategic partnerships, brand marketing, and social enterprise.

At Standard Group, Charles served as General Manager for Corporate Affairs, Marketing & Partnerships, where he led sustainability efforts and launched impactful initiatives such as FarmKenya, supported by the SmartHarvest Magazine and KTN Farmers TV, the Transform Kenya Forums and the Great Places to School program to recognise and award quality in education. He also held senior editorial leadership positions at the Standard Group, serving as Managing Editor of The Standard and The Saturday Standard newspapers. Charles spearheaded the creation of the Standard Media Group Foundation — an industry first.

Previously, he was Group Head of Corporate Affairs at KTDA, where he led national and global communications and spearheaded the establishment of the KTDA Foundation to support education for smallholder tea farmers' children and drive the group's sustainability programs.

Charles had an illustrious journalistic career at the Nation Media Group, as a reporter and editor, rising to Managing Editor of the regional weekly newspaper, The EastAfrican, and the Africa Media Network. A passionate advocate for social impact through social entrepreneurship, he has built cross-sectoral partnerships with UN agencies, NGOs, philanthropists and the private and public sectors, championing causes in education, TVET, health, agriculture, climate action, and disability.

He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, Post-graduate Diploma from the University of Nairobi's School of Journalism, and a BA degree (Economics & Sociology) from the University of Nairobi. He is a Board Member of Social Enterprise Kenya, member of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK), and Ashoka Africa Visionary Leaders Network of social entrepreneurs.

Joseph Mutuma is a seasoned finance and operations professional with deep experience in building systems that support organizational growth, efficiency, and accountability. He currently runs his own business consultancy, Marativa Developments, with a stellar track record of supporting SMEs in designing structured, sustainable, and investor-ready operations.

Before joining SIFA MILELE AFRICA, Joseph led the finance team at Moko Home + Living, where he was instrumental in developing company-wide systems for budgeting, financial reporting, internal controls, and interdepartmental coordination. His work supported successful fundraising efforts and contributed to strong financial performance and operational efficiency.

At SIFA, Joseph oversees the organization's finances, operations, and internal systems — ensuring that strategic goals are grounded in practical execution. His work spans planning, cost control, team coordination, and donor reporting, and he plays a key role in shaping how programs are designed and delivered on the ground.

Known for his structured, hands-on approach, Joseph brings clarity, discipline, and a systems mindset to every stage of the organization’s growth.