The Team

Boniface Mwangi: Founder / Director
boniface@pichamtaani.com

Boniface Mwangi is the founder and director of Picha Mtaani. He started his career at the Standard newspaper as a photographer and did various assignments of increasing responsibility in a number of countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, China, Somalia, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, France and he covered the historic election of President Barack Obama in the USA.

Mwangi was the eye of Kenyans at the December 2007- February 2008 post-election violence. He showed courage and compassion to capture the images across the country that made newspaper headlines. His coverage of those attacks entailed great danger as, more often than not, he had to falsify his ethnic identity. He says: "There is urgent work to be done. I see myself as a visual artiste using photography as the vehicle for social change in my country, which has experienced a lot of impunity, the latest manifestation of this being last electoral political convulsions that left scores dead and half a million displaced"

He served with the Standard group as a photographer for five years before he left in December 2008 to start Picha Mtaani. He is the first person in East and Central Africa to be named the CNN Africa Photojournalist of the Year 2008, amongst other international awards.

"Your photography is absolutely stunning and tells an important and powerful story for the world to hear"
- Hillary Clinton the USA secretary of state in a letter he wrote to Boniface Mwangi commending his Post election violence work.

Mwangi is a role model and a mentor to many young persons in Africa.

George Gachara: Co-founder / Project Coordinator
george@pichamtaani.com

Gachara is rising among Africa's notable and respected young leaders. Gachara is a young democrat, who is rooted in the true traditions of political democracy and mutual social responsibility as a philosophy of life. He is an orator and a Pan African Debater in the British Parliamentary Style.

Gachara is an authority in matters of Youth leadership in Kenya. He has been consistent to influence Policy change in Kenya, including the National Youth Policy, HIV/AIDS & Drugs policy, and the National Mediation and Dialogue Roadmap. Gachara also consulted and advised the AU and UN backed Kenya Mediation and Dialogue Committee led by HE Kofi Annan and the panel of Eminent African Leaders on a Youth Relevant National Dialogue Road map, the Political settlement agenda, and the post  negotiated Kenya, Agenda Four.

He has been invited as a key note speaker at many national and international events including the Re - Imagine Kenya fundraiser, New York, the Kwani Litfest dialogues, Nairobi, Regional Center for Stability, Security and Peace in Africa - Political Parties Consultations, Nairobi, the UN - OHCHR; TJRC consultation forum, Nairobi, 2009 as well as the World Economic Forum on Africa, Cape Town.

Gachara was the lead advisor on youth issues for a Kenyan human rights "Hatua" Talk show by the Mohamed Amin Foundation and the OSIEA as well as a lead consultant for the Somali Social Justice Television Show "Daalnayee Maxaa Noo Dan ah" for the Somali Youth Partners [SYP].

The Nation Media Group and Generation 45 - Shujaa Award [champion award], Daystar University - Star of Excellence Award for servant leadership - as well as the African Union Moot Summit of Makerere University - award in the order of appreciation, decorated Gachara for his exceptional service. Gachara was recently named a British Council - Global Change Maker, Cape Town, 2009.

Gachara is a trainer, a manager, a blogger and an activist.

Caren Wakoli: Project Administration
caren@pichamtaani.com

Caren is a talented young Kenyan with extensive experience in leadership and governance. She has a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Sociology from the University of Nairobi. While at UON, she was one of the longest serving student leaders having served in the union for three consecutive terms; starting off as Congress-lady, Gender affairs secretary and finished off as the Vice chair of the Union.

She was the first lady in history of the Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) to be elected vice-chairperson. She remained outstanding in her service to the university community and this earned her the title of Young Female Achiever 2006 by the University of Nairobi. Caren has served in various youth organisations with a special interest in governance, human rights and democracy and she currently represents the youth on the Nacada Advisory Board.

Caren has a keen interest in media issues and she is writer for Media Institute, a media monitoring firm. She has widely participated in critical policy processes in Kenya including the Kenya Vision 2030, as well as the Kenya We Want conference.

Batamuliza Naila: Peace Advisor

Batamuliza Naila is a Rwanda genocide survivor with extensive experience in team leadership and research. She is a Pan-Africanist as well as a strong advocate for women empowerment and human rights.

She is also an ambassador for the Rwandan Youth Diaspora (RYD) and she has also been involved in training young genocide survivors especially girls with an aim to help boost their self-confidence.

She is currently part of the youth team that works hand in hand with the Ministry of Culture in Rwanda to promote a positive image of Rwanda on the International scene. Naila is a member of Young Diplomats club, the model United Nations.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations [honors] from the United States International University- Africa (USIU-A).