Mrs Cecilia is a passionate gender and safeguarding specialist with extensive experience in driving gender-responsive strategies and youth empowerment initiatives across Africa. She has been instrumental in leading Equity Group Holdings’ Africa Gender and Safeguarding Strategy (2023-2027), which supports programming in seven countries, impacting over 10,000 youth. Cecilia has provided technical guidance for Mastercard Foundation-funded projects such as Young Africa Works Kenya and the Wings to Fly Scholarship program. She also led participatory gender and youth analyses to inform Equity’s broader gender and safeguarding strategies. 

Cecilia’s commitment to advancing gender equality is seen in her role as Gender and Youth Officer for the Young Africa Works Kenya program, where she co-developed strategies aimed at empowering 600,000 youth. Prior to her work with Equity, Cecilia served as Project Officer for Africa at the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) Youth, overseeing gender and safeguarding strategies across five countries. She has also worked with Britam Group Holdings Ltd as Lead Trainer, where she developed training programs for over 500 employees. Cecilia holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Daystar University and a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. 

Cecilia believes in the transformative power of safeguarding and inclusive gender policies to create safe and equitable environments for vulnerable populations. Her leadership and expertise in both areas have enabled her to design and implement comprehensive protection mechanisms, ensuring that youth, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, are not only shielded from harm but also empowered to thrive. Through her work, she has demonstrated how safeguarding and gender equality can work hand in hand to foster meaningful change and empowerment across Africa.