Our Team

Lyra UK

 

Maria Spink, Founder and Executive Director

Maria is a social entrepreneur with a background in the financial sector and carbon finance. After 17 years in senior positions in international banking in London, Maria joined the Executive Board of Green Resources - a tree planting and renewables company, active in East Africa. Working with local labourers and village elders in the Iringa Region, Maria learnt about the acute vulnerability of girls attending schools without safe accommodation and was shocked by the many voiceless women who were child brides or had experienced teenage pregnancies. Maria founded Lyra in 2012 in recognition of the significant impact when investing in girls' and young women's education and entrepreneurship. Maria is dedicated to gaining social and economic equality for girls and women in rural Tanzania. Maria is also a member of the Lyra Board.

 

Katy Sklan, Chief Operating Officer

Katy Sklan is responsible for Lyra’s global operations, overseeing the implementation of smooth and efficient structures, systems and processes to enable Lyra to deliver its charitable objectives. Katy has over 15 years of international development experience in programme management, with experience of working with NGOs and inter-government organisations. She has direct experience of supporting development programmes in the East and Southern Africa region, through 2.5 years of being based in Ethiopia with Save the Children. She holds an undergraduate degree from Durham University and a Masters in International Development, Health and Education.

 

Lyra Tanzania

 
 

Cikay Richards, Lyra Tanzania CEO

Cikay is one of the rising stars of Africa and Europe’s Business community and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Chief Executive position. Cikay holds an M. Phil. in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin, a BA in International Relations from Dublin City University, an Advanced Diploma, and an IPMA in Project Management from the Institute of Project Management, Ireland. She is proficient in English, Swahili, and Luganda. Previous to this role, Cikay worked with one of leading big four professional service networks in Switzerland, and prior to that she was the Executive Director of the European Business Group in Tanzania.  Cikay is a great leader who shares our vision and passion for economically sustainable and vibrant communities in rural Tanzania.  She has a deep understanding of the challenges facing rural Tanzanians and will be focused on developing and driving Lyra in Africa’s programmes as we begin our next chapter.

 
 

Nora Mkenda, Program Manager

Nora Mkenda comes to Lyra with a wealth of experience in program management. She has worked as an M&E Officer and Manager for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation for more than ten years where she participated in designing supervising motoring and reporting health programs. She has experience in working with different stakeholders like government officials, donors, and beneficiaries.

She is also interested in farming where she owns a farming business practicing sustainable farming methods. She holds a bachelor's degree in chemical and Processing Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, a master's in public health from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, postgraduate diploma in Monitoring Evaluation and Learning from the University of Pretoria and Environmental Economics from the University of Copenhagen.

 
 
 

Petronia Kimizye, Digital Learning Coordinator.

Petronia Kimizye not only has a Bachelor's Degree in Education, but she is also an education personnel with six years of experience in education projects since 2017, where she worked with national and international organizations such as Caritas Kigoma Diocese and Save the Children International Tanzania as an Education Project officer and Digital learning Officer. Petronia is deeply committed to ensuring that girls and boys have equal access to education.

 
 

Illuminata Kiponda, Construction Coordinator.

Illuminata Kiponda graduated from Ardhi University with a Bachelor of Building Survey. Illuminata's passion for serving the community extends to her desire to help young girls achieve their goals and gain confidence in their abilities. Her experience and expertise are currently being utilized by Illuminata as an independent consultant on construction projects in Africa.

 
 

Noel Kiula Samwel, Technical Consultant.

Samwel, Noel Kiula. Is a Systems Developer as well as a Technician. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology and Systems from Mzumbe University. Noel enjoys contributing his skills to the exciting technological advances that occur on a daily basis. Noel previously interned with Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL). Noel is currently working as a technical consultant for Lyra in Africa.

 
 
 

Dorice Kimambo, Gender Equality Officer.

Dorice is a vibrant community practitioner with a background in Economics. She is passionate in promotion of gender equality and equity by empowering girls and women in the community to attain their full potential through promotion of quality education and economic growth.
Previously she worked with National and International organizations such as Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT), Raleigh Tanzania in several projects and UNICEF Tanzania as a Digital business facilitator, project leader, Team leader and Children’s Rights Champion coach.
In these roles she excelled to transform community youth to transform their business from analog to digital while promoting 70 to 30 gender ratio of women to men respectively, Equip youth with entrepreneurial skills enable them to start their business, transformed communities to adopt the use of clean energy sources and also promoted children rights during and post COVID -19 pandemic.
Currently Dorice works with Lyra in Africa as Gender Equality Officer.

 
 

John Kalolo, Youth Entrepreneurship (Imarika Kijana) Project Officer.

John is passionate about empowering people. He is an expert in business and entrepreneurship with more than 5 years experience. He has managed to create the opportunities for youth to learn and realise their full potential both economically and socially. He has used his breadth of knowledge and skills in SME development within the forestry value chain.