Who we are
APIE is run by a small team of staff supported by trustees, patrons and partners. In this way, overheads are kept to a minimum, meaning more funds go directly to supporting teachers, children and their families in Rwanda.
The APIE team
Sheilagh Nelson
Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda
Sheilagh enjoys the challenges and rewards of working in different environments,
learning from diverse countries and cultures. She is especially happy when working in a team, or creating teaching, training and learning materials that are appropriate, accessible and fun to use. She loves learning new skills and ways of working and believes strongly that continuous professional development is a ‘must’ for everyone engaged in the education sector, at whatever level. After graduating in German and Dutch from Reading University, UK, she began her overseas career, starting out as a volunteer secondary school teacher in Papua New Guinea with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas, a UK charity). She has a PGCE in Teaching English Overseas from Victoria University (University of Manchester) and a Master’s in Education (Teacher Development) from the College of St Mark and St John, Exeter University. Sheilagh’s earlier interests included hands-on teaching, materials development and the training and mentoring of other teachers. She therefore trained as a CELTA tutor to support teachers wishing to start a career in teaching English to others. She has extensive experience of managing English language centres, and leading teams delivering complex English language programmes in South East Asia (Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), Turkey, the Balkans and Central Asia. She has worked in Rwanda since 2013, firstly leading a country directorate, and then since 2018, as an education consultant. Sheilagh’s main focus at APIE is to lead and support the team in creating and delivering new education projects which impact positively on the broader education sector context.
Emmanuel Muvunyi
Chief Operations Officer, Rwanda
Dr Emmanuel Muvunyi, EdD is currently the Chief Operations Officer of APIE. Prior to that, he was a freelance Consultant in education. He held several roles in Rwanda’s Ministry of Education including: Executive Director of Rwanda’s Higher Education Council, head of the National Examinations agency, Executive Secretary of the Teachers Service Commission and Director General of the Student Financing Agency for Rwanda. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Education from the University of Sussex, a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Aberystwyth University (U.K), a Bachelors Degree from Makerere University (Uganda).
Christine Munday
Operations and Communications Manager
Christine joined APIE in July 2024. Prior to this she has worked in the charity sector leading social action programmes supporting people who are isolated and alone. She has held operational and communications roles in tourism and heritage management for Beale Wildlife Park, Coventry Cathedral and the National Trust. Christine volunteers as a befriender for older people who are isolated, as an A&E Navigator supporting young people in crisis and as part of an outreach team supporting on-street sex workers to make positive life choices.
Emilie Munyakazi
Project Officer, Rwanda
Emilie has eight years of experience in early childhood education and Teacher Professional Development. She is passionate about children and supporting their holistic progress. She has a degree in finance and is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration from the University of East London. Emilie joined APIE in 2019 after working with Umubano Academy in the Nursery classrooms from 2014. She started with APIE as an Administration and Translation Officer and has since become APIE's Project Officer. Emilie uses her language and communication skills to create content to support teachers engaging with APIE’s online courses. In addition, she facilitates and organises project activities, training sessions and the logistics of field work. As an integral member of APIE’s small in-country team in Rwanda, Emilie works collaboratively and flexibly across the continents to ensure that APIE’s activities and projects are successful and impactful.
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Michael Burnett
Fundraising Officer, UK
Michael has been working as a grants fundraiser for nine years, and has experience with many different charities in this capacity. He has raised funds for therapeutic art and horticulture programmes for vulnerable adults, a children’s heart charity, a project providing support to autistic adults and a Christian charitable school in Northern Kenya. Michael is also an avid writer of fiction, and his short stories have been published in several literary journals. When he's not writing, you can often find Michael in his garden, tending to his vegetable plots and spending time with his two cats.
Board of Trustees
Sue Horner
Chair of Trustees
Sue is an education consultant who has steered the development of the primary and secondary national curriculum in England. The author of an influential assessment system for teachers, she has worked in many countries - including Rwanda - and is recognised as an international expert on reading and assessment. She has led national projects to promote reading, writing and drama for all children in schools, and in 2013 was awarded the MBE for services to literature.
Brooks Newmark
Co-founder & Trustee
A steadfast philanthropist and social leader, Brooks Newmark has dedicated his career to building strong and healthy communities and currently divides his time across a broad range of professional interests. In his home of Braintree, Essex, he serves as the president of the Braintree Community Foundation. Brooks also dedicates his time to his work at Oxford University, where he researches for the Department of Politics and International Relations. In addition, he also maintains a presence in the business sector by sitting on the board of directors for investment firms Telesis Management Ltd. and Apollo Alternative Investments MIP. Brooks' passion, and generous commitment to contributing to a more equitable world, stems from his own experience of the power of a good education. He founded APIE in response to a desire to contribute to education in Rwanda, having spent almost a decade doing voluntary work in the country.
Lucy Newmark
Trustee
Lucy is a commissioned portrait painter and printmaker working in London. Her introduction to Rwanda came through her involvement with the Conservative social action group: Project Umubano, where she taught art to street children and young people with interrupted education at Centre Marembo in Kigali. She is married to APIE's co-founder Brooks Newmark, has brought up five children and believes strongly in the empowering benefits of a good education.
Marcus Starling
Deputy Chair of Trustees
Marcus is a civil servant with experience in policy development and organisational governance and oversight. He currently works in the Home Office, and was previously in the Department for Education. Marcus has a degree in Archaeology & Anthropology, following which he spent time teaching English in Japan and working at a charity. He has four children and is a governor and chair of the teaching and learning committee at St Giles Primary School. Marcus is keen to make a contribution to good governance, supporting partnerships and helping to deliver APIE's mission.
Ian Henn
Trustee
Ian is a qualified barrister with extensive experience in commercial management in the aerospace and defence industry, with particular expertise in the drafting and negotiation of agreements. Recently retired, Ian now concentrates on voluntary advocacy work, grandparental duties and creative writing.
Sir Keith Ajegbo
Trustee
Following a degree in English at Cambridge, Keith commenced his career in education. From 1986 – 2006 he was Head of Deptford Green School in South East London. He was awarded an OBE 1996 and was knighted in 2007 for services to education for his work improving standards of achievement and developing citizenship education. Most recently Keith has been working as an education consultant, with a particular emphasis on mentoring future Head Teachers.
Michael Mitchell
Trustee
Michael joined the APIE Board in 2019. He has been involved as a Trustee in a range of London focused charities for more than thirty years. These include two of the Victorian Cambridge college "missions" or settlements in South London. He also served for 10 years on the Board of London South Bank University. In between, he works using his accountancy expertise, to support a number of rapidly growing companies.
APIE event, London 2016. APIE UK staff, board of trustees and patrons
with Head of Umubano Primary School.
The UK trustees and APIE team work closely with Umubano Primary School Board of Governors. See www.umubanoprimary.org for information about the Board and the Parents’ Association.
Kitty Llewellyn
Co-Founder
For the past 15 years, Kitty has supported companies and development organisations in their operations in Africa, conducting extensive first-hand research across the continent and providing strategic advice to assist clients in their decision-making. Kitty was previously editor of the Sunday Times in Rwanda and has reported widely on the East and Central African regions. Whilst living in Kigali, Kitty volunteered at Umubano Primary school. Kitty developed a passion for improving the quality of teaching and learning in Rwanda that led her to setting up A Partner in Education with Brooks Newmark in 2009.
Patrons
Jean Paul Samputu
Patron
Jean Paul Samputu is a singer, songwriter and musician from Rwanda, and was the winner of the prestigious Kora Award for Best African Traditional Artist in 2003. He also travels the world as a peace activist and cultural ambassador for Rwanda. Jean Paul is a powerful voice for peace and reconciliation across the globe and is passionate about the role of education in creating a positive future for Rwanda where he lost his family in the genocide of 1994.
Roger Jean Nsengiyumva
Patron
Roger is an actor known for his roles in Africa United (2010) and Sixteen (2013). He has most recently appeared in Les Blancs at the National Theatre. Roger was born in Rwanda during the genocide and survived due to the extraordinary courage of his mother who managed to escape. Roger has lived all his life since in the UK. He offered to be patron of APIE in order to support the development of opportunity and education for young people in Rwanda today and in the future.
Dr Michael Gray
Patron
Michael is Director of Studies at Harrow School in London and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. He graduated in History from King’s College London and completed his PGCE, MA and PhD at the UCL Institute of Education. Michael has published widely on genocide education, focusing on the Holocaust and the Genocide Against the Tutsi. He has visited Rwanda on several occasions, including running school trips to the country.