Touch employs a team of highly skilled professionals who are committed to improving healthcare and promoting health access in sub-Saharan Africa. Our team brings a wide range of expertise, with private and public sector backgrounds spanning from management consulting, clinical medicine, public health, and non-profit organizational management. Together, we address the multifaceted challenges facing health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Abdul-Ahad joined Touch Foundation in 2019 as a Project Manager based in Dar Es Salaam. Abdul-Ahad is responsible for managing the WISN+POA project. Prior to joining Touch, Abdul-Ahad worked as a Senior Project Manager at Capita and Project Manager at Network Rail. He also worked for Moby Group, based in Afghanistan and served as a President at University College London Union. He has a BSc from Royal Holloway and an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London (UCL). Abdul-Ahad holds an Associate’s for Project Management (APMP) qualification awarded in 2016. He is fluent in Pashto and has an intermediate understanding of the Farsi dialect.
Linda rejoined Touch in 2019 after spending two years as a Program Manager in Mwanza, Tanzania from 2015 – 2016. In her current role, Linda is responsible for program implementation in the Lake Zone of Tanzania as well as the implementation of the m-mama program in countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to joining Touch, Linda worked for ten years in strategy and operations consulting at A.T. Kearney, Deloitte, and Right Lane Consulting. Linda graduated from the University of Melbourne (Australia), where she majored in Finance, Management, and Psychology.
Samy Ellouze rejoined Touch as a Project Manager in 2020, after having spent 18 months with the team in Mwanza in 2017. His role involves developing the m-mama ICT application and m-mama implementation in countries outside of Tanzania. He has 8 years of experience in management consultancy and project management. He has an MA in Strategy and Management from Toulouse Business School.
Omar joined Touch Foundation as a Solutions Architect Consultant in 2020, bringing over 20+ years of experience in Information Technology. His role involves the design and development of the m-mama ICT system. Omar has worked across various industries as a technology solution provider and holds an MS in Information Systems from Long Island University (United States).
Fernando joined Touch as Chief Finance Officer in 2023, bringing more than 25 years of experience working in finance, specifically in the microfinance and SME sectors. Prior to joining Touch, Fernando was CEO at Microfinanzas Montemar, previously he served at Cuyo Aval SGR and ExxonMobil. Fernando also was a Lecturer at the MBA program and Academic Director at the Postgraduate Program in Financial Strategy at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Fernando holds an MBA degree from the University of Oxford, a Master’s degree in Management at the Universidad del CEMA, and a Laurea as a Certified Public Accountant from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo.
Lucas serves as Senior Manager responsible for Touch’s Institutional and Program Development efforts. Prior to this, he spent 2.5 years managing healthcare projects from the Foundation’s Lake Zone office in Mwanza, Tanzania. Lucas’s previously worked as an Operations Consultant and Chief of Staff at PwC in London, following the founding of a Personal Impact business. Lucas holds a degree in Economics from the University of Manchester, with a sub-focus on Social and Business Anthropology.
Allison joins Touch Foundation as Chief Advancement Officer, bringing over 20 years of nonprofit experience in global health and fundraising. Prior to joining Touch, Allison served as the Regional Director for Development for Planned Parenthood North Central States. She currently sits on the Board of Care 2 Communities and the KLM Foundation. Allison holds an MA in International Affairs from Columbia University, School of International & Public Affairs.
Donath joined Touch Foundation in 2019 as an Office Assistant. He provides procurement, finance, program, and daily operations support in the Mwanza office. Donath received a Certificate in Procurement and Supply from the College of Business Education in 2019.
Japhet joined Touch Foundation as our Financial Controller in 2023. He brings to his role 12 years of accounting, financial, credit management and procurement experience. Before joining Touch, Japhet worked in accounting, finance, credit management and procurement for a variety of international companies such as Bank of Africa Tanzania Limited and Aga Khan Health Service. His experience spans a wide range of industries including banking and financial services, fleet management, Telematics Insurance and Healthcare. Japhet graduated from Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) in Arusha Tanzania with Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and he is Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Kazala joined Touch Foundation in March 2022 in Mwanza and currently works as a Field Specialist, collaborating with hospital staff to embed initiatives that make hospital operations more efficient and improve patient experience and care. He brings 24 years’ experience from the private sector and prior to joining Touch worked as a Brewing Specialist at Tanzania Breweries Limited. He is an experienced CPA(T) accountant and a member of the National Board of Accountant and Auditor Tanzania (NBAA). He holds a Master of Business Administration from Saint Augustine University (Tanzania) and a Diploma in Raw Materials and Work Production from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) in the UK.
Dr. Wilson Kitinya joined Touch Foundation in 2021 as a Medical Specialist based in Dar Es Salaam. He has over 10 years of experience working in both clinical and international NGO settings. Before joining the Touch team, Dr. Kitinya worked as a Deputy Project Director at Jhpiego. Prior, Wilson worked with Sikika, where he focused on Human Resources for Health, Health Financing & Governance research and advocacy. Prior to Sikika, Wilson worked with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health; first as a Tutor at Mafinga and later as a Principal at Masasi Clinical Officers’ Training Centre. He is an experienced medical doctor with an MSc in Clinical Education from Edinburgh and an MBA for Doctors from Neu-Ulm. He received his undergraduate education (MD) at University of Dar es Salaam.
Restituta rejoined Touch in October 2022 as a Field Specialist for the m-mama program after spending three years as a Dispatcher Team Leader in Sengerema, Mwanza, Tanzania. Prior to joining Touch, Restituta worked for five years at Sengerema Hospital as a Data Officer. She has also worked with AGIPAHI (Arial Glaser Pediatric AIDS Health care Initiative) and ICAP (International Centre for AID Care and Treatments Program). She holds an Advanced Diploma in Information Technology awarded at Institute of Accountancy Arusha.
Sayi Luhungo joined Touch Foundation in March 2023 as an Operations Coordinator. He is based in Mwanza, providing training to staff in rural hospitals on private sector best practices. He brings to this role more than 24 years’ experience in operations management, training and staff development, and prior to joining Touch worked in the Packaging team at Tanzania Breweries Limited. He has a Diploma in Packaging Technology from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (South Africa) and a certificate in Packaging Traditional African Beverages from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (United Kingdom).
Dr. Hamid Mandali joined Touch Foundation in December 2022 as a Clinical Assessment Specialist (CAS) based in Dar es Salaam. He has over 14 years’ experience in the health sector, both public and private, providing clinical services, managing a multitude of programs, and conducting research. Prior to joining Touch, Dr. Mandali was Country Program Lead at mothers2mothers and a Technical Advisor for Jhpiego Lesotho. He has a Medical Degree from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (Tanzania), with added specializations in public health courses from Johns Hopkins University (United States). He is currently pursuing his Msc Public Health at the University of Suffolk (United Kingdom).
Tsolo Maoeng joined the Touch team in Lesotho as Project Manager in 2021. Tsolo brings extensive experience in monitoring and evaluation and project implementation coordination. Before Touch, he worked with The European Union, African Development Bank, and World Bank Group development projects to the Kingdom of Lesotho. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Business Administration from the National University of Lesotho and an advanced diploma in Project Management from the Institute of Commercial Management United Kingdom.
Shabani Ally joined Touch in Mwanza in 2013 and is currently working as an Operations Associate. He provides management, finance, and operations support to the team. Shabani is a graduate of Open University of Tanzania and received an Advanced Diploma in Computer Sciences in 2016.
Giulia joined Touch Foundation in September 2019 in Mwanza. Prior to joining Touch she lived in Milan, Italy where she worked at Accenture as a Management Consulting Analyst. Giulia has previously lived in East Africa for several months for both work experiences and volunteering projects. She holds a bachelor degree in International Management and Economics and a Master of Science in Management from Bocconi University.
Steven joined Touch Foundation in October 2022 as ICT Officer based in Dodoma. He has more than 5 years of industry experience building Information Systems & Web Applications. His role involves supporting the national scale-up of the m-mama program by ensuring the m-mama ICT system is fully functioning and by managing m-mama ICT system maintenance and operations. Before joining the Touch team, Steven Minja worked as a Software Developer at Vodacom Tanzania. He holds a bachelor’s degree of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Dodoma.
Bonaventure joined Touch in Mwanza in 2016. His role is to manage the daily financial operations and ensure compliance in our financial and procurement activities. Before joining Touch, Bonnie worked in finance and accounting for a variety of global NGO’s such as Abt Associates, Helen Keller International and World Vision. Bonnie also worked for Africare Tanzania. Bonnie graduated from St. Augustine’s University in Tanzania with a BBA degree in Accounting and also holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Business Administration – Finance from St. John’s University in Tanzania.
Nolasco joined Touch Foundation in October 2022 as a Field Specialist for the m-mama program based in Dar Es Salaam. His role involves supporting the national scale-up of the m-mama program by ensuring the program is in operation for the whole country. Prior to joining Touch, Nolasco worked as a Case Management Officer at Action for Community Care (ACC). He has a BA in Education from St. Augustine University of Tanzania and a Masters of Community Development from Mount Meru University.
Salome joined Touch in 2020 in Mwanza as Human Resources and Administrative Manager. She brings with her ten years of experiences with HR, finance, operations and administration. Prior to Touch, Salome managed operations and HR at Tanzamaji Limited. A graduate from Finlandia University, she holds a B.S. in Business Administration.
Patrick joined Touch Foundation in 2023 as a Project Manager based in Mwanza. In his current role, he is responsible for the implementation of the MediFIKIA program across the Mwanza Region. Prior to that, Patrick worked as a management consultant at Deloitte in Germany. He holds a Master of Science degree in Economics and Law from the Saarland University in Germany.
Monzo joined Touch Foundation in May 2023 as the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) and Data Specialist. He is responsible for managing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning activities at Touch and supporting evidence-based decision-making to drive quality improvement in the m-mama program. He has 10+ years of experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning within international development and has worked closely with government and bilateral/multilateral partners, most recently leading Monitoring and Evaluation for the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative VectorLink project. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems from the University of Dodoma (Tanzania) and a Masters in Monitoring and Evaluation from Maseno University (Kenya).
Valerio joined Touch in 2013 and currently leads the development and implementation of Touch’s programs across sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, Valerio served as a management consultant at A.T. Kearney and as a Systems Engineer at Alenia North America. Valerio received his Laurea (equivalent to Masters of Science) at the Università degli Studi di Roma ‘La Sapienza’ in Rome, Italy; a Master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and an M.B.A. degree from the Australian Graduate School of Management.
Massi brings more than 20 years of experience in public, private and global health. Prior to joining Touch in 2012, Massi was a Senior Manager at McKinsey & Co., where he served large public and private health clients in Europe, US, South America, and the Middle East. His work focused on health system reforms, healthcare financing and organizational performance for governments and public health institutions, and strategy, market access, and process optimization for private health sector players. Massi holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an Executive MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management from the London School of Economics, and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from the Polytechnic of Milan.
Saleh joined Touch in 2018 and is based in Dar Es Salaam. Saleh is responsible for developing and implementing Touch programs working alongside USAID in Tanzania. His work at Touch involves collaborating and creating effective relationships with the Tanzanian Government responsible for healthcare in the country.
Previously, Saleh worked as a Manager at AstraZeneca and Assistant Manager at Deloitte. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and received his Bachelors in Economics from Royal Holloway University of London.
Joelle joined the Touch team in August 2022 in the role of Development Assistant based in New York. She is a recent graduate of Fordham University where she studied international relations, digital technology, and media. She brings experience in non-profit communications, outreach, and administration for organizations such as Catholic Relief Services and One Fair Wage. Joelle served as President of Fordham Experimental Theatre and brings a range of talent in creative communications to her role with Touch.
Alice joined Touch Foundation in August 2019 in Mwanza, Tanzania. Prior to joining Touch, Alice worked in strategy consulting in Melbourne, Australia. She worked closely with nonprofit organisations and the state and federal government on their strategic projects, and supported the development, implementation and evaluation of programs across a range of industries. She holds a Bachelor of Criminology from Durham University in England and a Master of Management specializing in Marketing from Melbourne Business School.
Haidari joined Touch Foundation in October 2022 as a Field Specialist for the m–mama program. Prior to joining Touch Foundation, Haidari worked for Vodacom Tanzania Limited, AIM Group (T) Limited and IDTECH Holding Limited. His experience spans a wide range of industries including telecommunications, non-profit organizations, and financial services. Haidari, a graduate from Iringa University, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology and Tourism as well as additional certifications in IBM Data Analytics, Project Management, Health and Safety, and Digital Marketing.