United States

Andrea Sedlock - Founder and Executive Director
Founder & Executive Director

Andrea Sedlock

Andrea found her life’s passion and purpose while participating in a volunteer service trip to Kabale, Uganda, in 2009. After many trips to Africa, Andrea started, in 2014, the charitable organization Rukundo International (RI). Initially bringing clean water to the Kabale District of Southwestern Uganda, four years later, RI launched its Flagship Program, Rukundo Preparatory School. The school is located in the rural community of Kyanamira, with the goal to partner and impact the whole community: one child at a time. Currently, RI helps over 1,000 people via five community-based projects.

Andrea holds a B.S. in Animal & Veterinary Sciences and an M.S. in Genetics and Developmental Biology from West Virginia University. She is currently employed as a biologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and successfully runs RI in Uganda and the U.S. She resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with her husband and daughter.

Board Treasurer

John Sprieser

John’s early career was in finance, where he eventually became CFO of a venture-backed company providing IT services to the entertainment production industry. He later moved into operations as the chief operating officer of a major advertising research firm and subsequently purchased, grew and sold a Chicago-based computer systems company serving the industrial process controls industry. He and his wife now live in North Bethesda, Maryland.

He holds a BBA from the University of Oklahoma, an MBA from Indiana University and is a registered CPA in Illinois.

John Sprieser
Photo of board member Tanya Parker.
Board Secretary

Tanya Parker

Tanya Parker has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and oversight, both as an employee and as a board member. She has devoted much of her career to leading reproductive health care services delivery to diverse and vulnerable populations. Tanya currently serves as Director of Compliance and Strategic Projects for a Planned Parenthood affiliate and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Tanya holds both a Master’s degree in African History and a Master of Public Health from Boston University and spent her early career working in international development. Her time in East and West Africa solidified her lifelong dedication to supporting work in local communities.

Board Advisor

Grant Milne

In early January 2022, Grant retired from the World Bank Group in Washington DC after a 19 year career. During this time, he worked as a Senior Technical Specialist and Advisor, focusing on poverty alleviation tied to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources. Grant led teams to prepare and provide oversight on major development projects and analytical work in South Asia and Africa, and supported smaller operations in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. He also was a peer reviewer on more than 120 internal quality assurance panels for lending and non-lending projects.

From 1992 to 2003, Grant lived and worked throughout Africa, first as a Chief Technical Advisor in the Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and later as a private consultant for a range of international clients. He was a founding partner and non-Executive Board member of a major financial institution in Zimbabwe and a Board member of a large non-governmental organization dealing with environmental management. He holds a BSc in Forestry and an MSc in Natural Resource Economics from the University of Alberta, and a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics and Policy from Edinburgh University. He has lived in six countries (Canada, USA, UK, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, South Africa) and has extensive experience in another 60 countries.

Grant Milne Bio Image

Uganda

Oscar Mwesigwa Bio Image
Board Member

Oscar Mwesigwa

Oscar Mwesigwa works as the inspector of schools, overseeing standards in more than 200 education institutions around Kabale. He is a lecturer at the university, as well as the board chairman for Bakiga Community Project (NGO), and the chaplain St Mary’s College Rushoroza.

Oscar is engaged in mentorships for young people and his passion for education and childcare has led him to pursue a Master of Education degree. He is a Priest in the Church of Uganda. He resides with his wife and children.

Board Member

Gerald Areebahona

Gerald has over 8 years experience as a Community Managed Microfinance Officer and 3 years as a Programs Coordinator at Drucilla – a Community Based Organization operated by the Diocese of Kigezi that implements integrated, holistic, donor-funded projects, which include community empowerment through women self-help groups, and skills development through female adolescents’ life and vocational skills training.

He has been part of Diocese of Kigezi Finance and Administration team for 12 years in various financial, human resource, and administrative roles. Since October 2020, he has been the Finance and Administration Manager & Specialist at Revival Radio, an extension of the Diocese of Kigezi projects.

Gerald is passionate about good corporate governance and has an engaging management style, which includes coaching and mentoring. He stands as a voice for the vulnerable, especially women and vulnerable adolescent girls.

He has a genuine passion for making a positive difference and lifting people out of poverty as an active member of the Lions Club International, Kabale branch.

Photo of board member Gerald Areebahona.
Innocent Muhereza
Board Member

Innocent Muhereza

Innocent Muhereza is a professional medical clinical officer and instructor working with Rugarama Hospital Diocese of Kigezi Kabale Uganda. Innocent is a vibrant Ugandan with a great passion for service. He is an IPP (immediate past president of Rotaract Club of Kabale community) and ADDR (Assistant District Rotaract Representative) for west zone 3 for Tanzania/Uganda.

Through service to other people, he has managed to help the surrounding communities in many ways by improving their health, social and emotional wellbeing, knowledge, and capacity building. He believes service is the rent we pay for the opportunity to live on this earth.