Melizsa Mugyenyi

Board Chair

Melizsa Mugyenyi

Program Officer for Early Childhood Development and Education in Africa

Echinda Giving

“Disruptive and systemic realignments in development, that shift power to Africa’s visionaries are desperately needed. We can no longer talk of ‘meaningful partnerships’, ‘localization’, or ‘locally owned solutions’ while perpetuating outdated and inequitable models of development. The tide must turn.”

Melizsa Mugyenyi is Echidna Giving’s Program Officer for Early Childhood Development and Education in Africa. Based in Nairobi, Melizsa has dedicated her career to advancing sustainable impact across Sub-Saharan Africa.

In her recent tenure as turnaround CEO of the Graça Machel Trust, Melizsa navigated the organization through the post-COVID landscape, achieving remarkable programmatic and organizational growth outcomes.

Her multifaceted experience encompasses areas such as health, youth development, education, and women’s advancement. She has designed, managed, or fundraised for high impact initiatives while working with various leading organizations at senior levels, including the Aga Khan Foundation and International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX).

Beyond her executive roles, Melizsa is an active board member of several forward-thinking organizations, including African Collaborative and the International Institute for Environment Development. (IIED).