What is REMI East Africa?
REMI is an acronym that means Resilient & Empowerment Mechanisms for the Impoverished in East Africa (REMI East Africa). We have changed from Rural Elites Mentorship Initiative to Resilient & Empowerment Mechanisms for the Impoverished in East Africa (REMI East Africa).
Reason: Whilst, the organization started as a mentorship Initiative for health workers. It has now grown to putting people, their cultures, and environment at the center of health and well-being and strengthening of health systems.
Why REMI E.A?
Eighty four percent (84%) of Ugandans live in rural areas with 67% of the population living in poverty. Majority of these populations lack access to quality health care and an opportunity to live dignified, productive and healthier lives. REMI East Africa as founded to address the effects of this viscous cycle of poverty that deny the rural and urban poor healthier and productive living
Our
Mission
REMI East Africa is a health equity organization that works to improve the health and lives of the poorest by influencing policy, advancing innovative approaches that strengthen the health system and address social determinants of health.
Approach
We utilize storytelling to understand the challenges and successes towards health equity, analyse the emerging thing and catalyze partnerships to address them
Founder Story
Rose Mary Nakame has over 8 years of experience in public health care starting off as a frontline nurse in rural and urban areas. During this period at the frontline, she also delivered teaching to Nursing students in areas of medical nursing and foundations of nursing. It is in the rural areas that she realized the need to address social determinants of health, strengthen the health system and contribute to social change thus founding REMI East Africa. As a founder and Executive director of REMI East Africa, not only, has she spearheaded the design of innovative programs and led a team to implement them. She has contributed to a number of publications including the World Health Organization Rural and Indigenous health guidelines among others.
Rose is also an ex-chair and founding board member of Irise Institute of East Africa which addresses the menstrual hygiene management challenge and she served here the past 6 years. This role included supporting the National menstrual hygiene management (MHM) committee based at the Ministry of Education and sports where she contributed to the development of the first East African MHM charter. Rose, now, channels this expertise into the mentorship she avails to East African social innovators at the UNICEF-DUKE University accelerator and causally supports The Pollination Projects Foundation grant making process.
Rose holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2014 Finnish Exchange Alumni in Advanced Nursing, recipient of the Equity and Merit scholarship for a Master in Public Health at The University of Manchester, UK. She has received a number of awards and fellowships such as US Department of State- 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow, 2019 Finalist of the Recognizing Excellence Around Champions of Health (REACH) Awards, finalist for the Make a difference Awards, and Senior Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity.
OBJECTIVES
STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES
Our Team
Board of advisors
SARAH HAMILTON
ROSE NANYONGA CLARKE
JUSTIN McCARTHY
Justin McCarthy is Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships at Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft charity. He joined Smile Train in 2014. He leads a team that collaborates with corporate partners to advance their social impact goals and drive business endeavors including cause marketing initiatives, grantmaking, employee engagement, workplace giving, event sponsorship, and in-kind donations.
TENYWA RICHARD KYEYUNE
Richard Tenywa Kyeyune is an accountant with over 11 years of experience in finance & accounting. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Statistics (BSTAT) from Makerere University, a postgraduate Diploma in tax & revenue administration as well as a Master’s in Business Administration.
Board of Directors
NAMUTEBI HARRIS
Harris is the chair of the board. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Master of Sociology from Makerere University.
She brings on board 17 years of experience in participatory training, monitoring and evaluation, and financial management in health, education, Gender-Based Violence prevention, environmental, Water and Sanitation.
JOEL ANKUNDA
SUSAN MUWONGE
Susan namale Muwonge is a medical Entomologist turned to transformational life coach, entrepreneur, wife and mother of 4. She is also the CEO of Predire house of Style, Uganda’s leading store in selling branded cosmetics and founder of Mumprenuers Uganda, an organization, community and movement set up to empower mothers in business. Susan is a Rotarian and a Young African leader Alumnus (YALI)- a Baraka Obama Initiative.
AGNES KYOTALENGERIRE
Agnes Kyotalengerire is an outstanding Ugandan female multi-media journalist with over ten years of experience in the field of journalism. She is a graduate of English Language and Literature from Makerere University. Agnes holds a Certificate in Health Journalism and Communication from AMREF University Nairobi, Kenya.
BONNY SSEKIWANDA
ROSE NAKAME
Rose is the Executive director, REMI East Africa and secretary of the board of directors
Our leadership
ROSE MARY NAKAME
Executive Director
Rose is the founder and Eecutive Director of REMI East Africa. She holds a Master of Public Health, Advanced Nursing Certificate of Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Rose is also a Mandela Washington Fellow and Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity US+Global
EDNAH KUKUNDAKWE
Programs Manager
OKELLO ALEX
Finance Officer
Okello Alex is the finance officer for REMI East Africa. He holds a finance and business management expert with an Executive Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship for Impact (MBA) from the University of Milan-Italy/UMU and a bachelor's degree in Commerce (Accounting) from Makerere University Kampala.
