Kikundi is a Community of Practice developed to support Neglected Tropical Disease Program Managers in Africa. Kikundi provides a collaborative platform for participants to share, learn, and work together on solving common Neglected Tropical Disease implementation and management challenges. The Community of Practice is intended to foster professional development, pride and identity, community-based decision-making, access to technical expertise, and networking.
What is a community of practice?
A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do, learning how to do their work better as they interact regularly.
What we do
The primary objective of Kikundi is to develop a strong, digitally-supported community for African Neglected Tropical Diseases Program Managers, providing a platform through which participants can learn from one another in-person or online and collaborate in the pursuit of reaching national and global Neglected Tropical Disease benchmarks. Kikundi provides access to up-to-date Neglected Tropical Disease and professional development resources, group problem solving forums, direct messaging, and other tools that can be used by Program Managers.
Who can join?
Membership of Kikundi is restricted to African Neglected Tropical Diseases Program Managers or people with leadership and decision-making capacity within the national level of Ministry of Health Neglected Tropical Disease programs.
Structure
Kikundi is guided by a Leadership Council of Program Managers and coordinated by two Facilitators. The Facilitators act as resource curators and points of contact to help with the Program Manager experience. The Community of Practice also receives feedback from an Advisory Committee of partners and Neglected Tropical Disease experts.
Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is a guiding committee composed of active Program Managers from across the continent. Below are the current members of the Leadership Council:
- Balla Jatta (Gambia) (Chair)
- Kaura Meeja (Namibia) (co-Chair)
- Dr Ndeye Marie Adama BASSABI (Benin)
- Dr Annick Mondjo (Gabon)
- Dr. Joseph Opare (Ghana)
- Wyckliff Omondi (Kenya)
- Dr Nicholas Olobio (Nigeria)
- Dr Jean Bosco Mbonigaba (Rwanda)
- Dr. Alfred Mubangizi (Uganda)
- Dr Ndéye M'backé KANE (Senegal)
Advisory Committee
The Kikundi Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from key African institutions with expertise in Neglected Tropical Diseases, Communities of Practice, advocacy, or other topics pertinent to the success of Kikundi. Members represent institutions that have firsthand knowledge of the professional and programmatic challenges faced by Program Managers within their work. The role of the Advisory Committee is to review user metrics, provide advice, and offer feedback to Kikundi Leadership.
Below are the current members of the Advisory Committee:
- Michael Kirumba (Chair)
- Prof Moses John Bockarie
- Dr. Achille Kaboré
- Gilbert Baayenda
- Thoko Elphick-Pooley
- William Kofi BOSU
- Dr. Alison Krentel
- Dr. Jeremiah Ngondi
- Dr. Amir Bedri Kello
- Dr Sheila Shawa
Our Team
Kikundi is supported by a Development Team based at the University of Washington (UW) in the United States and the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.