News and Updates

Discover the latest developments and updates from the Collaborative.

Submit a News Item
Submit an Event

News & Events

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Africa Secretariat

Photo of Amanda Dlamini

Interantional Programs and Communications Coordinator

Health Innovation Hub (H2i), University of Toronto

Photo of Penina Lam

, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Timothy Kinoti

, PhD Candidate

Head, Learning & Program Improvement

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of JesusMiracle Chiadika

, M.Ed., PhD Candidate

Senior Research Officer, Communications Lead

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Edward Nkole

, CPA, CMA

Finance & Administration Associate Director

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Angel Motsamai

, MBA, PhD

Program Officer (Southern Africa), South Africa

Africa Secretariat

Photo of Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Africa Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Notisha Massaquoi

, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Society; Founder & Director, Black Health Equity Lab

University of Toronto Scarborough

Photo of Saima Zulqarnain

Program and Business Development Manager

Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto

Profile

Lillian Bogonko

Program Officer (East Africa), Kenya

Africa Secretariat

Email Address
lillian.bogonko@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Amanda Dlamini

Interantional Programs and Communications Coordinator

Health Innovation Hub (H2i)

Amanda Dlamini is H2i’s International Program & Communications Coordinator, with 8 years of experience in communications, driven with a passion to empower entrepreneurs.

Having successfully collaborated in projects back in South Africa which focused on diabetes awareness through an NGO, employing stakeholder engagement, events management and in the private sector with consumer goods, in communications and public relations. Dlamini emphasizes continuously innovating and agile communications as the key piece of any business’ ability to successfully engage with the target audience. She holds a Master of Management, Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.

Email Address
amanda.dlamini@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Profile
Dr Penina Lam, Lead of the Africa Health Collaborative

Penina Lam, PhD

Senior Director, International Relations, Africa & Head, AHC Secretariat

Africa Secretariat

Dr. Penina Lam is the U of T’s Senior Director of International Relations, where she leads strategic engagement and development of partnerships with Africa.

 She also leads the implementation of the Africa Health Collaborative, designed to facilitate talent development and entrepreneurship among African youth. She oversees the Secretariat team and works in close partnership with colleagues across U of T, with African institutions, and the Mastercard Foundation. 

As a scholar-practitioner, she’s passionate about research and programs that foster access to and equity in education, health, and employment opportunities.  Prior to joining U of T, she worked as an Organizational Development (OD) consultant at the World Bank, in healthcare and education sectors. She’s experienced at engaging with diverse stakeholders to design, develop, and deliver impactful learning and talent development program.

Her academic career has spanned research, faculty, staff, and senior leadership roles working with African, Canadian, and US institutions. Dr. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & OD, with a focus on Human Resource Development.

Email Address
penina.lam@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Governance
Executive Steering Committee
Profile

Timothy Kinoti, PhD Candidate

Head, Learning & Program Improvement

Africa Secretariat

Timothy Kinoti holds the role of Learning Facilitator, Africa at the University of Toronto (U of T), where he oversees all aspects of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Adaptation within the Mastercard Foundation Health Collaborative initiative in Africa.

Collaborating closely with colleagues at U of T and African Higher Learning Institutions, he draws upon 16 years of professional experience dedicated to research, impact measurement and program design; with a strong focus on development financing, youth employment initiatives, entrepreneurship, education, gender, and healthcare. He is an accredited Development Finance Fellow from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Before joining U of T, he contributed to the education portfolio and led the social protection program at World University Service of Canada within the refugee context and supported national education programs in Kenya at RTI International.

Email Address
timothy.kinoti@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Kenya
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

JesusMiracle Chiadika, M.Ed., PhD Candidate

Senior Research Officer, Communications Lead

Office of the Vice-President International

JesusMiracle is the Senior Research Officer/ Communications Lead at the Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto. She is also completing a PhD in Higher Education with a collaborative specialization in Comparative, International and Development Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She graduated with an M.Ed. in Higher Education, and has an interdisciplinary background in the arts, psychology and entrepreneurship. She has lived on three continents which impacted her worldview and interests in understanding education from a global perspective. Having worked extensively with international students, she is interested in understanding how internationalization policies impact their experiences on an institutional level, and how institutions can improve the services and supports provided to students.

Email Address
jesusmiracle.chiadika@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Governance
HEMP Pillar Advisory Commitee
Profile

Edward Nkole, CPA, CMA

Finance & Administration Associate Director

Africa Secretariat

Edward Nkole is a seasoned professional who, since March 2022, has been dedicated to his role as the Senior Planning and Budget Officer at the Office of the Vice President International (OVPI).

His responsibilities encompass providing invaluable financial management counsel, ensuring meticulous preparation of financial reports for the Foundation, and fostering collaborative partnerships both within and outside the organization.

Edward’s role is marked by dual reporting, where he effectively liaises with the Senior Director, International Relations, Africa for the Mastercard Foundation Grant. Furthermore, he holds a pivotal position as the finance lead within OVPI, reporting directly to the AVP International Engagement and Impact.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Edward’s true passion lies in the realm of education. With a remarkable twelve-plus years of experience in the university sector, he brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to the table. Edward Nkole is a dynamic individual who continues to make a significant impact in the field of international relations and education.

Email Address
edward.nkole@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Angel Motsamai, MBA, PhD

Program Officer (Southern Africa), South Africa

Africa Secretariat

Dr. Angel Motsamai is a Program Officer: Southern Africa, at the University of Toronto.

Her key roles involve establishing partnerships with Africa-based industries with the purpose of creating work integrated learning opportunities for African scholars studying at the University of Toronto. She is also responsible for establishing and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders in the Southern Africa region.

Prior to joining the University of Toronto, Dr. Motsamai contributed her skills and knowledge to the University of KwaZulu Natal, where she held the position of Principal Project Coordinator. In this role, she was responsible for managing various academic projects, including the Entrepreneurial Champions Program, an initiative by the South African government through the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs.

Her other previous employment includes the Mangosuthu University of Technology, where she worked as a Project Officer. Her duties included placement of students with industry, establishing partnerships with organizations and government. Prior to this, she worked at the Durban University of Technology, as a Senior International Relations Officer. Her tenure there involved fostering international collaborations and partnerships, which enhanced the university’s global presence and academic exchange opportunities.

Dr. Motsamai’s educational background is anchored by a robust foundation in business administration. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, which provided her with a comprehensive understanding of business management principles. Further advancing her expertise, she pursued and completed a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), which has equipped her with the skills to conduct high-level strategic planning and decision-making.

Email Address
angel.motsamai@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
South Africa
Pillars
Health Ecosystems
Health Employment
Health Entrepreneurship
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Tak Koguchi

Lead, Strategic Initiatives

Africa Secretariat

Tak Koguchi serves as the Lead for Strategic Initiatives and Governance within the AHC Secretariat at the University of Toronto (U of T) 

His role involves establishing standardized institutional processes and templates for the network, particularly regarding Intellectual Property (IP), research frameworks, and cross-partner collaboration. Previously, Tak served as the Senior Regional Lead (Africa) and the acting program manager for the Secretariat, where he was instrumental in shaping the collaborative’s early narrative.
Tak is a graduate of U of T (BA) and York University (MPPAL).

  

Email Address
tak.koguchi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Program
Africa Secretariat
Profile

Notisha Massaquoi, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Society; Founder & Director, Black Health Equity Lab

University of Toronto Scarborough

Notisha Massaquoi is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Society at the University of Toronto, Scarborough with a graduate appointment in the Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

She is also the founder and director of the Black Health Equity Lab (The BHEL) which conducts community-based health research and works with Black communities to develop advocacy tools, strategies and programs to improve health outcomes, wellbeing and success in Canadian systems.  She holds a BA in Psychology from Western University, a Masters in Social Work  and PhD in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto.  Her early health leadership career established several health service organizations which serve Black communities in Canada and she developed and served for two decades as the Executive Director of Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre in Toronto – the only Community Health Centre in North America specializing in primary healthcare for Black and racialized women.

Email Address
notisha.massaquoi@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Faculty
Country
Canada
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Program
Public Policy
Governance
HECO Pillar Advisory Committee
Profile

Saima Zulqarnain

Program and Business Development Manager

Institute for Management & Innovation

Saima Zulqarnain is the Program and Business Development Manager for IMIx Executive Programs, a department housed at the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI).

With over 16 years of experience in executive education, she excels in program management, strategic marketing initiatives, and fostering collaborative partnerships across a diverse group of faculty, administrators, students, and stakeholders. Within her current role, Saima oversees a comprehensive portfolio of certificate programs, including the Mastercard Foundation-funded Certificate of Effective Healthcare Management.

 
Before joining the University of Toronto in 2008, Saima worked at LUMS University’s executive education department in Lahore, Pakistan. During her time there, she was at the helm of several large-scale international programs offered by LUMS with partners including INSEAD, the Darden School of Business, the World Bank, and the International Human Resource Development Corporation (IHRDC). Saima holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (BA). She currently lives in Oakville, Ontario with her husband and son.

Email Address
imi.executiveprograms@utoronto.ca
Profile Type
Staff
Country
Canada
Pillar
Health Ecosystems
Program
IMIx