Our Team

James leads all things implementation in Ghana and Uganda and is based in Tamale, Ghana. He ensures that all risks and challenges are quickly identified and mitigated.James was appointed as Director of Programme Delivery in 2024, having previously held the Ghana Country Director role since 2021 and Deputy Country Director role from 2020. James’ progress through the organization has been notable, as he began his journey at Lively Minds as Regional Manager for the Upper East in 2014.  

He has been involved in all aspects of Lively Minds' work in Ghana. This includes being instrumental to our growth in the Upper East region; fundamental to the set-up and expansion of the Lively Minds Together radio show; and a key figure in the establishment of the Ghana Government's Lively Minds Programme Working Group.

Eloise leads finance globally and is based in London, UK. Eloise manages all finance risks, working closely with Finance staff spread across Ghana, Uganda and UK. Eloise works closely with the Finance and Audit Committee.

Eloise joined Lively Minds in November 2022 as the Director of Finance.

For over ten years, Eloise has developed her professional accounting expertise, initially completing her technical ACA training in practice, she then moved into the not-for-profit sector to support a range of growing organisations with their financial needs. Previously, she spent over five years with a UK Government-funded technology accelerator working across all areas of the finance function, where she also established an accounting apprenticeship scheme to provide the opportunity for a recent school leaver to gain valuable professional skills during the Covid pandemic. Her passion for the International Development sector was sparked through a voluntary accounting placement with an NGO in Siem Reap, Cambodia aiming to lift children and women out of poverty, where she worked alongside the local staff to strengthen their financial rigour.

Eloise holds a Masters degree in Mathematics and Physics from Durham University. She enjoys baking, photography, and watching her young nieces growing up.

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Katie leads   M&E globally at Lively Minds and is based in the UK. Katie leads on evidencing the impact of Lively Minds’ work, on evaluations, research pieces and works closely with her team and the implementation teams to ensure the data Lively Minds gathers is meaningful and evidence based.

Katie joined Lively Minds in October 2021 as the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation.

Katie has ten years of professional and voluntary experience in international education in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. She joined Lively Minds from CAMFED International, and her voluntary experience includes previous membership of the Executive Committee of the UK Forum for International Education and Training. Katie has worked closely with teams while at Camfed in Ghana and other countries across Africa,

Katie’s professional experience includes the management of evaluations, survey design and data analysis. She has led monitoring, evaluation and learning activities for programmes at all levels of education, from pre-primary to tertiary. Katie is particularly interested in the intersections of gender, socio-economic status and disability on educational access and outcomes, and has a passion for helping people to understand data and use it effectively to improve programme quality and outcomes.

Katie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies and a Master of Research (MRes) in International Development. She is based near London, is a keen runner and walker, and enjoys spending time exploring the more remote corners of the UK.

John Twesigye is a seasoned executive leader with over 15 years of experience in the Humanitarian Development and Corporate service with a rich experience in design and implementation of large scale Education Programmes. He Currently serves as the Country Director for Lively Minds Uganda and held this position since April 2021. He is based in Jinja City which is a few minutes walk from the Source of River Nile-the longest River in the World.

Prior to joining Lively Minds, he was the Education Technical Programmes Manager for World Vision Uganda and also served in various managerial and technical roles at World Vision Uganda from February 2007 to March 2021.

Apart from his current position and as part of his professional career, John has assumed many positions in various business and Corporate sector where notably he is the Past President for Rotary Club of Jinja City and was the Vice President of Presidents for Rotary Eastern Area one. During his tenure as the Club President , he steered the club to win its first ever Rotary Citation Certification which is the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve and is awarded by the Rotary International President.

John is also the Founder member and Chairperson of Golden Medical Foundation which runs the first Pioneer member owned and funded Health Saving scheme in Uganda.

John is also the CEO of Beta Eco Farms which he co-founded with his wife Esther.  Beta Eco Farms is an agro-eco mixed farm located in Wakiso district-Uganda  and has risen to prominence for being a leading conservation of various ornamental birds and hundreds of plant species.

He holds a Master’s degree in Education Planning and Curriculum Studies from Ndejje University, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences (Economics) from Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management from Gulu University.  He also holds a Certificate of Finance for Non-Finance Managers from Uganda Management Institute.

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Alison is the founder and CEO and is based in the United Kingdom.

Alison founded Lively Minds in 2008 following a trip to Ghana where she saw the complex challenges facing rural communities and huge opportunities for change. She spent several years living in both Ghana and Uganda working with Mothers and kids in rural communities to design, test and optimise the programme and then later work out how to scale it.

In recognition of her efforts in 2010, she was shortlisted for the Vodafone World of Difference Award. In 2011, she won the Civil Service Award for Volunteering, and in 2012, was short-listed for a Ghana UK-Based Achievement Award.

In 2013, she was a finalist in the Clarins Dynamisante Woman of the Year Award. In 2018 she was a Gratitude Foundation fellow and in 2019 a Rainer Arnold fellow of Mulago Foundation.

Prior to founding Lively Minds, Alison worked as a lawyer in the Central Government for 7 years, working in the Treasury Solicitor’s Department, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Defence. Before that spent 2 years training at Clifford Chance LLP. Prior to that she studied Modern History at St John’s College, Oxford University

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With over 20 years of experience, Thea is a seasoned COO who has worked across the not for profit, government and corporate sectors.  Having spent her formative years as a management consultant with EY, Thea has worked across the globe to support organisations deliver operations (internal and external) in the most cost effective, impactful and efficient way.  Always putting people at the heart of what she does, she has led teams of up to 5000, run offshore shared service and contact centres as well as being a senior leader in government emergency response programmes.  She has been part of the Lively Minds team, often stepping in to lead programmes, since she volunteered in Uganda on a sabbatical from EY in 2011.

Fayudatu Yakubu is an accomplished development professional with over 14 years of experience in managing large-scale programs in education, health, livelihoods, and youth development. As the Country Director for Lively Minds Ghana, she leads the implementation of the organization’s national strategy, overseeing program delivery, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability efforts in partnership with the Ghana Education Service (GES). Her leadership ensures that early childhood education initiatives are effectively integrated into government systems, benefiting thousands of children in underserved communities.

Before assuming the role of Country Director, Fayudatu served as the Regional Manager for Northern, North East, and Oti regions, where she successfully expanded program implementation to 26 districts, enhancing operational efficiency and improving early childhood education outcomes. Her ability to drive large-scale impact is underpinned by her expertise in strategic planning, policy engagement, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Fayudatu is completing her MSc in International Relations and Development at East London University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Information Studies from the University of Ghana, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from the Institute of Commercial Management (UK). She is also pursuing an MSc in Leadership and Organizational Development at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Ghana. In recognition of her exemplary leadership, strategic vision, and contributions to social impact, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in Strategic Leadership by the University of Brazil Campinas (Unibras).

A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Fayudatu brings strong program leadership and risk management skills to her role. Her commitment to excellence has been recognized globally, she was a Top Finalist at the Emerging Leaders Awards of the Institute of Leadership UK in 2024 and secured second place as Youth Changemaker of the Year at the 2024 Ghana Youth Excellence Awards.

Beyond her role at Lively Minds, Fayudatu is an advocate for leadership development and mentorship. She serves as the National Vice President of Junior Chamber International Ghana, where she drives initiatives that empower young leaders and foster sustainable change.

Her passion, dedication, and strategic vision continue to shape impactful programs that transform lives, ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality early childhood education.

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Noble is the radio Manager based in Bolgatanga-Ghana. He leads the implementation of the radio programme in called Lively Minds Together in Ghana, with more than a decade of experience in project management, procurement, monitoring and evaluation.

He rose through the organization from 2018 as a community development officer to District Coordinator in 2020.

He has worked with various organizations in West Africa and North America within the agricultural and engineering sectors where he was responsible for monitoring ethical fishing practices and procurement of materials for the construction of storage tanks in the Tema Oil refinery.

He studied Adult Education and human resource at the University of Ghana and Marine Engineering from Regional Maritime University.

Noble is excited to be part of a team that is poised to impact positive change in the lives of the rural communities in Ghana.

He is a trained pilot with a commercial license.

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David is the Quality & Learning Manager based in Tamale-Ghana. In this role, David has led the implementation of the Manager Checks Project. He has supported the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points process between Lively Minds and the National Teachers Council (NTC). He supports other programme activities in the field. David has been on this role for the past seven years.
Until his current role, David was the first Country Manager of Lively Minds Ghana. He occupied this position from 2008 to 2017. As Country Manager, David led the programme implementation, recruitment, finance and administration as well as managing stakeholders.

David has about two decades of experience working in the NGO sector. Before he joined the NGO sector, he worked as a classroom teacher from 1998 to 2004.
He holds a master’s degree in NGO Management and Rural Development from University for Development Studies.

At his leisure time, David spends time in his farm taking care of birds and other farm animals.

David easily makes friends across the globe.

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Georgina leads the implementation activities for one region in Ghana and is based in Bolga. Georgina leads a team to deliver the implementation activities and leads the Bolga office.  
Georgina joined Lively Minds in 2015 as a community development Officer.

She grew with Lively Minds and through her hard work, has occupied roles such as Training officer, Senior Training officer and now the Upper East and West Regional Manager.
She holds a BA in Geography and Rural Development and currently studying MSc. in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.  

She is passionate about women empowerment and the fact that the Lively Minds project is gives women/parents opportunities to develop their skills in parenting and in personal confidence.  

She loves children and spends her leisure time with family playing with their pets. She also loves reading or listening to life lessons and historical stories about life experience.

Caesar Alleonu is the Junior Finance and Admin Manager for Lively Minds' Ghana office, where he leads the finance team and over sees operations in the Bolga, Tamale, and Techiman offices. Collaborating closely with the Director of Finance in UK, Caesar ensures the seamless management of financial operations.

Caesar holds an HND in Accounting and a BSc in Computerized Accounting. He's currently pursuing a Commonwealth Master's in Business Administration (Accounting option) through a distance learning program at Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology.

With almost 10 years of service, Caesar has demonstrated dedication and commitment to Lively Minds' mission. He's progressed from Finance and Admin Officer to Coordinator and now Junior Finance Manager, bringing valuable experience and expertise to his current position.

Outside of work, Caesar cherishes time spent with his two beautiful daughters, who bring immense joy and fulfillment to his life.

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Philip leads the implementation activities for one region in Ghana and is based in Techiman. Philip leads a team to deliver the implementation activities and leads the Techiman office.

Philip joined Lively Minds on 17th, April 2017 as a Training Officer, acting Northern Regional Manager and currently, the Regional Manager for Bono, Bono East and Savannah Regions.

He was the first GES Liaise Officer by promotion in 2018 and the first Senior Liaise Officer in 2019 offering coaching and guidance to other Liaises, District LMCs, and their teams for the first ever whole-District-rollout of the GES Lively Minds programme in 2018 with 42 rural schools under him, he also has expertise in technical training and extension education for rural families.

Philip holds BSc. Agriculture Technology (Economics and Extension) from University for Development Studies and currently pursuing MSc. Project management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana.

He believes in leading people by example and with positive mindset.  

Philip directs Music and loves singing and dancing with his children, making friends, sharing experiences with the aged, and watching mystical movies.

Joachim Gornah is a Sustainability Specialist with over 15 years of experience in Project Management, Organizational Development (OD), Policy, and Procurement within the NGO sector. Since joining Lively Minds in February 2022, he has led sustainability initiatives, ensuring long-term impact in early childhood education through stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, and policy advocacy.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Linguistics (University of Ghana), a Postgraduate Diploma in OD (UCC), and an LLM in Public Procurement Law and Policy (University of Nottingham, UK). He is also pursuing a PhD in NGO Studies and Community Development at the University of Cape Coast. As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), he excels in managing large-scale projects within budget, scope, and quality standards.

Joachim has worked across academia, public service, and consulting, collaborating with organizations such as JICA, USAID/JHPIEGO, CRS, and district assemblies. His expertise in capacity-building, community mobilization, and strategic planning drives sustainable interventions that empower communities and improve learning outcomes for young children in the countries that Lively Minds operate.

Portia is a result driven professional with a rural development background. As a Sustain Manager with lively minds Ghana, Portia leads a team to support sustain implementation through conducting analysis, organizing consultation visits to districts and undertaking robust quality assurance in sustain districts. With her leadership, it will ensure that sustain is working efficiently and meeting stage gates

Before assuming the role of Sustain Manager, Portia served as a District coordinator for two years for upper West and Upper East Regions where she successfully coordinated the implementation of the GES Lively minds programme in 18 embed and sustain districts. Portia also served as a District Liaise officer for a year prior to becoming a District Coordinator where she supported building the capacity of GES officers in 3 districts through training, coaching and mentoring.

Portia is currently completing my MSc. in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and She holds a Bachelor of Art in Geography and Rural Development from same Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. She is passionate about women empowerment and gender rated issues.

Iddrisu Yakubu joined Lively Minds in 2014, having discovered the organisation when working next door to LM as the Director of Community Partnership for Youth and Women Development.

He has over 10 years teaching experience at both Basic and Senior High schools in the public sector. I got to know the LM team and realised that the Lively Minds strategy, philosophy vision and mission was in line with the work he wanted to be doing. He joined LM as Programme Coordinator, then to Training officer and Currently as Training Manager.

He moved over the wall, bringing my over13 years' experience as a development facilitator, an educationist and with Early Childhood development programmes within the Northern sector of Ghana.

His interest and passion in life has been to see children get the right quality foundation that will serve as springboard for their growth and development and has always wanted to work in this area. He holds a Diploma and a Degree Technology Education and a master’s in training and development.