President and CEO

Khayanga was born and raised in the Musembe village, Lugari district, Western Province, Kenya. Khayanga holds a B. Ed. from Nairobi University, Teaching Certificates from Kenyatta University and Kericho Teachers College, a Masters of Social Work (MSW) and a Diploma in counselling from the University of British Columbia and Cornerstone Academy in BC Canada.

Ms Wasike brings her skills in community and public engagement, education and training both at elementary and high school levels. She has worked in Kenya, China, Japan, and Canada. She has extensive experience in human services and vast knowledge in community health and medical support program development, legal advocacy, counselling and crisis intervention.

She is the founder of the Lugari Community Resource Centre (LCRC) in her native village Musembe in Kenya. The LCRC is a community-driven enterprise which focuses on comprehensive involvement and direction, encouraging collective action and maximum participation in stimulating economic growth and social transformation of the community members.

She is also involved with various sustainable economic development projects both locally and internationally. Khayanga worked for over seven years as a Health Promoter at Reach Community Health Centre in Vancouver and as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for an aboriginal agency on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Island), BC. She negotiated and mediated solutions to disputes and developed cultural sensitive programs on traditional and contemporary approaches to healthy communities and networks.

Vice-President

Jennifer was born and raised in British Columbia but was always drawn to the African continent. She has had the opportunity to travel to Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Mauritius, and Egypt. Jennifer lived in South Africa for almost 3 years and looks forward to many more travel adventures.

After graduating from UVIC with a bachelors degree in Fine Arts, her career has taken many paths from Hospitality at a 5-star resort, leading afterschool programs for children new to Canada, 7 years as an entrepreneur building, and then selling her business, to her current role as a marketing specialist.

Her heart has always been philanthropic as she has been involved in many volunteer and fundraising efforts since childhood for local and international organizations and currently sits as the Vice President for the Willing Hearts International Society of Canada (WHISCA) board of directors.

Jennifer was on the WHISCA board in 2009 - 2010 but took a break due to the demands of starting her business. She is thrilled to be back and to be a part of the next phase of growth with this organization.

International Volunteer Coordinator, Board Member

Ana is a resident physician in Family Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She holds a Bachelor of Kinesiology and Doctor of Medicine degrees from UBC, where she also studied as a Loran Scholar during her undergraduate studies.

Ana’s interests in sustainable development and the opportunities offered through Loran led her to WHISCA, where she worked as their first international intern in 2013. She developed the LCRC’s sports program according to her belief that sport is an invaluable medium for physical, mental, and social development.

Since her internship, Ana has continued to volunteer with WHISCA as their international volunteer coordinator and a board member. She looks forward to the opportunity to return to the centre and assist with health programming for the Lugari community.

Outside of the hospital wards and clinics, Ana is an avid traveler. She takes any opportunity to explore a new part of the world. Ana’s favorite destination is her home country of Croatia.

Secretary

Ryan has a 20-year background in project management, business development and customer experience management with a proven ability to execute strategies and deliver results. Ryan currently works for TELUS Communications, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, and has over 13 years of experience within the industry. He has primarily focused on developing initiatives supporting call centre and field services team members to better serve customers.

Ryan is certified in both traditional and Agile project management methodologies; his experience allows him to strengthen his skills particularly in the areas of strategic problem solving, program leadership and communication.

Ryan’s community involvement includes acting as a mentor for new immigrants through BC IEC and acting as a guest speaker at BCIT on how to Lead People and Teams Across Cultures. During his spare time, Ryan likes to practice martial arts, spoil his nieces and eat food.

Treasurer

Judith is an economist at Deloitte with over 10 years of experience delivering research, analysis, and strategic advice to governments and agencies, associations, private sector, Aboriginal communities, and a host of organizations on issues at the intersection of policy, social and economic development, and strategy.

With demonstrated experience in managing regional and national engagements that centre on the state of the Canadian economy, Judith brings expertise in economic data analysis providing an economic lens to issues impacting Canadian Black businesses at both the regional and national levels. She is also a co-founder of a technology platform company and Board of Directorship appointments.

Board Member

Paula Kang was born and raised on the French archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland. She worked there as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years. She has traveled to the Caribbean, France, Korea, Japan, and Bangladesh. She has also lived in Spain, where she worked as a translator.

In 1988, Paula, her husband, and their three sons emigrated to Canada and settled in North Vancouver. Since her retirement, she has volunteered with the R.E.A.C.H Centre Multicultural Family Centre and participated in programs like the African Women’s Group and the Latin American Seniors’ Group. Paula has been actively involved with WHISCA since the opening of their Lugari Community Resource Center (LCRC) in 2007.

Digital Communications Intern, Summer 2021

Tessa is a 2019 Loran Scholar and third-year student pursuing a combined honours in Contemporary Studies and English at the University of King’s College in Halifax. She is passionate about the power of art, youth empowerment, and arts education. Tessa is a creator that works in a variety of mediums, with a focus on film. Her short films have been screened and recognized internationally. In her free time, Tessa loves to play guitar and point out what a beautiful day it is outside.

Digital Communications Intern, Summer 2021

Laila is a third-year Loran scholar pursuing a degree in International Relations at the University of British Columbia. As a Fellow at the Social Innovation Academy, Laila is a passionate advocate for positive social change through impact investing and social enterprise. She is also an advocate for equity and inclusion in higher education with a special focus on refugee and first-generation students' experiences. In her free time, Laila enjoys meaningful conversations, reading, and hiking.

We have a wonderful team at the Lugari Community Resource Centre who help us run our programs and maintain our services. We couldn’t do it without them!