About us

Meet the Rafikis

RafikiHome has been fortunate to have committed friends (Rafiki) to take lead and coordinate the service on a volunteer basis.

Founder

Rafiki Home was started by Angelina Jalonen who was born and grew up in Nyeri before moving to the UK where she qualified as a human rights advocate and a psychological therapist. For the last two decades she has worked at a large refugee charity, setting up projects around the country, delivering training to government bodies and other NGOs and running the therapy service. During this period as well as bringing up two daughters she fostered three asylum seeking children who had come to the UK without their families. Angelina was inspired to start Rafiki Home as a way of recognising and supporting the expertise of local people to find ways to empower themselves to change their lives.

Tanya Spain

Tanya Spain came to the UK from Canada to teach in East London where she is a Deputy Headteacher in a local primary school. She is actively engaged in forging links between children in the UK and Kenya and she brings many years’ experience of community engagement, fundraising and project management to the board.

Wallee McDonald

Wallee McDonald is a peace activist and music promoter in London. He has great interpersonal skills and ability to mobilise and bring communities together. He has visited Kenya and was highly inspired by the children’s resilience and willingness to transform their lives. He will support the project
through social engagement and communication.

Andrew Kamau

Operations Manager

Andrew Kamau is a qualified Nurse specializing in critical care. He grew up in Nyeri, Kenya; in the same community where the RafikiHome is based. He is involved in the project as a way of giving back to the community and takes lead in service delivery, policies and overall management.

“My interest in humanitarian work is inspired by Angelina Nyachinga through her various efforts to improve people’s livelihoods in our community. These efforts include supporting women’s groups, Our church choir, sponsoring children’s education and my own University education.”

Mark La Corte

After graduating from the University of West of England in
business and marketing, Mark pursued a 30 year, international career in
sales, marketing and general management

Since 2012 he has been supporting charities in both Malta and Kenya
which aim to improve the lives of physically, intellectually and visually
challenged children and adults.

In 2015 Mark walked the 800km Camino de Santiago to raise funds for
visually impaired people in Malta.

In 2019, during an unforgettable trip to Kenya, he met all the staff and
children at Rafiki Home and became a trustee. He is now actively involved in
fundraising and supporting a number of key projects.

Project Manager

David Kariuki

Coming from a poor and humble beginning, David was brought up by his single mother alongside his 3 other siblings, they often struggled to meet their basic needs, as a result he did not do well in school as he also had to do hard labour from his teenage years to help his mother fend for the family. David joined Rafiki three years ago as a beneficiary with a desire to return to school, he is now doing a diploma in project management and since then his life has transformed. His passion is to create opportunities for the youth and young generation through leadership and being a role model. He established the Sharks talent youth Academy which focuses on engaging the youth to address social challenges through creative activities which help to keep them from the streets.

David is the project manager and ensure we are meeting our objectives and outcomes.

Margaret

Matron / Mum

Coming from a humble background in a family of 7 , Margaret married at a young age, her husband was the main bread winner doing labourer jobs while Margaret stayed home to care for their three children. Sadly her husband died from an accident after 9 years of marriage leaving Margaret with 3 children with no means to care for themselves. Margaret actively engaged in small scale trading with no fixed home. She was however an active community member supporting children especially during Sundays church activities. She is warm, loving and has great motherly and interpersonal skills which fits perfectly for our home mother. She has transformed RafikiHome into a loving and warm environment where children feel safe and stabilised.