Advisory Board

Marlies, a Dutch national, lives in Breda in the Southern part of the Netherlands. She has worked for 25 years as a furniture maker in the workshop that she started 25 years ago. She had her education in skill-related studies especially related to furniture-making, design, and entrepreneurship. She has visited and stayed for some time in Okana village with the founders of SRI. She has previously volunteered and worked with carpenters in the village and also visited departments of Wood Science and Environmental Studies at Moi University. Her dream is to help establish two small polytechnic schools in the village. This would enable her and others engaged in skills development to share their knowledge and create new possibilities.

Irena Kuzmanoska is a Macedonian national. She is an Education Specialist and Analyst providing high-level strategic advice to policymakers on the improvement of education policies and implementing system-wide education reforms. In the capacity of Lead Education Specialist, she is responsible for education projects analytical work and intellectual services on education sector programmes. She previously lectured in scientific research methods. Her research interest focuses on education management and leadership, institutional governance, education policy. She is a doctoral student at the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies – CHEPS, University of Twente, Netherlands. She has been involved in various international partnership projects, among which for the National Government(s), the Commission of the European Union, the World Bank.

Andrea Kocsis graduated from Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada, where she received an opportunity to travel to Kenya in 2012, for a Students for Development Project. This experience enlightened Andrea and her sister, Julie Kocsis, about the importance for rural children to obtain an education to improve their futures. Through this experience they formed PowerEd International Foundation which is a key partner of SRI Andrea has always had a strong passion for education, resulting in her obtaining her Bachelor of Education, and starting her master of Education in the fall.

From 2008, Kari has been the Director of Hei Verden (Human Education International) a non-governmental organization located in Satavanger, Norway and which promotes and supports education in developing countries by involving school children in Norway. Prior to this, she was a Coordination Specialist with UNDP in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Project Manager, Save the Children, Norway. She undertook her masters research in Uganda and has severally visited Okana village where the SRI project is initiated. Kari has a Masters in Development Education from University of Olso, Norway and a degree in Social Anthropology, History and Sociology. She brings in experience and practice into the organization.