Staff
Lalafofofo’s committed, high caliber Tanzanian staff keeps things running smoothly in the heart of Moshi. They monitor our active projects, and continually explore new project opportunities. Thanks to their efforts, Lalafofofo can make a real difference in the lives of Tanzanians.
Laura Vaughan, Founder and Executive Director
As Executive Director of Lalafofofo, a small international non-profit which works with children and women in Kilimanjaro, Laura’s focus is on poverty alleviation, improved access to education, and women and girls’ empowerment. In addition, Laura leads summer immersion trips from the U.S. to the Tanzanian Maasai Bush. Her current focus is connecting a Maasai women’s social business to the U.S., called BeadsForOurDaughters.
Laura also serves on the Board of Directors of Golden Hearts, a nonprofit supporting refugees in Germany, and has previously held positions at Genentech Inc. and ALZA/Johnson & Johnson in Regulatory Affairs. A graduate of the University of California, Davis and Utah State University, she holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences and an M.S. in Plant Science. Laura enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling, and lives with her husband and three sons in Silicon Valley, California.
Guadencia “Gaudy” Malango Mtunga, Tanzanian Project Manager
Program Manager Gaudencia Malango Mtunga (“Gaudy”) has been active within Lalafofofo since its inception in 2015. Gaudy lives in Moshi, has a degree in accounting and is pursuing further education in social work. An experienced translator familiar with the impoverished areas of Kilimanjaro, she additionally serves as a women’s advocate in Boma Ng’ombe. Most of all, Gaudy’s enthusiasm and expertise benefit Lalafofofo abundantly.
Pei Ketron, Digital Media Strategist
Based in San Francisco, Pei Ketron is a photographer and educator who also works on the Lightroom product marketing team at Adobe. Pei was born in Taiwan and raised on the Navajo Nation in Arizona as part of a biracial household.
Pei holds a BA in Psychology from Pomona College and an MA in both Special Education and Assistive Technology from Simmons College. In addition, she holds a credential in Educational Leadership and a certificate in Digital Marketing. Her photography work can be seen here.
Steve Street, Advocate in Moshi
Retired science teacher Steve Street and his wife, Anne live in Moshi. Their combined talents and dedication to advocating for Kilimanjaro's poor has created a legacy built over more than three decades. In addition, their latest effort—running a model farm to educate locals on sustainable growing practices—is expected to benefit Tanzanians for generations to come. The Streets teamed up with Lalafofofo in January 2015.
Anne Street, Advocate in Moshi
Anne Street lives in Moshi with her husband, Steve. Consequently, Anne has devoted her life to working with her husband to support and enrich the lives of the region’s poor. Together, the Streets have built houses, improved schools, set up food programs, built bridges, and worked tirelessly on behalf of the local community over their lifetime.
Justin Mtunga, “Fundi” Extraordinaire
Justin can fix and build anything, anytime. Justin visits projects in the bush on a regular basis, implementing and monitoring our programs.
Abraham Molel, Tanzanian Community Liaison
Lalafofofo’s local community liaison, Abraham Molel, joined the Tanzanian staff in June 2015. Abraham is a respected Maasai village elder in Boma Ng’ombe, and his family lands are adjacent to Sanya Station public school. Abraham is often seen riding his "piki-piki" or motorbike checking on the school, hence providing us with first-hand observations on our progress. Welcome to Abraham! Because he will be working for Gaudy Mtunga, Lalafofofo’s program manager, we feel confident that our mission will flourish as a result.
Board
Two boards of directors oversee Lalafofofo’s organizational framework. Lalafofofo hosts the “local” board of directors in Moshi, and the international board in the U.S. and Canada. Local and international board meetings are scheduled to occur separately on a quarterly basis. Project manager Guadencia Mtunga resides in Moshi. Her responsibilities include locating service projects, overseeing their implementation, providing updates, communicating to the local board and founder, and ultimately ensuring onsite fiscal responsibility.
Lalafofofo’s primary objective is to be a source of affordable, small-scale service projects in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. Upon providing needed projects in the range of $500-$2,500, Lalafofofo will link them with American youth, families, and groups for financial sponsorship. Initially, Lalafofofo will focus on education, and recruit families and youths 7-18 years of age in Silicon Valley, California. Most of all, the goal is to arouse interest and involvement in service projects in Kilimanjaro.
In addition, links to 8-10 local nonprofit organizations in the Mount Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania will be available on the Lalafofofo website. These grassroots organizations are qualified Lalafofofo partners, consequently representing six sectors: health, education, poverty, children, conservation and, most noteworthy, sustainability. By partnering with specific Kilimanjaro nonprofits, Lalafofofo can both advocate and spread each organization’s reach to the U.S. Furthermore, all donations from the U.S. to these organizations are tax deductible through Lalafofofo’s 501c3 status in California.
Finally, Lalafofofo will recommend short-term service projects (one-day to one-week) to enthusiastic families and individuals visiting the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Ultimately, the objective is to support further development of the volunteer economy of Moshi and Kilimanjaro.
International
Laura Vaughan, Founder and Executive Director
As Executive Director of Lalafofofo, a small international non-profit which works with children and women in Kilimanjaro, Laura’s focus is on poverty alleviation, improved access to education, and women and girls’ empowerment. In addition, Laura leads summer immersion trips from the U.S. to the Tanzanian Maasai Bush. Her current focus is connecting a Maasai women’s social business to the U.S., called BeadsForOurDaughters.
Laura also serves on the Board of Directors of Golden Hearts, a nonprofit supporting refugees in Germany, and has previously held positions at Genentech Inc. and ALZA/Johnson & Johnson in Regulatory Affairs. A graduate of the University of California, Davis and Utah State University, she holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences and an M.S. in Plant Science. Laura enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling, and lives with her husband and three sons in Silicon Valley, California.
Beth Davis, Vice President
Beth Davis is the co-founder and CEO of the PAR Framework. She has a proven record of bringing technology products to market, having previously served as the vice president and general manager of Macromedia, Inc., where she was responsible for managing their entire suite of products including Flash, Dreamweaver, Flash Communication Server, Contribute, Director, and Authorware.
During her tenure as managing partner at Sage Road Solutions, LLC, Beth was a trusted business advisor for institutions and enterprises interested in putting learning technologies to work in the service of student success. With PAR, she has assembled a team of professionals up to the challenge of bringing this high-tech, high-touch project to the higher-education market.
Connie Steube, Treasurer
Connie Steube has a background in management consulting and finance; she has worked for McKinsey and Company and for The Exxel Group. a leading private equity firm in Argentina. Coming from a German family and having lived in Argentina, the US and Hong Kong, she loves traveling and can easily relate to a wide array of cultures and people.
Connie’s personal goal is to raise her three daughters as caring individuals, making them aware of people in need and promoting small everyday actions.
Carla Funk, Strategic Advisor and Secretary
Carla Funk specializes in nonprofit management and resource mobilization; she is currently completing a doctorate on the topic of privately funded international development aid. Moshi Tanzania was her home these past two winters as she interviewed recipients and donors of 20 nonprofit organizations for her case study research. She is looking forward to working with nonprofit organizations, putting in to practice some of the key findings of her research.
Jennifer Doettling, Asst. Secretary
Jennifer Doettling is a communications professional with more than 25 years of experience in high tech, non-profit and small business marketing and communications. Jennifer is a seasoned spokesperson and is committed to building strong relationships through impactful communications. She has held positions in public relations at Sun Microsystems, Netscape and AOL, and as communications director at Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco.
Jennifer is currently serving as publications analyst at Visa, Inc and is the owner of a small part-time European cake business. Holiday baking is one of her favorite things to do, and each year she continues to strive toward the perfect recipe for Christstollen, a German Christmas specialty.
Linda Beck, PhD
Linda is a professor of political science specializing in African politics, civic engagement and environmental activism. She lived in Moshi, Tanzania during her recent sabbatical in Spring 2015 while conducting research on environmental activism and ecotourism. She is planning to try again to summit Kilimanjaro perhaps next summer when she will bring a group of undergraduates on a travel course.
Reema Shah
Reema Shah shares a passion for social entrepreneurship and education. She currently is a Senior Advisor at Dalberg Global Advisors, a strategy and policy advisory firm focused on international development. She also serves as an advisor to the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford Business School. Previously, she served as an advisor to the Center for Social Sector Leadership at University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business. Reema also serves as a National Advisory Board Member at The Netter Center, University of Pennsylvania. Reema has also been involved with various philanthropic organizations in the Bay Area focused on education. Over the last few years, she also has advised various education and internet startups on marketing, strategy and business development. Previously, she was a software and internet investor helping manage a multi-billion dollar technology fund. Reema earned a M.B.A from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania.
Manuela Mischke-Reeds
Manuela Mischke-Reeds is an international teacher of psychology and mindfulness, and a published author. She loves to travel to fun places and explore with her two teens and husband. Manuela likes to write, be creative and meditate. A personal goal is to discover Bhutan with her sons.
Holly Sutton
Holly first visited Moshi, Tanzania and became involved with Lalafofofo during her 2016 sabbatical from her employment law practice at the San Francisco law firm of Farella Braun + Martel, where she has been a partner for over 15 years. She brings to the board her experience providing legal counseling to numerous local and national nonprofits.
Beyond her legal career, Holly has been an active volunteer at the schools of her two children, and involved in other local community organizations in the Bay Area. Holly received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and her law degree from Stanford Law school. In her spare time she enjoys hiking with her dog, skiing with her husband, and traveling with her family.