1. Ben Ngutu – Profile January 2015
Ben is an accomplised development professional who has worked for more than 20
years based mainly in Kenya with numerous short-term assignments in Africa, Asia
and Europe. Ben has worked with the Ministry of Finance in Kenya as an institutional
development and project management specialist. For the past 17 years Ben has
worked with VSO in several capacities managing the VSO programmes in Kenya.
Ben has led and managed a number of projects including the merging and
strengthening of two VSO entities in Kenya and headed one of the six working
groups within VSO Globally that was looking at accountability, power and influence
in the corporate strategic review process. He has led VSO Jitolee in the development
and adoption of its new strategy “Think Impact” and led the resultant changes in
VSO Jitolee’s programme work, country footprint, financial profile and governance
structure.
Ben has also been instrumental in the development of VSO Jitolee initially a South to
South volunteering initiative the only federation member of VSO in Africa that
recruits volunteers from Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and one that also runs both a
programme in Kenya focusing Skills for Employability and Entrepreneurship for the
youth, Secure Livelihoods, Inclusive Education and National Volunteering.
As the current Executive Director of VSO Jitolee, Ben is passionate about social
development, particularly around enterprise development and agri-business, young
people and women. Ben also advocates for active citizenship within the East African
region and has closely worked on this with regional bodies such as EASCOF and the
East African Business council. Ben has a wealth of experience in non-executive roles
and serves as a Board member of Zawadi Africa a Scholarship program that is
designed to help talented young women from Africa, who come from difficult
financial circumstances, to further their education in the US.
Ben also sits in the Viwango Board as a founding member. Viwango is an NGO that
enhances greater accountability, legitimacy and transparency within Civil Society in
Kenya through a set of agreed standards. Ben has previously served as chair of Kenya
Society for the Blind Council and as a Board member of the FORUM Executive.
Ben has an MA (Economics) Degree in Development Administration and
Management from the University of Manchester UK and a BA Sociology from the
University of Nairobi.