Dr Kamran Hekmati
Dr Kamran is CEO at Hand in Hand Afghanistan. Previously, Dr Kamran Hekmati served as Programme Manager, Program Director and, since January 2022, Deputy Executive Director at Hand in Hand Afghanistan.
Hand in Hand Afghanistan Organization (HIHAO) works to promote women’s economic empowerment to deliver higher incomes, greater mobility and increased decision-making power for vulnerable women, men and youth in Afghanistan. Increasingly, since 2020, HIHAO has pivoted to providing humanitarian support to households most at risk of food insecurity. Headquartered in Mazar-e-Sharif, Hand in Hand Afghanistan has helped 50,000 women and men beat the odds and succeed as entrepreneurs since 2007, running profitable enterprises that stand the test of time.
Jane Sabuni
Jane Sabuni heads up the team in Hand in Hand Tanzania as Country Manager. Prior to taking up this role she was a Project Manager at World Vision, Iringa.
Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (Tanzania) – also known as Hand in Hand Tanzania – is a subsidiary of Hand in Hand Eastern Africa headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. In January 2018, Hand in Hand expanded its operations into two regions of Tanzania, and has since trained over 28,000 people in entrepreneurship and started close to 20,000 profitable and sustainable enterprises.
Dorothea Arndt
Dorothea began her career as Marketing Director at start-up Kelkoo, where she played an instrumental part in making the platform the leading shopping search engine in Europe. After leaving a Director role at Yahoo to join the not-for-profit sector in 2006, Dorothea was appointed Head of Digital at British Red Cross. She joined Hand in Hand in 2013.
Under Dorothea’s leadership, Hand in Hand International secured six- and seven-figure partnerships with private sector partners such as Boeing, Coca Cola, the IKEA Foundation, Swiss Re, Visa, as well as a the German and Danish government.
Read Dorothea’s case for the role livelihoods programmes in the coronavirus recovery in Business Fights Poverty.
Dorothea is available to speak to the media about development, job creation, microfinance and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan, India and sub-Saharan Africa. To arrange an interview, or to speak with another one of our experts, please contact Jen Glyn.
Albert Wambugu
Albert joined Hand in Hand Eastern Africa in 2012 as Head of HR & Administration, and has served as CEO since February 2017. He has played a major role in the creation of more than 300,000 businesses and 400,000 jobs in Kenya, as well Hand in Hand’s expansion into Rwanda to help create 115,000 jobs. Before joining Hand in Hand Eastern Africa he spent 13 years in senior roles with CIC Group, one of Kenya’s fastest-growing insurance companies, including five years as HR Manager.
Albert’s belief in Hand in Hand Eastern Africa’s mission – fighting poverty with jobs – goes all the way back to childhood. Growing up on the slopes of the Aberdare Mountains in central Kenya, he split his time between school and the family farm – not unlike many of our members’ children today. “It was a very rustic community, but very close,” he says. “Everybody was brought up in the spirit of having to work hard.”
That spirit, combined with a decades-long history of volunteering in his local community, is what led him to Hand in Hand Eastern Africa.
“You cannot fail to see the difference Hand in Hand Eastern Africa makes in the lives of people who are socially and economically excluded,” said Albert. “I am honoured to be appointed CEO. I have faith in the Hand in Hand Eastern Africa team and believe in the transformative power of our model. We shall continuously challenge ourselves to deliver appropriate and innovative interventions in every session with our clients.”
Albert received a Mastercard Foundation scholarship to attend the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management’s Leadership Winter Academy 2017.
Albert Wambugu is available to speak to the media about development, microfinance, job creation, rural development, financing and women’s empowerment in eastern Africa. To arrange an interview, or to speak with another one of our experts, please contact Ann Dickinson.