Meet David Masiko - AIA's New Country Director

David Masiko, Country Director

Drumroll, please!!! Please allow us to introduce you to David Masiko, who now joins our team as the new Action In Africa Country Director. David holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights Law, and a post-graduate diploma in project planning and management. His career spans more than 19 years, and his most recent accomplishments include working as the Country Representative for the Against Malaria Foundation and as a consultant for the International Federation of Red Cross Societies. He is an Organization and Programme Development Specialist. We sat down for an interview to get to know him better. (PS: He is a really cool person)

What are you looking forward to the most with your new role at Action in Africa?

AIA is a very unique organization, the scholarship program, Women Empowerment, and the Primary Partnership programs are very inspiring for me. I am looking forward to working with the team to see our programs expand and reach more people. I am looking forward to building a team that will bring the impact of the organization to the communities we serve and use existing data to understand where we are coming from, where we are, and where we want to go. To sum it up; I am looking forward to ensuring that the internal systems are strengthened, programs expand to reach more communities, and the team at AIA grows to become more efficient and inspired to lead within their own programs and beyond.

What drives you personally?

Working with women and children is embedded in me. I began volunteering in slums in 2003 where I worked with children for a year, I also worked in my hometown in Kabale, and have since continued to work for youth and women empowerment. But when I got into management positions, I felt like something was missing in regard to real-life impact; seeing children's lives changing positively and the actual impact of your work in their lives. The more practical it is, the more it drives me and the passion within to be part of a great story. What AIA provides is a great opportunity for me to make that story a reality and I would love to be part of it. 

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am an active cyclist; I cycle on a weekly basis, something that has given me the opportunity to manage my health and interact socially with other cyclists and communities. Last year I collectively cycled about 420 Km and I am now looking to beat that by cycling over 700km this year; hopefully I will, given my new role.

I played basketball in my youthful years, I even played at a professional national club level with a team called Blue Jackets. I also made it to the national high school championship at Greenhill Academy where I studied for my A’ Levels Certificate. I sadly no longer play because of an ankle injury I got a few years back but one of my sons has picked up the sport and is now on the school team and hopefully, he will join a club soon, something I am very proud of.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

I love working and building people’s potential through team-building and collaboration. I am a human rights advocate with a high interest in advocating for children, women, and access to health rights. I am a family man, married to Sarah Ashimwe, we both have a special passion and love for children. We have three children; all boys; Seth (17 years), Eden (14 years), and Jordan (10 years). Together, we are all excited about this new journey that I am starting.

We’re thrilled about all that David will bring to Action in Africa, his wealth of experience is sure to enhance our already dynamic work . We are honored to have him lead our team in new and unique ways!