Pilgrim Africa Board

Dr. Ben AVUA Khingi

Past Chair
International Board Committee
Surgeon, Mulago Hospital
Director, Friends Clinic

Bishop Wilson Opio

Member
Evangelical Revival Ministries International
Namuwongo Revival Church

MRS. Rita Akot Apell

Member
Director, Global Data Management, Finca Impact Finance
Board Member, Uganda Development Bank

Mr. Robert Wanok

Chair
International Board Committee
Head of Retail Banking,
Equity Bank Limited

Dr. Adoke Yeka

Member
Epidemiologist & Physician, Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration
Makerere University
School of Public Health

Mr. Solomon Ossiya

Member
International Board Committee
Law Partner, Clive and Caesar Advocates

Mr. Joseph Ariong

Member
Managing Director,
Wash and Wills Hotel

Pilgrim Africa Board - U.S.

Mr. Sean Dimond

Member
International Board Committee
Owner & Director, Untamed.be

MS. Adriana LAnting

Member
Director, Strategic Partnerships

Mr. Ian Smith

Chair
International Board Committee
Head of Insurance, Lending Tree

Dr. Katy Hurd

Secretary
Physician, The Everett Clinic

Dr. Jeffrey Avansino

Member
VP Medical Affairs, Seattle Children’s Hospital

Our Staff

Dr. John Rek

Program Manager,
Adaptive Malaria Control
National Malaria Control Division

Dr. Catherine Maiteki-Ssebuguzi

Malaria Director
Deputy Program Manager,
National Malaria Control Division

Dr. Betty Atai

Country Director Uganda

Dr. Dorothy Echodu

Chief Executive Officer

Mrs. Gladys Nantege

Finance, HR and Compliance

Mr. Wycliff Odude

Entomology & Vector Control

Mr. Thomas Eganyu

Data Engineer

Mr. Aggrey Bwaita

Marketing and Communications

Allison Hixson

Graphic Designer and Communications - U.S based

Dr. Raphael Opon

Research Scientist - Trachoma

Our History

Pilgrim Africa was founded in 2001 as an indigenous Christian response to the plight of more than 1.5 million refugees living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the war torn regions of Northern Uganda. From its inception over two decades ago as a small organization providing simple medical and nutritional relief and psycho-social support to desperate refugees, Pilgrim Africa has grown to have international reach in public health and education. Retaining a strong focus in Uganda on work within communities, Pilgrim Africa is currently engaged in international evaluation.

Our Structure

Pilgrim Africa is a Ugandan NGO led by a Ugandan board. In 2004, it acquired a “friends of” organization in the US of the same name. The US organization has a separate, active fundraising board, but shares bylaws and is closely partnered. Staff is concentrated in Uganda. In 2006, Pilgrim Africa founded Beacon of Hope School in Soroti, Uganda. In 2020, the school became an independent organization and is now a grantee of Pilgrim Africa.