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Professional Fellows - Fall 2022 Cohort

Meet our Fall 2022 Cohort of Professional Fellows! This group of six accomplished disability rights leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia completed an intensive five-week Fellowship between October and November 2022 in the US.

Learn more about our Fellows, their follow-on projects, and Fellowship experiences!

  • (Tiba) Priscilla Kisakye

    Photo of Fellow (Tiba) Priscilla Kisakye

    Lobbying and Advocacy Officer Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC)

    Priscilla works as a lobbying and advocacy officer for the Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC), one of the leading organizations for children with disabilities in Uganda. She has eight years of experience leading the development and pursuit of an inclusive education policy in Uganda.

    Priscilla completed her Fellowship at Minot State University’s North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities at Minot State University (NDCPD). Her inclusive civic engagement project is focused on improving learning outcomes for children and promoting active citizen engagement to influence equitable resource allocation in Uganda. Read about Priscilla's experience!

  • Alan H Onyango

    Photo of Fellow Alan H Onyango

    TV Host and Producer,
    Signs Media TV Kenya
    Founder and CEO, Black Albinism

    Alan serves as a TV Host and Producer at Signs Media TV Kenya. Additionally, he is the Founder and CEO of Black Albinism, a non-governmental organisation committed to addressing the stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with Albinism. His TV program "Inclusion One-on-One," serves as a platform for meaningful discussions with policymakers, disability rights leaders, and advocates, focusing on civic engagement for individuals with disabilities.

    Alan completed his Fellowship at the University of Arizona’s Disability Resource Center (DRC). His inclusive civic engagement project is focused on using new media to enhance the advocacy capacity of organizations of persons with disabilities. Read about Alan’s experience!

  • Emebet G Lema

    Photo of Fellow Emebet G Lema

    Disability Inclusion Officer
    Light for the World–Ethiopia Office

    Emebet works as a disability inclusion officer for Light for the World–Ethiopia. In this role, she facilitates a Disability Inclusion Academy where youth with disabilities receive training and technical support around disability inclusion and civic engagement.

    Emebet completed her Fellowship at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute for Disability Studies (IDS). Her inclusive civic engagement project is focused on equipping youth with disabilities with the required skills to become gainfully employed and actively engage in civic life and society in Ethiopia after college graduation. Read about Emebet’s experience!

  • Fides P Uiso

    Photo of Fellow Fides P Uiso

    Founder and CEO
    Tanzania Epilepsy Foundation



    Fides is the Founder and CEO of the Tanzania Epilepsy Foundation. As a mother of a child with epilepsy, she passionately advocates to end discrimination against those with epilepsy, protect the rights of people with disabilities, and ensure easy access to affordable, physician-directed, and person-centered healthcare.

    Fides completed her Fellowship at the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center (HSC). Her inclusive civic engagement project is focused on raising awareness of epilepsy, decreasing stigma, and improving seizure-related safety protocols in schools by training parents and teachers and engaging students in Tanzania. Read about Fides’s experience!

  • Harunah Damba

    Photo of Fellow Harunah Damba

    Scientist, Uganda Virus Research Institute
    Chairperson, United Persons with Disabilities (UPWD)

    Harunah is the chairperson of the United Persons with Disabilities (UPWD), an organization that provides social entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities. Harunah’s organization has helped more than 50 people with disabilities build confidence and resilience and raise their aspirations to achieve a better and brighter future.

    Harunah completed his Fellowship at the University of Arizona's Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities. His inclusive civic engagement project is focused on eradicating poverty among working-age people with disabilities in Kampala and Wakiso districts in Uganda. Read about Harunah’s experience!

  • Salome N Gitau

    Photo of Fellow Salome N Gitau

    Accountant,
    Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI)
    Motivation Peer Trainer

    Salome works as an accountant for the Kenyan Education Management Institute (KEMI). She also serves as Vice Chairperson of the Africa Spinal Cord Injury Network and as motivation peer supporter for persons who recently acquired spinal cord injuries.

    Salome completed her Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). Her inclusive civic engagement project is focused on engaging persons with spinal cord injuries to reduce stigma and shame about their disability by educating them on strategies for self-care. Read about Salome's experience.