Founder Members

Helen Kijo-Bisimba

Founding Member

Dr. Helen is a distinguished human rights activist, defender, and former Executive Director of the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC). She is retired and has taken to writing and editing books on human rights. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Warwick, UK, in 2012. Helen graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1985 with a Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB) and a Master of Law Degree (LLM) in 1994. She obtained a Diploma in Education from the Dar-es-Salaam College of Education in 1977. A mother of four, Helen remains a parent and a teacher to many of her acquaintances in the human rights sector and many other pursuits. She has been part and parcel of the making in many organizations as a board member, researcher, editor, and publisher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Ulanga

Founding Member

Suleiman Sumra

Founding Member

Illuminata Tukai

Founding Member

Mary Rusimbi

Founding Member

Martha Qorro (Late)

Founding Member
Martha Qorro (1952–2025) was an Associate Professor at the Centre for Communication Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam. She obtained her Doctoral Degree at the University of Dar es Salaam in 1999. She conducted A Survey on Students’ Reading Competence in English in Tanzania Secondary Schools from 1986 – 1987 and later the co-authored a book on Language Crisis in Tanzania: The Myth of English versus Education, published by Mkuki na Nyota in 1997.
 
Martha Qorro was in the Editorial Team of the LOITASA project, and she took part in co-editing several LOITASA books between 2002 and 2012. LOITASA which stands for Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa, is a joint research project between the University of Dar-Es-Salaam, University of Western Cape, South Africa and University of Oslo, Norway. Martha served as a Dean of Students and Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam between 2013 and 2014. Her research interests are on the Language of instruction in Tanzania schools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wilbert Kapinga

Founding Member

Marjorie Mbilinyi

Founding Member

Jenerali Ulimwengu

Founding Member

Richard Mabala

Founding Member

Elizabeth Missokia

Founding Member

Japhet Makongo

Founding Member

Co-Founder

Japhet is a Co- Founder of HakiElimu since its establishment in 2001. Together with a few other co-founders, he joined the secretariat team to develop and implement the first 3-year strategy working at managerial and support supervision positions. Japhet poses exiting background in his social and career life, starting from being a professional livestock management and veterinary expert and gradually moving into social development and human right activist over the years. He holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and Development Studies and Advanced Diplomas in Livestock Management and Community Program Management respectively. Japhet is a seasoned champion of human rights with a strong passion on education, gender and inclusion as among the fundamental human rights.

He is actively engaging in advocating for citizen’s awareness on their rights and promotion of good practices from duty bearers to ensure these rights are adhered to. He has extensive experience working with pastoralist, organizing farmer groups, children and education programs drawn from his career with public (government), and civil society organizations (national and international NGOs) and donor programs for more than 30 years. Japhet (now retired from active employment) is still an active participant in social development and human right dialogues and debates and enjoys learning and playing the coaching and mentorship roles to youth and where needed. He is still passionate to see the dream/vision of HakiElimu prevail.