Young Africa - Our Team

Young Africa International is managed by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dorien Beurskens. Mahara Goteka is appointed as Head of Programmes and Phillip Wannell is the Head of Operations. The three of them together formed the Management Board. 

They manage the team of Young Africa International, working at two locations: the Young Africa International Headquarters in Harare-Zimbabwe with 14 staff members and the support office in Amsterdam-The Netherlands with 3 staff members. Co-founder Raj A. Joseph serves as advisor to the management.

Young Africa (1998), founded by Young Africa International, is a confederation of independently and locally registered affiliated branches. Each affiliate operates by the same quality requirements, model and the name of Young Africa. Young Africa International sets up frameworks by which the local branches operate. The relationship between the two parties is described in the mutually signed Affiliate Agreement.

We implement a governance structure that reflects a relationship of equity and co-creation between Young Africa International and the affiliated branches. In a deliberate effort to share the power between the Global South and North, we implement a horizontal organistational structure. A significant element in our governance is the merger of the previously existing supervisory board of Young Africa International in The Netherlands with the YA International HUB Trust in Zimbabwe. The new board supervises the management and operations of Young Africa International as one body, guided by a common constitution.

The board has the following non-executive members:

• Frans van Midde (chair): Internal Auditor at Cordaid: member since January 2021
• Godfrey T. Manhambara (chair governance committee): Group Chief Executive Officer Beta Holding; member since January 2021
• Kees Cluistra (chair audit committee): Financial Director at Vialis; member since January 2021
• Bas Beek (chair risk committee): Integration Director at Cordaid: member since January 2021
• Hilke Tol (member): Independent Organisational Consultant/Interim Manager and Manager Expert Relations at Women on Wings; member since January 2021
• Eduard Holtz (member): Partnership Manager at Amref Flying Doctors; member since January 2021
• Hubert Visser (member): Partner bij KPMG Accountants N.V.; member since October 2021