Our Team

Alicia Dipierri 

President

Born in Argentina, she has lived in several European countries and the USA and traveled the world extensively. Currently residing in Namibia, Alicia is pursuing her Ph.D. in food sustainability (Belgium). Her curiosity and love for people have driven her to explore new cultures, form meaningful connections with individuals from all walks of life, and try to help others. Back To School Namibia felt like the perfect fit, a great platform to support kids accessing equitable education.

"Access to equitable education also allows access to safety, socialization, and security for kids worldwide. In Back to School, I found a great opportunity to help secure access to equitable education for more kids in Namibia. Thank you for this opportunity!"

Sia

Vice-President

Secretary 

Meike grew up in Germany and after her studies in Landscape Ecology spent several years in Namibia and Egypt where she worked in nature conservation and supporting rural communities. Passionate about the African continent, nature and transformation through education, she supports the Back to School Namibia team with her dedication and experience.

“Nobody knows what will happen in the future, but you can decide for yourself what you want to do in the present - I believe in the young generation as our future and they deserve to have this choice!” 

Caren Jakubaschk

Treasurer

 A German-Swedish national, Caren worked for more than 15 years in sustainable supply chain management for multinational companies. She has lived and worked in Europe, Africa and Asia and travelled extensively. Craving for a more intentional and hands-on life, she left the corporate world and relocated with her Namibian husband and family to Windhoek. Currently, she supports small NGOs and is an aspiring organic gardener & farmer. 

“I believe that although we are small, we can make a difference – because we do our groundwork and know what is really needed.”

Laura Brandt 

School Liason

Originally from the USA, Laura emigrated with her family to Namibia 30 years ago. As a Public Health doctor and Pediatrician, she is passionate about improving child, family and community health. She feels that children’s education lays a foundation for making that a reality, now and in the future. She joined Back To School Namibia in 2021 to offer practical help in facilitating access to education for children in need living in remote areas of Namibia.

Marcin Burzyński 

Fundraiser Coordinator & Former President

Marcin came from Poland through Belgium, Indonesia, and Nepal to Namibia, where he has been for more than 5 years now. His background is in culture science and art therapy. He has been with Back to School Namibia almost from the beginning. Over the years, he has learned that money is not the most important thing in life, but it can help a lot. He kept our wallet under his watchful eye in the past 2 years as the president and treasurer.

"I don’t think of Back to School Namibia as another project, but more like a certain mission. So if it is a mission then I didn’t exactly choose it, yes I agreed to it, but it was actually the mission that called me, called me to the task”.

Marcus Kamburu

Kavango Field Coordinator   

Marcus learned about BtSN in 2020 while working as a tour guide at N’Kwazi Lodge. There he met Virginie, founding BtSN President, and soon he actively supported the BtSN mission, an extension of his own personal mission to promote community development for the betterment of future generations.  Marcus’s role is key for BtSN work in Kavango.  With his abundant knowledge of local communities, he identifies schools in rural areas where the most needy children require support to access education.  He meets with School Principals, visits the schools to determine specific needs and later participates in handing over donations.  He works hard to make a difference for the children in Kavango Regions.  

Ania Łukawiecka 

Charity Co-Coordinator

Ania was born in Poland and her great passion is travelling. The first time she came to Namibia more then 20 years ago for ethnographic field research. Now she is a tour guide and travels with her clients, offering trips that give opportunity to learn about country, culture, nature but also to meet the people who live here. She likes to encourage clients to donate to Namibian kids and help as to deliver stationaries to remote areas in Namibia.

Inès Duclairoir 

Partners Coordinator

She is a French project manager in the renewable energy industry, having worked in countries such as Morocco, Finland, and Zambia, before settling in Namibia. In addition, Inès is an offshore skipper and loves being on the sea. Above all, she is always looking to discover new cultures and take part in impactful projects through teamwork, building strong friendships and partnerships.

Carlos Valdés Lescaille

Ilaria Stefanzzi

Frans Kalumbu

Virginie Schaffert – Former President & Founder

Virginie left her home country France many years ago to live abroad. The past few years she has been staying in Namibia. Seeing the enormous needs of Namibian schools, especially in far-off rural areas, has moved her to engage and found “Back to School Namibia”.

Cäcilia Werner – Former Secretary & Founder

Our French German secretary is a force of nature. Her great sense of humor makes working with her so much fun. Believing that anything is possible Cäcilia will go in 100% to make good things happen.

Janine Deselaers – Former Communication Coordinator

Janine Deselaers, our Chilean-German former Social Media and Website Manager, has enjoyed to work for Back to School Namibia for the past 2 years. She recently left her tasks in the capable hands of new team members that have joined with loads of new energy to focus on her PhD thesis.

Laura Korventausta 

Former Vice President

Our Finnish member Laura has been living in Namibia for the past 2,5 years. After her own babies grew a little older she wanted to devote her time also to the Namibian school children. The power of education is what drives her work for Back to School Namibia.