CBM UK welcomes four new Trustees to the Board 

Amjad is based in Islamabad, Pakistan where he works for Oxfam.  Married with one young daughter, Amjad shared how fatherhood has given him a new insight into the unique challenges which can face women and girls today, and the renewed commitment he feels to building a safe and fair world for them – especially women and girls with disabilities. He is passionate about building a world where all people can enjoy their human rights and fulfil their potential.  

What inspires you about CBM?

“For me, CBM’s long history, its focus on inclusion and the localisation and partnership agenda are very strong. I am really keen to see how the principles are being practised. Alongside CBM’s significant eyecare work, I think the shift towards mental health work is really timely. I really appreciate the direction of this work.”

What do you bring to the Board of Trustees?

“The world is becoming a global village and getting different voices and experiences is really important. The work of CBM is mostly in the Global South so it’s a really good thing to have Board members from the Global South.”

What would you like to say to our supporters?

“I have been across the world and have seen how poverty impacts people. I have seen communities where people don’t have a dollar to go to the hospital. CBM UK’s supporters are helping the people who really need the services we provide. From eyecare to mental health, CBM UK’s projects are all possible because of those supporters.

Jim lives with his wife in Berkshire and is newly retired from a long career in international development, most recently with UNICEF. For him, a normal day starts with a family WhatsApp chat with his children and grandchildren who are spread out in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK. With six grandchildren and a seventh on the way, keeping in touch with family matters a lot. Jim is also enjoying a chance to play tennis, and to get out into his garden and tend his vegetables. He loves giving back through his voluntary work, which now includes the CBM UK Board of Trustees.

What inspires you about CBM?

“Development work is challenging, and finding sustainable solutions to issues is difficult. But CBM’s work is very tangible and strategic. It delivers a really good return from relatively small investments for persons with disabilities in this often neglected area of international development. So I’m delighted to be able to support such important work.”

What do you bring to the Board of Trustees?

“I can being a lot of contextual understanding as I’ve worked in, and visited, all of CBM UK’s countries of operation. In my work with UNICEF I volunteered to be the Disability Focal Point in three Regional offices because I saw the need to put more emphasis on including children with disabilities in our work.

I have a lot of experience in strategic planning monitoring and evaluation, which I hope to be useful.

I also want to bring my connections to the table, so that CBM UK can enhance its partnerships with agencies like FCDO and UNICEF. I think partnership is critical now; funding is reducing for everyone in the international development sector, so you really have to work in partnerships to have strategic impact.

What would you like to say to our supporters?

“In my experience of working in international development since 1983, for various organisations including the British government and UNICEF, I would say that CBM UK offers incredible value for money. Any donation you make could have a great impact on individual lives, as well as on policies and planning. CBM is a very good NGO to invest in with a very worthy return.”

Ifunfun lives in Abuja, Nigeria. A Chartered Accountant, she works for Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). As a working mum, a normal day for her begins with waking early for family prayers and breakfast, and getting her two young sons ready for school. She drives them to school instead of sending them on the bus so that she has more time to spend with them. With a hybrid working pattern, she either heads to the office or back home to work remotely, until it’s time to pick the boys up from school. Evenings are occupied with homework, dinner and family prayers, and then some relaxing time – including studying French!

What inspires you about CBM?

“CBM is an organisation with tangible results. For my organisation, working around nutrition, it may take time to see the impact. With CBM’s sight work, the impact is almost immediate. The person has cataracts, and once they’re removed, the impact is immediate. The results are far reaching. If a child needs glasses, they’re given glasses. It is really inspiring for me.”

What do you bring to the Board of Trustees?

“I bring passion. Passion for excellence, passion to see that people with disabilities are treated like everyone else, passion to see people being helped. I also bring a lot of experience and skill in financial management, administration, human resource management, grant management and audit, so I can support CBM in these areas.

As a Nigerian, being included in CBM UK’s board says a lot about its commitment to diversity. Organisations rarely achieve diversity on their boards and trustees are usually from the particular region or country of operation. For me, I bring a lot of experiences from my Nigerian background and I value CBM UK including me.”

How does your faith motivate you?

“I am a Christian, and I believe in God. I believe that there is a reason and a purpose for everything in life. A verse that comes to mind says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11). Whatever happens in life, God has orchestrated it. There is a reason why everything happens, even if you can’t see it at this point in life. Knowing that CBM is a Christian organisation, for me as a Christian I really appreciate that.”

Fingani lives with his wife and three young children in Chipata, Zambia. A Chartered Accountant, Fingani works as Head of Services for Mary’s Meals International, currently feeding a million learners every day in their place of education. He also runs a small farm, aiming to grow enough food for the household, but with aspirations to scale up to a commercial level. Fingani is also leading an outreach to young men who have finished school and aren’t sure what to do next, teaching them carpentry so that they have a skill for life. In his spare time he loves to play basketball, and to take his sports bike up into the hills around Chipata.

What inspires you about CBM?

“Years ago I worked for an organisation fighting HIV. Through my work I met a blind man who was a strong advocate for people with disabilities. He was passionate about what he was doing, wanting everyone to be included in the HIV work because HIV spares noone. His voice was very strong. It made me think that there must be many others like him, living with disabilities, but who weren’t privileged to have an education like his. I wanted to be able to add my voice and help CBM with its inclusive work.”

What do you bring to the Board of Trustees?

“I have worked in the development sector for 22 years, so I bring a vast amount of experience. The governance part is newer for me, but I am on the Board of Mary’s Meals Zambia so I know how Boards work and I will bring this experience too. Bringing different views to the Board can be challenging, but also exciting, and it definitely strengthens the Board.”

What would you like to say to our supporters?

“I want to say that CBM UK’s supporters are already doing great things! Keep sharing the stories of CBM UK’s work with others so that they can share the movement too, and more people with disabilities can access the support they need.”