Meet the Team

The Team in the UK: Walezi-caregivers Kenya

Karen Bunning

Chair

Karen is Professor of Language, Communication and Developmental Disabilities at the University of East Anglia. A qualified speech and language therapist, she has worked in higher education since 1994. She has managed a series of research projects both in the UK and Kenya that reflect her interest in the lives of children with learning and developmental disabilities, and her commitment to human rights and community inclusion.

Kanchan Kapoor

Trustee

Kanchan is an ACCA-qualified finance professional with 21 years of financial leadership in the NGO sector across South-East Asia, Europe and Africa. As Head of Finance for a global donor collaborative and grant-maker, she supports grassroots groups, frontline organisations and young climate leaders working towards a zero-carbon world. Previously, she served as CFO and Deputy Executive Director of a high-impact child-protection INGO in South-East Asia, overseeing funding from donors including UNICEF, USAID and the EU. Her expertise spans financial governance and translating complex financial information into clear, accessible insights.

Joe Waring

Secretary

Joe worked as a qualified social worker and managed day care and residential establishments for adults with learning disabilities in London and Norfolk. During his managerial career, Joe steered the services for which he was responsible to success in Chartermark Awards for Excellence. Now retired, Joe continues to offer holidays for adults with learning disabilities at home in Norfolk. Joe has enjoyed travelling to Kenya and countries in South America.

Lesley Ann Docherty

Trustee

Lesley Ann Docherty is a qualified Speech and Language Therapist based in Birmingham, UK. Previously specialising in people with neurological conditions and following 13 years in the NHS she moved into higher education. She is now a senior lecturer/course lead for the BSc Speech and Language Therapy course at Birmingham City University. Through her working life she has been lucky to experience how different healthcare functions in a variety of countries in Europe and wider afield such as South Africa and India. She is passionate about supporting sustainable projects internationally.

Tribute to Sally Diane Hartley

24th July 1946-5th December 2025

Person in a pink floral dress standing on stone steps in a lush garden.

Sally Diane Hartley was a founder member of Walezi-caregivers Kenya. A qualified speech and language therapist and audiologist, Sally spent most of her adult career engaged in research and development in low-income communities of the world. She co-founded the pan-African organisation Community-based rehabilitation Africa Network (CAN) in 2021 and served as one of the editors and authors of the Community-based rehabilitation and inclusive development guidelines (World Health Organisation, 2010) and the very first World report on disability (WHO, 2011). Sally lost her battle with cancer on 5th December 2025. She possessed a spirit of kindness and generosity that will be missed by all those who had the pleasure of working with her. 

THE TEAM IN KENYA: WALEZI FOUNDATION

Joseph Bindo Rasi

Joseph Bindo Rasi is the new Executive Director of Walezi Foundation Kenya. Joseph is a qualified and registered Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience in rehabilitation and inclusion of persons with injuries and disabilities in both development and humanitarian settings. He has worked across diverse programmes, including Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) projects in Nairobi's informal settlements, school-based rehabilitation, and emergency physical and functional rehabilitation and disability inclusion in Dadaab Refugee Camps, South Sudan, Libya, and Sudan with Humanity & Inclusion (HI), formerly Handicap International. He has also consulted with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) on comprehensive functional rehabilitation for children with disabilities in South Sudan. Joseph is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) specialising in Health Promotion and International Health at Maseno University, Kenya. He is passionate about building the capacity of community members to foster a more inclusive society.

Joseph Karisa Gona

Dr. Joseph Gona has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families throughout his career. Having worked as a researcher for many years with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), he was instrumental in setting up Walezi Foundation Kenya (NGO) in 2023. As Director of the NGO, Dr. Gona has led our work on the ground. This has involved the set-up of new self-help groups - helping them to develop livelihood projects, monitoring financial income from group enterprises, and encouraging caregivers to take control of their lives. We offer our thanks to Dr. Gona for his legacy - our network of self-help groups in Kilifi County, Kenya.

Michael Kahindi Kashuru

Michael Kahindi Kashuru is a Pastor of an evangelical church. He has facilitated the bringing together of caregivers through his church.

Eddah Sauti

Eddah Sauti is a graduate teacher. She teaches in a secondary school. She has a  passion for serving the community. She is also versed in basic accounting skills.

Japhet Tsanje Kombo

Japhet Tsanje Kombo lives with his family in Kilifi. He walks with the aid of crutches and brings his own life experience of disability to supporting our caregivers. He is a farmer, a leading member of his local community and serves as a pastor at a nearby church. Japhet has worked in farming and agriculture for most of his adult life, employed by the ministry of agriculture for almost 20 years. He brings this experience to the work of our self-help groups.

Stellah Miki Ziro

Stellah Miki Ziro is a community health promoter with the Ministry of Health. In her work she supported many children with disabilities by referring them for intervention. She has also been involved in the creation of self-help groups for caregivers.