The People Behind the Mission

Charles Nsambya Bakaluba is a development practitioner and nonprofit leader with over fifteen
years of experience advancing community-driven development solutions that strengthen
livelihoods and expand opportunity in rural Uganda. His work focuses on strengthening
household incomes and expanding opportunities through agriculture, education, women and
youth empowerment, and financial inclusion.

As Founder and Executive Director of COSMA Sustainable Rural Development, Charles provides
strategic leadership to the organization’s vision and growth, advancing community-driven
approaches that strengthen household incomes and enable families to sustain their children’s
education. Under his leadership, COSMA has developed integrated models that connect
agriculture, enterprise, and financial inclusion to education outcomes – supporting rural
households to build resilience and transition toward self-reliance.

His work focuses on designing and scaling practical, community-based systems, including village
cooperatives and household enterprise models, that improve productivity, expand access to
finance, and create sustainable livelihood pathways. He brings together field-based experience
with strategic partnership development and resource mobilization to strengthen local systems
and deliver long-term development outcomes.

Charles holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies from Makerere University, which has
informed his work in community development, program design, and social transformation. He
is passionate about building resilient rural communities through practical, community-driven
solutions that create lasting change.

Wanda Gass is an engineer and nonprofit leader with over three decades of experience in
technology and education. She spent 32 years at Texas Instruments as a circuit design engineer,
building a strong foundation in innovation and problem-solving.

In 2014, she founded and led a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing high
school girls to pursue studies in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Her work reflects a deep commitment to expanding opportunities for young people through
education.

Wanda has served on nonprofit boards since 2000, contributing her leadership and governance
experience to a range of organizations. As Board Chairperson of COSMA since 2023, she
provides strategic oversight and supports the organization’s work to strengthen livelihoods and
expand access to education in rural communities in Uganda.

Rev. James Christie is a hospice chaplain with Kaiser Permanente and a long-standing supporter
of community development initiatives in Uganda. His connection to the country began in 2005
when he volunteered as a school teacher, an experience that shaped his ongoing commitment
to education and social impact in the country.

He is the founder and former President of Elevate: Partners for Education, a nonprofit
organization supporting education initiatives in Uganda. Through this work, he has contributed
to expanding access to education for vulnerable communities.

At COSMA, Rev. Christie serves as a Board Member, bringing his experience in nonprofit
leadership, cross-cultural engagement, and education support to strengthen the organization’s
work and impact.

Sean

George William Mugenyi is an agribusiness and rural development professional with over 15
years of experience in agricultural value chain development, inclusive market systems, and
farmer cooperative strengthening. As Co-Founder and Finance and Programs Manager at
COSMA, he provides strategic leadership to the organization’s agriculture and livelihoods
programming.

He has led the design and implementation of community-based agricultural initiatives that
strengthen smallholder productivity, expand access to finance, and improve market
participation. His experience includes organizing and training farmer groups, supporting village
savings and loan associations, facilitating market linkages, and building partnerships that create
opportunities for rural farmers.

George brings expertise in project management, enterprise development, monitoring and
evaluation, and rural finance, informed by experience with organizations including GOAL
Uganda, Water For People, and Abac Consult Ltd, where he contributed to market systems
development, rural service delivery, and SME capacity strengthening.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from Makerere University and is
currently pursuing an MBA at ISBAT University, complemented by professional training in
market systems development, social entrepreneurship, business planning, and coaching.
His leadership in agriculture and enterprise development has earned regional and international
recognition, including being named among FAO Uganda’s Top 25 Agriculture Youth Champions,
recognition among the Top 10 Models at Sankalp Africa Summit, and speaking at the Agro-
Entrepreneurship Summit in Cameroon.

He is passionate about building resilient rural livelihoods through practical, community-driven
development solutions.

Josephine Nakazibwe is an accomplished finance and administration professional with over a
decade of experience in accounting, financial management, banking operations, and
organizational administration. She serves as the Finance and Administration Manager at
COSMA Sustainable Rural Development, where she oversees financial planning, budgeting,
compliance, reporting, and administrative systems that support the organization programs and operations.

Josephine holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management (Accounting and
Finance) from Uganda Martyrs University. Her professional journey spans various roles in the
financial sector, including Marketing Officer, Banking Assistant, Senior Banking Officer, and
Accountant, giving her extensive experience in financial management, customer relations, and
institutional accountability.

Throughout her career, she has strengthened her expertise through professional training in
budgetary management, expenditure control, bookkeeping, computerized accounting, and
integrated financial reporting. Her strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and commitment
to transparency have enabled her to effectively manage financial resources and support
organizational growth.

At COSMA, Josephine plays a critical role in ensuring sound financial stewardship, regulatory
compliance, and efficient administrative systems that enable the organization to deliver
sustainable impact to communities. She is passionate about accountability, organizational
excellence, and using financial systems to support meaningful social development outcomes.

Justine Namanda is an Agricultural Extension Professional with a strong commitment to
transforming farming communities through sustainable, climate-smart, and inclusive
agricultural development. She serves as a Visiting Agronomist with COSMA Sustainable Rural
Development, where she provides technical support, training, and field-based guidance to
smallholder farmers to improve productivity, resilience, and profitability.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Rural Innovations, which underpins her
practical, community-centered approach to agricultural development and rural transformation.
Her academic background, combined with hands-on field experience, enables her to translate
agricultural science into simple, actionable solutions for farmers.

Justine has extensive experience in mobilizing and strengthening farmer groups, supporting
them to adopt improved farming practices, enhance cooperative action, and engage in market-
oriented agriculture. Her work focuses on building farmer capacity in climate-smart agriculture,
sustainable land use, and enterprise development.

She is especially passionate about reaching last-mile and underserved farming communities,
ensuring that even the most remote households benefit from agricultural knowledge,
innovation, and extension services. Through participatory and farmer-centered approaches, she
supports communities to improve food security and increase household incomes.
Justine’s work is driven by a belief that agriculture is a powerful pathway to rural
transformation when farmers are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and support
systems.