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 Minton brings experience in education, workforce development, program management, and instructional design to COSMA’s Board. He currently serves in a leadership role at the Hawaii Job Corps Center, where he supports academic and career-technical training programs, develops partnerships with employers and community organizations, and helps create practical pathways linking education, employment, and independent living.

Sean holds a master’s degree in instructional design and has experience using technology and data to strengthen programs, improve learning outcomes, and support evidence-based decision-making. His work reflects a strong commitment to creating practical systems that help people develop the skills and opportunities needed to achieve greater independence.

Sean has supported COSMA’s work in Uganda since the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to initiatives supporting farmers and vulnerable households. His contributions have included strengthening simple, sustainable systems for program data collection, financial tracking, and demonstrating community impact.

As a Board Member, Sean brings a practical perspective on organizational development, program quality, data use, and sustainable systems - helping COSMA strengthen programs that can be effectively implemented, measured, and expanded over time.

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.