Our Team
The Duke’s Foundation is governed through a robust management and oversight structure led by a Senior Management Team (SMT) under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is accountable to the Board of Governance (BoG).
The SMT comprises the CEO, Head of Programme and Operations, Programme Manager (Project Development and Implementation), Programme Quality and Compliance Manager, Operations and Support Services Manager. The SMT is responsible for strategic direction, programme oversight, and operational accountability.
This management structure ensures effective, relevant, and contextually tailored programme development and management; high standards of programme quality and donor compliance; sound financial and operational controls; and accountability to stakeholders, including donors, partners, communities, and project participants. Through clear roles, strong internal controls, and continuous monitoring, the Foundation upholds transparency, ethical practice, and responsible stewardship of resources in line with best practices in the charity sector.
Meet Our Senior Management Team
Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
The Duke’s Foundation
Ms. Jennifer, the Founder and CEO, is a dedicated secondary school teacher by profession who has touched the lives of countless students throughout her career. A profound turning point in her life came with the loss of her beloved son, Duke, to autism. This painful experience awakened in her a deep passion for working with children with disabilities and other vulnerabilities, including autism and nodding disease syndrome, as well as supporting the parents who care for them.
Driven by love and purpose, Ms. Jennifer later established a nursery and primary school, Mother Ludia School, named in honor of her mother. Her mother’s unwavering support to Duke embodied the true meaning of a mother’s love, and this school was created to extend that same love and care to every child. Through the school, Ms. Jennifer provides special support to vulnerable children and offers assistance to parents who are unable to meet school fees, ensuring that no child is denied education because of hardship.
Through her teaching career, Ms. Jennifer encountered many female students who were forced to drop out of school and became trapped in negative and exploitative situations. Deeply moved by their struggles and determined to change their stories, she stepped in to support and rescue them. This experience led her to establish the Duke’s Foundation, in honor of her son, to support vulnerable children and empower young girls to reclaim their futures.
Ms. Jennifer is deeply passionate about children and youth. She finds her greatest joy in uplifting the most vulnerable by supporting them in practical and meaningful ways, particularly through education—an area where her experience as both a teacher and school proprietor has given her unique strength and insight.
Beyond education, she is committed to community wellbeing, often sacrificing her own personal finances to support Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) and local farmer groups. She is a strong advocate for inclusive education, firmly believing that children with special needs, when properly supported, can grow into productive and valued members of society.
Above all, Ms. Jennifer is especially passionate about rescuing young girls from the sex industry. Her compassion runs so deep that, if it were possible, she would personally parent each one, offering them the love, protection, and hope they deserve
Head of Programmes and Operations
Ms. Lillian is a committed humanitarian professional specializing in Programme and Operations, with strong expertise in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) drawn from her over 8 years experience with different organizations in Programme development, implementation and management including I Live Again-Uganda and Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and NUDEIL. She applies data-driven approaches to development planning, research, and Project Cycle Management (PCM), ensuring programmes are accountable, effective, and responsive to community needs.
Her work in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is grounded in a survivor-centered and compassionate approach. She assesses trauma within each individual’s personal and social context, enabling appropriate, culturally responsive interventions that promote healing, resilience, and personal growth.
As a social work practitioner, Lilian has extensive experience in child protection and gender-based violence prevention and response. She has supported the assessment, rescue, and case management of adolescents at risk, including survivors of sexual exploitation, while also leading community awareness initiatives on Child Protection (CP) and GBV.
Having worked in refugee settlement camps, Lilian brings strong collaboration and coordination skills, working effectively with diverse partners across multiple organizations, nationalities, and cultures. She remains deeply committed to humanitarian principles, dignity, and the protection of vulnerable populations through inclusive and impactful programming.
Ms. Ahieng Jenneth,
Programme Manager, Project Development and Implementation.
Ms. Jenneth is a Programme Specialist with a strong focus on women’s empowerment and child protection, bringing extensive experience in humanitarian and development programming. Her work centers on advancing gender equality, social justice, and human rights through practical, community-driven interventions.
She has played a key role in the design and implementation of programs reaching over 10,000 survivors of gender-based violence, providing access to protection services, psychosocial support, and referral pathways. Jenneth has also supported girls’ education initiatives, promoting school retention, leadership development, and safe learning environments for adolescent girls.
Ms. Jenneth brings over a decade of progressive experience in protection and gender programming from serving as Project Coordinator at Littlebear Foundation Uganda to CESVI Uganda as Project Manager and as Project Officer – SGBV with GWED-G and WORUDET, where she implemented survivor-centered GBV prevention and response activities at community level.
In collaboration with government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners, she contributes to policy advocacy, coordination, and capacity-building efforts aimed at strengthening systems that protect the rights and well-being of women and children.
Mr. Ongom Jasper,
Programme Quality and Compliance Manager.
