Sentebale appoints new Trustees and begins work on 2027 to 2030 strategy in its 20th anniversary year

Over 400 applications worldwide, including from senior leaders in business, philanthropy and development; over 35,000 children and young people reached in Q1 2026 across Lesotho and Botswana

London / Maseru / Gaborone, 18 May 2026 – Sentebale, the African charity supporting vulnerable children and young people across Lesotho and Botswana, this year marks its 20th anniversary with two new Trustee appointments, continued delivery across its programmes, and the start of work on the development of its strategy to 2030.

In the first quarter of 2026, Sentebale reached over 35,000 children and young people across Lesotho and Botswana, building on approximately 78,000 directly served in the prior reporting year. The Charity’s integrated programming spans health, wealth creation and climate resilience. Programmes are delivered in partnership with national governments, multilateral institutions and peer organisations including UNAIDS, UNICEF, the Global Fund, EGPAF and PEPFAR.

Recent partnership agreements include expanded delivery with UNAIDS to scale Sentebale’s Youth Hubs programme in the Mokhotlong district of Lesotho in 2026, and a service agreement with the Government of Lesotho and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for the Regeneration of Landscapes and Livelihoods programme through 2027. 100% of institutional funders have continued their support through the Charity’s transformation phase, with new programme awards committing funding through 2026 and 2027 across both Lesotho and Botswana. Some prior partnerships have concluded as planned at the end of their term. Delivery, compliance and safeguarding have been maintained throughout, with all strong-performing staff retained following completion of the global restructuring.

Sentebale operates a lean London-based enabling function with all leadership roles based in Southern Africa, locating decision-making and resources close to delivery. Programmes are delivered across all ten districts of Lesotho, the Charity’s longest-standing country of operation since 2006. In Botswana, where Sentebale has operated since 2016, the operating model is being recalibrated for long-term sustainability, while existing partnerships and operations ensure continuity of care and services for children and young people.

Sentebale has now begun developing its 2027 to 2030 strategy, focused on deepening the scale and quality of its impact across health, wealth creation and climate resilience, building on the work of the last 20 years.

Following a recruitment process that attracted more than 400 applications for two voluntary Trustee positions, Mr Wellington Chimwaradze and Ms Alden Nouga-Ngog have been appointed as Trustees with immediate effect.

Mr Chimwaradze, born, raised and educated in Southern Africa, has forged a successful career spanning senior legal and governance roles at Econet Wireless, Barclays, Unilever and AB InBev. He has led complex cross-border transactions across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, and co-founded the General Counsel for Diversity and Inclusion initiative in South Africa.

Ms Nouga-Ngog is a senior philanthropy and strategic partnerships executive whose 25-year career began with leading health programmes at CARE in Cameroon. She has since raised more than US$600 million for international non-profits including CARE and Save the Children, and has led multi-country fundraising strategies across Africa, building scalable systems for sustainable revenue and donor engagement.

They join Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE (Chair), Dr Bhakti Hansoti, and Mr Iain Rawlinson. The International Board of Trustees now comprises five Trustees, completing the actions agreed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under the Regulatory Action Plan of 30 June 2025.

Looking ahead, the establishment of local Boards in Lesotho and Botswana, sitting alongside the International Board of Trustees, is the Charity’s next governance priority, further anchoring governance in the communities Sentebale serves.

Ms Carmel Gaillard, Global Executive Director, said:

“In the first quarter of 2026, we reached more than 35,000 children and young people across Lesotho and Botswana, while maintaining strong standards of safeguarding, compliance and programme delivery. Wellington and Alden join us at an important moment as we shape our strategy to 2030 across health, wealth creation and climate resilience. I look forward to working with them to strengthen our impact for the young people we serve.”

Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE, Chair of the International Board of Trustees, said:

“Sentebale’s 20th anniversary year is a moment to look ahead to the next chapter of impact for the children and young people of Southern Africa. Wellington and Alden bring exactly the experience this work requires, and I am delighted to welcome them as we begin developing our 2027 to 2030 strategy. With the International Board of Trustees now at full strength, our next governance priority is the establishment of local Boards in Lesotho and Botswana, further anchoring our governance in the communities we serve. I am grateful to Iain, Bhakti and Carmel for the inspiration, discipline and focus they have brought to this transformation phase, to our team and communities across Lesotho and Botswana, and to the funders, partners and supporters who continue to invest in this mission with us.”