About

Andrew Chalinder (Director)

Andrew was appointed as Director of KOP in May 2011 bringing to the organisation a history of over 20 years in the international development sector. He gained this experience in both the development and humanitarian sectors in Africa and Asia working with Save the Children, UNICEF and Oxfam. Andrew leads our work to deliver change for the children we support as we step up our efforts over the coming years to increase the reach and positive impact of our funding. Having witnessed at first hand the barriers that children mired in poverty have to overcome, he believes that we have a responsibility to give all children a fighting chance of a long and productive life.

Marti Gant (Student Programme Coordinator)

Marti has been working for KOP as the Student Programme Coordinator since October 2008 and has spent three of the busiest and best summers of her life with KOP students in Kenya. As a graduate in Social Anthropology, she adores being in Kisumu and being involved in such positive work. Her favourite part of her job is seeing firsthand how the Programme inspires students to advocate for change in any way, however big or small, and seeing their attitudes and outlooks change throughout their time in Kisumu. This is in spite of the fact that the students keep getting younger.

She enjoys meeting new people, travelling to new places, eating and shimmy-ing. Kenyan style.

Shona Morrison (Student and Communications Coordinator)

Shona works as our Student and Communications Coordinator. Responsible for recruiting new students from the UK and co-running the Summer Programme out in Kisumu, Shona also runs this website, social media, makes films, takes photos, organises events and deals with press and marketing for KOP. She's not sure what her favourite film is but she once got accidentally kicked in the face by someone from 90's boyband 911!

Dr Daniel Magnus (Co-Founder and Trustee)

Daniel Magnus is a co-founder and trustee for KOP. When he’s not telling bad jokes or being named 2011’s Junior Doctor of the Year for the BMJ (!) he works as specialist trainee in Paediatrics and the Unit Lead for maternal and child health at the University of Bristol. Dan says KOP gives him the opportunity to work with people and to involve and inspire others in working towards lifting children out of poverty and alleviate suffering. His favourite film is Happy Gilmore and his favourite quote is Ghandi's "Be the change you wish to see in the world".

Dr Beccy Leslie (Co-Founder and Trustee)

Beccy started KOP with Dan when they were 4th year medical students at Nottingham University. She is also a trustee of KOP and works as an anaesthetic registrar in the Severn Deanery. She also directs Dr Podcast Ltd, a company offering medical revision podcasts to doctors studying for their professional exams.

Her favourite memory of Kisumu is from 2002, when she first visited Kochogo with Dan because everyone was so amazingly friendly and there was a beautiful sunset over the African landscape.

She lives in Bristol with her husband and (gorgeous) daughter and when she’s not working at the hospital, running Dr Podcast or working on KOP, she uses her spare time to make silver jewellery. (No, we don't know how she does it either!).

Owain Evans (Co-Founder and Trustee)

Owain is one of KOP's founding trustees, his day job is working as an orthopaedic trainee in Yorkshire but he still lives in Nottingham with his lovely wife Lisa. Owain joined KOP as a student volunteer on the first trip to Kisumu all the way back in 2002 after replying to an email. Owain says his favourite memory of Kisumu is watching the sun drop over Lake Victoria every evening and that KOP gives him the opportunity to work with and meet some extraordinary people in very difficult circumstances. His favourite film is Lawrence of Arabia and he couldn't spell his middle name until he was a teenager. (He won’t tell us what it is either!)

Dr Steve Jones

Coming soon!