About Us
Staff
Mary Ann Burris
Mary Ann is the founder and Executive Director of TICAH. She moved to Kenya in 1996. Before moving to East Africa, she lived and worked in China. Mary Ann has a Ph.D. from Stanford University in international development and an MA from the University of Oregon in Asian studies. Mary Ann worked for the Ford Foundation for 13 years before setting up TICAH. She has experience and interests in traditional medicine and indigenous knowledge, youth development, health policy, media, ritual and artistic expression, reproductive and sexual health, the connection between body, mind, and spirit, and philanthropy.
Angela Okech
Angela joined TICAH in April 2007 as our office administrator. She brings with her extensive experience of working in HIV treatment programmes, with a particular focus on training. Before joining TICAH Angela worked with Aids Care and Treatment Services, University of Nairobi, Department of Paediatrics. Angela loves working with the communities to aid in helping them live better lives and take care of their health.
Jedidah Maina
Jedidah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nairobi where she majored in Economics and Sociology. She also pursued a course in accounting (Certified Public Accountants). Before Joining TICAH Jedidah worked for Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF), a Kenyan based NGO concerned with the rights of women. It was here that she helped in championing for the enactment of the Sexual Offences Act. Jedidah has a passion for community work and has worked on various programmes as a volunteer with Rotaract and Mama Ngina Children's home. She has been working with TICAH as a Programme Assistant since April 2007.
Mary Akoth Elias
Mary joined TICAH in December 2008 and she is the Positive Living Outreach Program Co-odinator. She brings with her vast experience in community work and movement building. Before joining TICAH, Mary worked at HOPE WORLD WIDE KENYA as site program co-odinator in the orphans and vulnerable children program (OVC) where she helped conduct trainings on psycho-social support for children and their caregivers and mentorship of support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS. She is a known HIV+ activist throughout Kenya who has known of her status for 18 years. She has been a strong advocate for natural treatment, using good nutrition and herbal medicine to treat the opportunistic infection for PLWHA. Mary likes to work with the communities and always gives her best. One of her goals in life is to empower people living with HIV/AIDS and give hope to the hurting world.
Patricia Kinoti
Trish holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, majoring in Women’s Studies, Psychology and Sexual Diversity Studies. Trish previously worked with the Association of Women’s Rights in Development in Toronto. She then went on to pursue her Masters degree in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town whilst working closely with the only NGO on the African continent exclusively focused on Transgender issues, GDX—GenderDynamix. Her research ethics of ‘listening’ to people tell their own stories in their own words whilst studying Transsexuality within an African context aligns her to fully engage and enjoy TICAH’s unique approaches to community and advocacy work.