Career

Professional Experience

Two decades of leadership spanning academia, international development, and community organising across Zambia and Canada.

Employment history

  1. Instructor, African Studies

    University of Toronto

    Instructor for Africa Systems of Thought, an undergraduate course examining African philosophical, ontological, and epistemological traditions including Ubuntu.

  2. – Present

    Senior Research Fellow

    Teyeni Centre for Sport Research, Zambia  ·  teyenisportresearch.org

    Bringing Indigenous feminist and Ubuntu Womanism frameworks to sport-for-development research; contributing to scholarship on gender justice, girls' leadership, and community development in Zambia.

  3. –

    Project Coordinator

    Centre for Wise Practices in Indigenous Health, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario

    Supported community engagement and knowledge translation initiatives at the intersection of Indigenous health, equity, and wellness; contributed to programmes grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and culturally safe practice.

  4. – Present

    Founder and Strategic Lead

    ZAMWILL (Zambia Women Institute of Leadership and Learning), Zambia

    Leading rights-based programming to advance women's and girls' education, leadership, and digital equity in Zambia; advocacy across community, government, and international development sectors.

  5.  ·  Fellowship

    Echidna Global Scholar Fellow

    Center for Universal Education, Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

    Policy research on Indigenous girls' leadership rights and gender-responsive education frameworks in rural Zambia; produced Brookings policy brief and participated in high-level policy dialogues.

  6. –

    Research Fellow, Leadership, Higher & Adult Education and Social Justice Education

    Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto

    Qualitative and community-based human rights research on African women's leadership, Indigenous feminist and womanism epistemologies, and decolonial education; curriculum design; graduate student mentorship.

  7.  ·  Contract

    Research Consultant and Policy Analyst

    Ban Ads for Gambling Initiative

    Authored White Paper on gambling advertising ethics and consumer rights informing Canadian Senate reform debates.

  8. –

    Programs Coordinator (International)

    Canadian Red Cross

    Coordinated multi-country programming in education and child protection across five countries, applying equity-based and child rights frameworks in complex humanitarian and development contexts.

  9. –

    Country Director

    PEAS Zambia (Promoting Equality in African Schools)

    Led rights-based advocacy for equitable secondary school access in rural and under-resourced communities across Zambia.

  10. –

    Country Manager

    CAMARA Education Zambia

    Expanded digital literacy and technology access for Zambian students through ICT policy development, teacher training, and e-learning infrastructure in underserved schools.

Governance

Board Experience

Dr Racheal Kalaba, PhD  ·  Scholar  ·  Founder  ·  Leader

Ubuntu: I am because we are.