Our Tanzanian Partners
All of the programs that we support are managed through a partnership with Global Resources Alliance - Tanzania. Here are some of the people in who make all of the programs we support possible.
Executive Director, GRA-TZ
Madaraka Nyerere
Madaraka has been working with TDS since its earliest days, including being a leader on two of our Kili climbs (he's summited more than 10 times!). In addition to his role with GRA-TZ, he also manages his father, Julius Nyerere's, estate and museum in Butiama.
Program Director
Joyce Masso
Joyce plays a critical leadership role in all the projects that TDS supports. She is an inspirational teacher and motivator, a caretaker for scholarship recipients, and champion for early education in the Mara region.
4HCP Coordinator
John Kuboja
John has been coordinating the 4H Career Pathways program since 2021. His enthusiasm for education and leadership has resulted in the program continuing to grow and exceed expectations. Enrollment in the program continues to grow, and he has managed multiple projects bringing resources like water tanks and computers to schools.
Head Librarian
Moses Deogratius
Originally a secondary school teacher, Moses has served as the Head Librarian at the LCRC since its doors first opened in 2016. As the caretaker of one of the largest collections of books in a community library in the country, he is a champion of building a reading culture in the villages around the library.
Board of Directors
Founder & President
Kurt Thurmaier
Kurt founded TDS in 2008 with his wife, Jeanine. In addition to serving as President, he is also a Distinguished Engagement Professor in the Department of Public Administration at Northern Illinois University.
Vice President
Edith Njuguna
Edith is the Director of the Illinois Education and Career Success Network at Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University and led the launch of the 4-H Career Pathways program in the Mara region.
Treasurer
Tricia Deboo
Tricia is a retired nurse and has served as the Treasurer since 2012. Tricia also volunteers extensively in DeKalb County, including with Habitat for Humanity.
Board member
Joan Pahl
Joan recently retired from a career in healthcare administration and finance in Madison, Wisconsin. She is now an active volunteer with St. Vincent DePaul and coordinates the Willmann Scholarship program.
Board Member
James Cohen
James is an Presidential Engagement Professor of ESL/Bilingual Education at Northern Illinois University. He is a Fulbright Specialist and has been awarded multiple times in the areas of education, social justice, and diversity.
Board Member
Maiga Muga
Maiga is currently pursuing his PhD in African Studies at University of Illinois. He is originally from Musoma and previously served as the first full time Program Coordinator for the 4H Career Pathways program.
Board Member
Andrea Trudeau
Andrea is a library information specialist serving middle school students in Deerfield, Illinois, with 27 years of experience as a public educator. She taught at Nyegina for two weeks in the summer of 2022 as a Fulbright-Hays Grant Scholar through Northern Illinois University, which inspired her to join TDS as a board member and continue to support education in rural Tanzania.
Board Member
Paul Saeman
Now retired, Paul spent 37 years working in state and federal government, as well as the nonprofit sector. Through his career, he worked on programs focused on supporting low income families and social justice reform.
Board Member
Helen Martin
Helen worked at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics for 18 years before retiring from nursing. She currently teaches Medical Surgical Nursing at Edgewood College.
Board Member
Eric Hill
Eric joined the Board in 2023 and served as the Executive Director in 2024. Traveling with TDS to Tanzania in 2022, along with the successful summit of Kilimanjaro was a peak experience for him: it included the realization that big problems can be overcome with small steps, pole pole.
Board Member
Terry Borg
Now retired, Terry spent 43 years working for universities and private industry. Through his career, he worked on program development, performance and training, and economic and financial education. In the later years of his career, Terry focused on growing teacher education international partnerships.
Board Member
Renee Jones
Renee is an executive-level management consultant and transformation leader with a passion for driving sustainable impact. With deep expertise in strategic planning and organizational change, she brings a results-driven mindset to mission-focused work. After an inspiring journey to Tanzania and Zanzibar, Renée was moved by the resilience of the communities she encountered and felt called to use her skills in service. This led her to consult with TDS—an experience that quickly deepened into a personal commitment. Now as a board member, she’s proud to help shape strategies that empower youth, especially girls, through education.
Board Member
Jason Michnick
Jason served as the first Executive Director from 2019 to 2023 before returning to the board. He was a TDS study abroad student in 2015 and also served as Vice President of TDS between 2016 and 2018. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Illinois Chicago and working as a Sustainability Coordinator in local government.