Meet the Trust’s dynamic, innovative team of staff committed to enhancing the long-term competitiveness of the sector, improving incomes of small-scale tree growers and wood-based enterprises, and building long-term institutional resilience.
David Shambwe – Trust Director
David is an experienced Business Leader, trained Sales and Marketing professional graduated from University of Dar Es Salaam – BCOM- Marketing. He holds the ACI Dealing Certificate – ACI- Financial Market Association. With 20 years combined hands on experience in the Real Estate Industry, Strategic Partnership and Stakeholders /Investors Engagement (Public – Public and Public – Private), Fundraising, Brand Marketing, Corporate Public Relations and Banking.
David, has been part of transformation in various teams as Director of Business Development and Treasury at National Housing Corporation and prior to that as Head of Retail Banking at Commercial Bank of Africa (Tanzania) Limited. Previously, David worked at senior capacity in various organizations such as Standard Chartered Bank (Tanzania) Limited as Corporate Sales Dealer. He joined the Banking Sector from Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) Industry, Airtel (Tanzania) Limited as Sales Development Manager and Kibo Breweries Limited as Sales Executive. His experience holds interesting competencies in Senior Stakeholder’s Engagement, Investment Facilitation and Business Formulation.
David joins FDT in May 2019 as Trust Director to provide Strategic Program Leadership, ensuring successful development of both the organization, the team and delivery of Program objectives. david.shambwe@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Oluwabusuyi Okeowo – Deputy Director, Plantation Development and Technical Suppot
Busuyi Okeowo is a value chain and private sector development specialist with 10 years of experience designing and managing pro-poor interventions in West-Africa. He has led various agribusiness projects and interventions on out-grower development, value chain mapping & analysis, cluster mapping, financial inclusion, market access, commodity aggregation, commodity branding, and agribusiness investment promotion. He was the Deputy Team Leader of the GEMS4, a flagship market development project in Nigeria funded by DFID/UKaid and the World Bank. As part of the programme collaboration, he led the design of private sector led value chain aggregation model for Osun state government. He also led GEMS4 programme initiative on improving brand awareness for Nigerian Rice and analysis of investment opportunities in the Nigerian rice and tomato sector. He has consulted for programmes in Nigeria, amongst are DFID/MADE- Edo State Investment Project (ESIP) and Technoserve Nigeria on value chain analysis and development for state actors. Mr. Okeowo is an MBA and Agribusiness Management graduate of the Lagos Business School. Busuyi joined the Trust in September 2018 to successfully drive the improved plantation development in Tanzania through identification and deployment of quality germplasm; access to quality plantation services; access to public land for private investors and stimulation of private investment in plantations. oluwabusuyi.okeowo@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
William Mato – Deputy Director, Processing, Market Development and Policy
William is a Market Systems Development Specialist who holds BA in Economics (UDSM) and Diploma in Enterprise 
Development through value chains and Business Service Markets (International Training centre of ILO – Italy). He has worked in market development interventions for different value chains in different capacities such as Business Analyst (Rural Livelihood Development Program); Country Manager (ICM Tanzania Agribusiness Ltd); Regional Business Manager (Kilimo Market Ltd); Markets Development Coordinator (Aga Khan Foundation- Coastal Rural Support Program Tanzania); and Project Manager (Aga Khan Foundation – Sunflower Market Development Project). William is a strong calibre person with strong experience in business development and associated analytics, diverse experience in Market Systems Facilitation (M4P), Private Sector Development and practical application of result measurement framework. William leads the processing, market and policy portoflio towards increasing value added by the processing segment of the sector and providestrong offtake markets for growers.william.mato@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Ijumaa Kombo Singo- Senior Manager -Genetic Resources
Singo is a professional forester (Dip. BSc, and MSc from FTI and SUA respectively) having 25 years of 
working experience in tree seed handling in both public and private sector. In the public sector, he worked with the Tanzania Tree Seed Agency (TTSA) which is in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism where he assumed different technical and managerial positions advocating production and distribution of high quality tree seeds and other propagating materials. Singo also worked with Green Resources Limited as a Group Seed Research Manager, where he established a number of trials, including species (eucalypt and pine), clone (eucalypt) and fertilizer in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Singo joined FDT in September 2016 as to lead the Trust’s work on tree improvement and domestic commercial production and deployment of improved genetic materials. ijumaa.singo@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Martin Kijazi- Senior Manager, Policy and Sector Institutions
Martin is a natural resource economics, governance and policy specialist (BSc. Forestry Sokoine University, MFC & PhD
University of Toronto). His 19 years professional and training experience spans Tanzania, Canada (Ontario and British Columbia), South Africa (Eastern Cape), Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. In Tanzania, he has worked on a range of natural resource issues ranging from extractives to climate change with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Council for the Development of Social Science in Africa (CODESRIA), University of Illinois, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Institute of Development Studies and Oxfam. Martin joined the Trust in October 2017 as Policy and Institutions Manager. martin.kijazi@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Baraka Ntiruhungwa- Senior Manager -Tree Grower Services
Baraka is an experienced senior private sector development advisor and consultant. He has extensive Economic Growth Facilitation experience and skills that involve engagement and management of International, National and Local Agriculture Public and Private sector actors and stakeholders. Baraka is also a Trainer of Trainers in Entrepreneurship, Pro Poor Development Support, Business Ideas Generation and Business Development Support. He embodies extensive skills in Program/Project Development and Management Using Value Chain Development and Market Systems facilitation approaches. He is a professional SMEs Business Development Advisor, Mentor and Counsellor. Baraka has widely worked to identify, mentor and manage more than 30 agribusiness consultants and linked them to more than 400 agribusiness Enterprises (out of over 1,000 SM&L Enterprises that he has supported) in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Baraka holds a BSc. in Agriculture and MBA with specialization in Agribusiness. He has 14 years of experience managing development work and consulting with International Organizations and Foundations including: Global Communities (Country Trade Specialist & Head of Trade Department for Agribusiness Investment for Market Stimulation Program); Land O’Lakes (Private Sector Engagement Manager for Tanzania and Ethiopia); Technoserve (Senior Business Advisor); DANIDA’s SMEs Competitiveness Facility (Country Business Manager); and United States African Development Foundation -USADF (Business Development Office). baraka.ntiruhungwa@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Nicodemas Msika – Manager, Monitoring and Learning
Nicodemas graduated from Sokoine University of Agriculture (BSc. Environmental Sciences and Management).
He previously worked with National Microfinance Bank in various positions (Bank officer and Loan officer), before joining Technoserve implementing a coffee initiative project under Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability Advisor. Later on he joined other TechnoServe programmes in cocoa, maize and paddy value chains as Monitoring and Evaluation Manager. Nicodemas joined FDT in late 2014 as Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Coordinator and has led the Monitoring and Learning team from late 2015. nicodemus.msika@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Christel Kiweha – Senior Manager, Human Resources and Operations
Christel is a lawyer and human resources professional (LLB – University of Iringa; Certificates in 
Human Resources Management and Practical Labour Law (Get Smarter – University of Cape Town; and MBA, HRM -University of Iringa). Christel has over 10 years of hands-on experience in human resources, operations and administration management in both forestry and industrial organisations. Christel joined the Trust in November 2014 as a strategic business partner in order to enable the organisation to achieve its strategic objectives, sustainable growth and a positive operating culture. christel.kiweha@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Shukrani Biseko – Manager, Wood Product Markets
Shukrani Biseko is a professional and experienced agronomist (BSc Agronomy from SUA) in the middle and senior positions in a wide range of crops. Among others, Biseko draws his experience from sugarcane plantations/ industry, biofuels, Horticulture / Avocado sub-sector and cocoa sector engaged in development, planning, implementation, management and evaluation of such high-quality plantations and programs in a range of start-up to full execution.
Shukrani joined FDT in October 2013 and he supports the Senior Manager, Wood Product Markets to successfully develop markets for processed wood products, increase investment in processing infrastructure and drive operational improvements in processors across different value chains. shukrani.biseko@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Mussa Gwalema – Business and Markets Facilitator
Mussa is an agribusiness specialist who graduated from Sokoine University of Agriculture in 
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. He has worked in various value chains where he has interacted with a range of experts and gained substantial understanding of how market systems work. He worked with CNFA in the Agro-inputs supply chain, under support from BMGF/AGRA, and participated in the piloting of the National Inputs Subsidy program in Tanzania. He then worked with TechnoServe and Irish Aid in the cocoa industry to improve quality of services and marketing systems with special focus on building inclusiveness of smallholder farmers as key industry actors in cocoa quality and production. Previously, he worked with CARE International in conservation forestry around refugee affected areas and in refugee camps where his main attention was to help reduce pressure on natural forests as a result of refugee influx with their sudden huge demand for fuel and construction wood. Mussa brings to FDT a range of business and forestry expertise to help shape the forestry industry into a competitive sector by providing driving private grower establishment and management of high-quality plantations using improved planting material matched to the specific site and good silvicultural practices. mussa.gwalema@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Emmanuel Sangalali – Manager, Public Private Partnerships
Emmanuel is a forester holding a BSc Forestry from SUA. He previously worked with Sao Hill Industries Ltd as the Wood
Dry Kilns Operator and Pallets Production Manager. He later worked with Tanzania Leaf Tobacco Company Limited in various capacities as the Forestry and Barns Coordinator, and Imperial Tobacco as the Forestry Project Manager. Emmanuel joined FDT in January 2017 as a Business and Market Facilitator and later Manager, PPPs with the reponsibility for the Trust’s intervnetion focused on PPPs/Concession on Public Land. emmanuel.sangalali@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Hassan Swedi – Business and Market Facilitator
Holding Advanced Diploma in Certified Accountancy, Postgraduate Diploma in Scientific Computing and MBA in Corporate Management, Hassan started his career as an accountant and later moved into projects management where he gathered project management experience that span over 10 years from different sectors of economy, including Petroleum (ENGEN Petroleum Tanzania); Telecommunication (Celtel Tanzania – Airtel); Heath – Sexual & reproductive and Family planning (Marie Stopes Tanzania), Medical research (NIMR – RTSS Vaccination); Water and sanitation research sector (BORDA) and Agriculture, specifically Dairy sub-sector with ASAS Dairies. Hassan is happy to apply his knowledge to support the development of markets for processed wood products, increasing investment in processing infrastructure and driving operational improvements in processors across different value chains. hassan.swedi@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Philemon Peter – Monitoring and Learning Analyst
Philemon is an agricultural economist and agribusiness professional (BSc. Sokoine Univ
ersity of Agriculture). He joined the Trust in August 2016 and he is responsible for planning, monitoring and managing studies in the field, analyzing findings and providing strategic feedback for better decision making. Philemon previously worked with The Foundation for Civil Society and TechnoServe as Monitoring and Evaluation Supervisor, Administrator and also as Business Advisor. From these appointments, he gained a lot of experience in results measurement, providing business advisory services and also facilitating business relationships between actors in the coffee and staple crops value chains including small-holder producer cooperative unions, agro-dealers, bulk buyers, government and private institutions. philemon.peter@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Rashid Josephat Mgeni – Research and Development Coordinator
Rashid is a BSc graduate in Regional Development planning from Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam. His areas of expertise include village land use planning, urban planning, GIS and mapping, regional and ecological planning, and community development. Rashid started his career at FDT as a planning technician and later grew to Senior Officer, planning and coordination, playing a rucial role in support of the Trust in overseeing efforts to promote national coordination and capacity in tree improvement. He is responsible foverseeing the tree improvement Research and Development operational activities for FDT including coordination of the research infrastructures. Basing on his GIS and Mapping expertise, Rashid is also responsible for overall mapping activities for FDT in all areas of operations. rashid.mgeni@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Salim Shaaban – Analysis and Dissemination Coordinator
Salim is a BSc Forestry gradate from the Sokoine University of Agriculture. Salim joined FDT as the forest research technician and later grew to the role of Senior Officer, Research and Coordination; playing crucial role in support of the Trust in overseeing Tree Improvement Research and Development operational activities for FDT including trial establishment and tree seed selection and marking. Currently, Salim coordinates the analysis and dissemination of research trial results for improved genetic resilience and competitiveness of the forestry sector. salim.shaaban@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Oliva Marwa – Office Administrator
Oliva is a Forester with 9 years of hands-on experience in plantation management at Green
Resources Ltd and Lindi Forest Ltd. Oliva plays an integral role in the customer service and organizational strength of the Trust. She is responsible for undertaking all office management and administrative tasks and supports to ensure that the program is run efficiently and effectively. She is also happy to apply her forestry knowledge in contributing to the sustainability of forestry and raising incomes of smallholder tree growers by providing technical support and influencing the adoption of improved planting materials, good silvicultural practices. olivia.marwa@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Maureen Peter – Business and Markets Facilitator
Maureen is a graduate of cultural anthropology and tourism (BA Tumaini). Prior to joining FDT Maureen worked with John Hopkins University as a qualitative research assistance on various projects. Maureen started her career at FDT in February 2014 as the Administrative Officer and migrated to the program as the Associate Business and Market Facilitator in 2019 to support the design and implementation of interventions by identifying opportunities and constraints facing market actors and designing of interventions to address the key constraints. Currently, Maureen works to facilitate the adoption of effective policies that strengthen the competitiveness, inclusiveness and resilience of the forestry sector in Tanzania, and identify shifts in the political economy landscape and their implications on the FDT strategy and its interventions. maureen.peter@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Sebastian Mwinyi – Research Support Assistant and Driver 
Sebastian is a research support assistant and driver (Diploma in Common Wealth Youth Programme and Certificates in Basic Driving & Mechanics). He has great driving experience, including four with New Forests Company which all together gave him on the job forestry technical knowledge and experience. Sebastian provides support to the Tree Improvement and Research function within the organisation particularly around management of the research trials while will continuing with his normal driver duties. sebastian.mwinyi@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Paulo Martin – Field Assistant & Driver 
Paulo has over 8 years of experience in driving. He joined FDT in February 2015 and previously worked with Be Forward Company. Paul assists the Trust in
fulfilling their mission of working to support the development of forestry in Tanzania by providing safe driving support to the team and assistance to programme people with field activities whilst in the field. paul.martin@gatsbyafrica.or.tz
Yohana Ngole -Field Assistant & Driver 
Prior to joining FDT, Yohana worked with A- Z Textile Mills in Arusha as a Machine Operator for two years and also as a private driver for three years. He joined FDT in June 2014 as a day guard and gardener; and later grew to the role of field assistant and driver. He assist the Trust in
fulfilling their mission of working to support the development of forestry in Tanzania by providing safe driving support to the team and assistance to programme people with field activities whilst in the field. yohana.ngole@gatsbyafrica.or.tz