Ford Foundation Promotes Margaret Mliwa to Regional Director for East Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ford Foundation today announced the appointment of Margaret Mliwa as the next regional director of its East Africa office. Based in Nairobi, the Ford Foundation's East Africa office is a nonpolitical organization committed to advancing social justice, equity, and the public good across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and to support open civic space, civil society, and public dialogue with the governments across the region.

"We are thrilled to recognize and celebrate Margaret Mliwa's leadership as the regional director for the Ford Foundation's East Africa office," said Martín Abregu, vice president for international programs at the Ford Foundation. "Margaret's range of skills—from adept storytelling, mentorship, and relationship-building across the sector—will only strengthen our work in East Africa."

Mliwa joined the foundation in 2017 and has held roles as a program officer, senior program officer, and acting regional director. During her tenure, Mliwa developed a diverse grants portfolio that encompassed community organizing, national advocacy, independent media, and leadership strengthening within civil society and public service, with an emphasis on defending basic freedoms and civil society voices in East Africa.

"It is an honor to lead the Ford Foundation's East Africa regional office and continue our legacy of impact in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda," said Margaret Mliwa, East Africa regional director for the Ford Foundation. "Since 1963, our work has been exemplified by collaboration with East Africa's changemakers and institutions. I look forward to advancing this history in partnership with the grantees and partners we serve and the values of dignity, justice, and equity that we hold dear."

Mliwa has more than 20 years of public sector experience, working with government, civil society, and philanthropy to advocate for and implement policies that champion community-driven programs. Her work has emphasized youth voice, rights-based approaches, and strengthening leadership and capacity development among youth-led networks and organizations.

Prior to joining Ford, Mliwa was country director of Restless Development Tanzania, a global youth-led development agency. Before that, she served as head of the Youth Social Mobilization Unit of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the government of Kenya and as lead consultant in the development of the National Youth Service framework for the Sierra Leonean government. Mliwa is a recipient of a Commonwealth Scholarship and holds a bachelor's degree in education from Kenyatta University and master of applied philosophy and ethics in progress from Strathmore University.

The Ford Foundation's Nairobi office opened in 1963, against the backdrop of independence in East Africa. During this early period, Ford supported the capacity of institutions to train the civil servants and technical experts who have become leaders across society. Since then, Ford has supported initiatives including the development of Kenya's microfinance sector; growth in critical areas such as research academia, agriculture, health, and business; and investment in influential human rights organizations across the region. The foundation has also championed the arts, culture, and media as critical pathways to national progress.

The Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

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