OUR TEAM

LEADERS OF THE LIFENET WAY

Our bright, talented, and experienced team developed the LifeNet way. The model is highly adaptable to the specific needs of each community and each health facility. As we implement this “hyper-local” approach, our team continues to tailor our programming and strategy based on data and local needs.

JOIN OUR TEAM

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Nadège Kabagenzi
Burundi Country Director

Nadège Kabagenzi has nine years of experience managing health-related projects and programs. She joined LifeNet in 2015 as the Business Program Manager, overseeing Management, Pharmacy, and Growth Financing Programs in Burundi. In 2017, she joined the Uganda LifeNet team as Operations Manager to support the fast-growing Uganda Program. In 2020, she was promoted to Burundi Country Director, where she now leads LifeNet’s Burundi country program. Prior joining LifeNet, Nadège worked for the Belgium Embassy in Burundi. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Management from Université Lumière in Burundi.

Axel Managure
Malawi Country Director

Axel has worked with LifeNet since 2014 and has been promoted to roles with increasing responsibility during his tenure with the organization. Just prior to becoming the Malawi Country Director, Axel was Finance and Operations Manager in Burundi. He holds a business degree from Hope Africa University and has over 11 years of experience in finance, business administration, and management. Prior to working with LifeNet, Axel worked for a large bank in Burundi before launching his career in international healthcare development through the Global Health Corp.

Patricia Namakula
Uganda Country Director

Patricia has 19+ years of experience in managing international development programs, designing and implementing complex multi country and multi program monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL) systems that track progress across holistic human development sectors. Prior to joining LifeNet, Patricia worked as the Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor for the USAID program Strengthening Supply Chain Systems in Uganda. Patricia also served at the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor for the Columbia Global Centers Africa and supported 6 countries in a ten year multi-sectoral, longitudinal program that aimed at attaining the SDGs. She later served as the Country Director for the Millennium Promise Alliance in Uganda. Patricia holds an MSc degree in Applied Epidemiology from the University of Nottingham, UK, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics and Computer Science from the Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi – Uganda.

Dr. Gustave-Dady Yenga Koita
DRC Country Director

Dr. Yenga Koita brings over 15 years of healthcare leadership and surgical expertise. He has served as Medical Director at Skyborne Hospital and Chief Medical Officer at Clinique Saint Luc de Bukavu in the DRC, as well as at a district hospital in Rwanda. With a General Practitioner Diploma from the Catholic University of Bukavu, he possesses strong administrative and clinical skills, along with deep knowledge of the DRC healthcare system. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Reproductive Health Management at the Evangelical University of Africa. He joined LifeNet International in 2021 as Medical Program Manager before his promotion to Country Director.

Idris Buabeng
Ghana Country Director

Idris Buabeng has 20 years of clinical and community health leadership experience. Before joining LifeNet, Idris was a malaria social and behavior change consultant with the United Nations Office of Project Services. He also served in key roles at several NGOs, including the northern sector health coordinator for Ghana at Plan International for expanding Integrated Management of Childhood Illness and Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS), country director of MAP International for the control of neglected tropical diseases, and on the international program team of Episcopal Relief & Development where he provided technical leadership to a health systems strengthening program in El Salvador and Guinea as well as a USAID-funded water, sanitation and hygiene behavior change project in Angola. He holds a Master of Public Health from the University of South Africa, Pretoria.

Edwin Nyakan
Kenya Program Manager

Edwin Nyakan is LifeNet’s Kenya Program Manager. He has over ten years of experience in health program management, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation. Prior to joining LifeNet at the start of the LifeNet Kenya program, Edwin was the project manager for large TB, HIV, and anti-microbial resistance programs including for USAID projects and a large referral hospital in Kenya. Edwin’s breadth of experience uniquely position him at the intersection of organizational management, business development, and monitoring and evaluation. He holds a Bachelors in Development from Mount Kenya University and is pursuing a Master’s in Monitoring and Evaluation with Maseno University.

Dr. Landry Muhizi, MD
Medical Director

Dr. Landry Muhizi joined LifeNet in Burundi in 2015 as Medical Program Manager, before being promoted to Medical Director. He has extensive experience training trainers, implementing technical programs, ensuring the quality of LifeNet’s training materials, and assessing the impact of LifeNet interventions. Prior to joining LifeNet, Landry worked in multiple district hospitals in Burundi. He treated patients and held leadership roles, including Pediatric and Internal Medicine Services Chief of Department and Deputy Director in Charge of Healthcare Provision and Quality. Landry holds a Doctorate in General Medicine from the University of Burundi and is finalizing his Master of Public Health from Makerere University School of Public Health.

Gérard Nshimirimana
Director of International Operations

Gérard joined LifeNet in 2013 as a management trainer in Burundi. He has been promoted to positions of increasing responsibility from senior management trainer to program manager to DRC Country Director. He now leads an exceptional team as the Director of International Operations. Prior to joining LifeNet, Gérard was a teacher at a nursing school in Bujumbura, Burundi. He holds a Bachelor in Health Services Management from the National Institute of Public Health, a Master’s degree in Health Economics from the Private Institute of Technologies in Burkina Faso, and an inter-University certificate in Health Systems Strengthening awarded jointly by Free University of Brussels and The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Shep Owen, MSc
President

Shep brings 24 years of experience in international development, management, and leadership to his role at LifeNet, including 16 years at Food for the Hungry. Along with his extensive experience, Owen’s educational background includes a Master of Public Policy and Management from the University of London.

Sarah Borger, MPH
Vice President of Programs and International Operations

Sarah is an international public health professional with fifteen years of experience in research, development, management, and evaluation of health programming in low-income country contexts. Prior to joining LifeNet, Sarah served as the Director of Health Programs for Food for the Hungry. Her past experience includes leading maternal and child health programming for Food for the Hungry and for World Relief, directing quality assurance for the University of California’s San Diego Medical Center, and more. She earned an MPH from the Department of International Health at Boston University’s School of Public Health.

Dr. Maggie Ehrenfried, PT, DPT, MBA
Vice President of Advancement

Maggie has significant experience in teaching and practicing healthcare domestically and internationally. Prior to joining LifeNet, she established a local neurological rehabilitation program in Denver, Colorado for a large national corporation. Maggie holds a degree in Neuroscience from Regis University. She also earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Texas Woman’s University and an MBA from Regis University, where she is Affiliate Faculty.

Michael L. Spraggins Jr.
Founder, Board Chair

Michael Spraggins is CEO of Spraggins Inc., a builder services company based in Orlando, Florida. He has held principal roles in a variety of entrepreneurial and investment ventures with an emphasis on distribution, service and franchising. Michael founded LifeNet in 2009 with the vision of making quality healthcare an enduring reality for the world’s poor.