Founders
John Njendahayo
Co-Founder & Uganda Director
John is of Rwandese origin but was born and raised in Uganda. He was partly educated in Uganda but in 1992 John was given the opportunity to study at St David's College in Llandudno, North Wales. John returned to Uganda as often as he could during his studies and each time made significant progress on the house he was building for himself and his friends. In 1997 John graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in Human Geography and Economics.
On his final return to Uganda, John set up a centre in his new home, where young people could stay whilst volunteering with community projects. He has since welcomed countless teams into The Link Centre over the years.
In 2015, John established The Nkuru-Nziza Foundation, with the main objective “to mobilize and encourage the local community to be the captain of its soul and mind in ensuring a healthy and literate community that is well practiced in matters of environmental protection and conservation'“. This led John, through generous sponsorship, to develop a vocational and business training college, including a pre-school and primary school, in Bakijjulula Village near Mityana.
Rev. Tim Hall
Co-Founder & UK Director
Tim is an Anglican Minister in the Church of Wales and has been Chaplain of St David's College in Llandudno for over 30 years. He has a vision for enabling young people to experience living and sharing with some of the poorest communities in the world to help shape their mindsets before making important life-shaping decisions. He has been friend and mentor to John Njendahayo since 1992.
Tim is ‘versatile’ in his thinking and is open to the charity being used as widely as possible for the empowerment of people and communities. There have been opportunities in recent years to support the vulnerable with food during and post COVID, play a significant role in preparing communities across North Wales to welcome Ukrainians arriving as they flee from conflict, and partner with a number of organisations to increase its effectiveness in achieving the Objects of the Charity at home and overseas.
Key People
Helen Harrison
Projects Coordinator
As well as being Mayor of Thornbury, Helen coordinates many of our projects in Uganda alongside John. She works for the CRED Foundation and has years of experience leading teams to different locations around the world.
Her expertise in international leadership and organisation is invaluable to Link International.
alison foxall
Treasurer & dental outreach
Some people do jigsaws to relax and others do finance spreadsheets and we are blessed that Alison is one of the latter! She has looked after our finances for the last 10 years or so and works closely with our accountants to ensure all our figures match up the way they should and we are able to keep tabs on a daily basis plus produce our accounts annually.
Alison is also a dentist and has organised worked in field clinics in may parts of the world. She has been part of the team that has visited Uganda on many occasions and most recently organised and ran a field clinic in a remote village in SW Uganda.
JULIUS MUYOMBYA
LINK INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR IN UGANDA
Julius was brought up as an orphan in Uganda Shanty town. Supported by Link international, he was given the opportunity to move to the UK to study. Julius quickly exceeded all academic expectations and graduated with a 1st Class Degree in Business and Law from Bangor University.
After graduating he moved to Kampala Uganda, where he secured a Business Consultant role at a major Financial institution. After a few years with the company Julius has now moved to work for Christian Restoration Manchester (Uganda) in the hope of furthering the development of his local community. On-top of this extensive business experience, Julius is working as Link international ambassador in Uganda.
My life purpose is "to use my education as a shield to empower young people with new skills not only merely to survive, but to thrive and contribute to Social and Economic development of Uganda".
Zoe Calder
LINK INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR IN UGANDA
Zoe was educated at St David’s College in Llandudno and visited many times as a student on the Uganda Team visits. Catching the vision and the appeal of life in Uganda Zoe has made a number of extended visits until she moved to Kampala ‘permanently’.
She has taught in a number of local primary schools and international schools in and around Kampala. Zoe is a key member of our team on the ground in Uganda.