Rural Action Board Members
Bruce McCubbin - President
Bruce McCubbin is a social worker who has been providing counselling to the residents of Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario for the past 32 years. This included 7 years as the Youth/Family Counsellor at the Family Service Agency and 25 years as an Addictions Therapist at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. Although he has been a member of various boards & committees of social service organizations in the Chatham-Kent area, his main professional focus has been on individual therapy for those suffering from emotional turmoil. Bruce is married & has raised two children; the youngest is just finishing university. Bruce enjoys travelling & has visited 18 countries on 4 continents.
Sudha Ayalasomayajula - Vice President
Sudha Ayalasomayajula is a graduate of Western University Canada. She obtained a BSc., Medical Sciences, French Literature. Sudha has visited rural areas in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and India on medical service missions where she witnessed the vast disparity in the standard of living between the rich and poor. She stands by the belief that everyone should have access to the basic necessities for a healthy life and works towards this goal on Rural Action International.
Rodah Namwalizi Lester - Secretary/Treasurer
Rodah Namwalizi is a community development worker with a long experience in Southern Africa. She has initiated two Rural Women’s Associations and been a founding member of a Credit Union. With four years service on the board of Riverdale Cooperative Homes she turned her attention to the establishment of Rural Action International in 2008. Rodah was born in Zambia and has lived in Tanzania, Mozambique and Canada. As author of Cassava Is The Root, she presents a case study of community development highlighting the organization & empowerment of women based on the production, transformation and preparation of food. Rodah has college diplomas in Co-operative Development and Co-operative Accounting. Rodah is married and has raised three sons and a daughter.
Holly Earl-McCubbin - Director
Holly Earl-McCubbin has a Master Degree in Social Work (Clinical) and has been providing services to the residents of Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario for the past 35 years. This included 25 years as the Social Worker at the Mental Health Clinic in Chatham, Ontario. Holly has been a member of various boards & committees of social service organizations in the Chatham-Kent area, has worked on family violence issues, and has extensive experience with family counseling, sexual abuse and aboriginal communities.
Mbaka Wadham - Director
Mbaka Wadham, is currently the Chair of the London Black History Coordinating Committee. She holds the position of Women's HIV/AIDS Community Development Coordinator at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection. Mbaka has a background in social sciences and has an MA in Anthropology, having conducted research which explored the impact of HIV/AIDS on families in Lusaka, Zambia. Locally, Mbaka has contributed to efforts within the London community with memberships in various associations such as the Fugitive Slave Chapel Preservation Project (FSCPP), All Our Sisters, and the Stop Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee.
Justine Katz - Director
Justine Katz is a fundraiser in the youth employment field. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from York University as well as Fundraising Management Certificate from Ryerson University. Justine has worked with a number of charities in Toronto that focus on helping vulnerable and disadvantaged populations acquire the skills, tools, and resources they need to become self-sustaining. She came to Rural African International so that she can help communities in developing countries in the same way.
Musaba Chailunga - Director
Musaba Chailunga is a Senior Programmer Analyst at Telus Health Solutions in Toronto. He strongly believes in contributing to communities where he belongs and as a result has held numerous leadership positions including Chairman of the Zambia Canadian Foundation and Zambia Diaspora Connect in a volunteer capacity. He is highly motivated by those who dedicate themselves to social justice and poverty alleviation. He is also the author of Object Oriented Development in Africa, a methodology he developed and believes can offer sustained social and economic development in Africa.