Okosisi Willis

Windle Trust International

Windle Trust International (WTI) challenges poverty and inequality by expanding access to and improving the quality of education and training, for communities affected by conflict, displacement, neglect or discrimination. WTI is dedicated to reducing inequalities in access to high quality education for these communities, particularly for women and girls. We have a specific focus on increasing access to education for conflict-affected communities seeking to reach children and young people who have been forced to flee or who have been denied education because of the chronic marginalisation that so often accompanies conflict. Our ability to work in insecure and unpredictable areas is one of our distinctive features. We have a geographical focus on East Africa and the Horn of Africa. With offices in Sudan, South Sudan and the UK, we combine local knowledge and expertise with international contacts and a global perspective. This is especially important in our scholarships programme, where we work in partnership with some of the UK's outstanding universities to provide opportunities for access to world-class teaching institutions. Reflecting our values we work across the breadth of the education sector from primary schools to the tertiary sector. Our commitment is to work with communities in all their diversity – girls and boys, refugees and citizens, teachers and school management committees. We are flexible in the way we work and have a breadth of talent to draw on. Where it is the most appropriate option, we are able to work at community level to make sure that projects are on track. At other times, we will operate at a policy level, seeking to shape the broader context or drawing attention to issues that we think are important, but too often neglected. Whatever the project, we will implement it to the best of our ability.