Maji Safi Group (MSG) is very excited to introduce the newest members of the MSG team.
Susan Waltisberg, Tanzania Program Manager
Susan is originally from Switzerland and worked as a Specialist in Business Organization for the last eight years at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Lucerne, Switzerland. Since July 2014, she has worked for INTERTEAM, a Swiss NGO, as a development worker. She joined the Maji Safi Group (MSG) team in September 2014. Susan will be supporting MSG with her knowledge in corporate development and administration until summer 2017.
Question: What interests you most about Maji Safi Group?
Susan’s answer: “To share knowledge. To learn from my colleagues and to support them in organizational tasks – to make it easier for them to concentrate on MSG’s core processes. I want to learn as much as possible about working and living in Tanzania.”
Raphael Kisasila Nsukuma, MS, Tanzania Accountant
Raphael Kisasila Nsukuma was born and raised at Lalago 
Village Maswa District in Simiyu Region. He received his Diploma in Accounting and Management from Cambridge University in 2002 and received his first degree in Accounting from St. August University of Tanzania in 2008. Currently, Raphael has completed his Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from Mzumbe University.Raphael worked with World Vision International as the Program Accountant from 2002-2005 with WASH Projects. He also worked with Africa Inland Church, Diocese of Shinyanga, from 2008- Sept 2014 as an accountant for Donor-funded Programs. In October 2014, Raphael joined Maji Safi Group in Shirati, Tanzania, as the organization’s Head Accountant.
Question: What do you bring to Maji Safi Group?
Raphael’s answer: “I expect to use my knowledge, experience and skills which will contribute positively to the growth of Maji Safi Group by ensuring that the accounting department is well organized, proper accounting systems are set, timely reporting is made, there is proper use of resources, and that budgeting and budgetary control are adhered to.”
Grace Goldstein, US Treasurer
Grace grew up outside of Washington, DC and did not stray far from home for college where she graduated with a B.S. in Architecture from the University of Virginia. While at UVA, she studied abroad in Falmouth, Jamaica, and Copenhagen, Denmark. After graduating, Grace moved back to DC and worked for a national construction company for two years. She decided to go back to school and is currently in her last year at Washington University in St. Louis in the dual MBA and Master of Architecture Program. She is focusing on social entrepreneurship and related architectural design. She took advantage of the travel opportunities in graduate school and studied in Barcelona, Japan, and she just returned from her first experience with Maji Safi in Shirati, Tanzania, in August.
Question: What goals do you personally have for Maji Safi Group?
Grace’s Answer: “I think MSG has amazing potential to impact not only the current population in Shirati, but also to change future generations’ trajectory through current education and outreach efforts.”
Matt James, MBA, Board Member
I have attempted to orient my career in a way that allows me to both generate value to the organizations I work with as well as to generate value to the communities in which I work. To this end, my career has encompassed financing of affordable housing, community development, education and renewable energy. As my career progresses, I hope to contribute new ideas and solutions to the problems that affect our society nationally and globally by creating and supporting sustainable businesses. I have a Master’s Degree in International Business and Bachelor’s in International Studies with a focus on international development.
Question: How is working with Maji Safi Group?
Matt’s answer: “I’ve had such a wonderful experience working with the team at Maji Safi. They remind me of the importance of action. In solving problems related to hygiene and clean water, Maji Safi is able to create tangible results in Shirati today, and their work will lead to a better tomorrow for the people it reaches. It can be daunting to tackle an issue as difficult as clean water, and many experts spend their days thinking about what to do – Maji Safi is doing it!”
Marissa Jaross, MPH, Board Member
With a background in public health and evaluation, Marissa is excited to bring her enthusiasm for social justice, responsible development, and WASH to Maji Safi Group. In addition to her Master of Public Health from George Washington University, Marissa holds a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. While at CU Boulder, she completed a study abroad program in the Balkans, studying civil society in a post-conflict region. During her time at George Washington University, she focused on Global Health Communication, allowing her to focus on healthy behavior change and organizational communication. For her master’s thesis, Marissa completed a communications evaluation and strategic plan for El Porvenir, a Colorado-based nonprofit operating water, sanitation and hygiene projects in Nicaragua. Currently, Marissa works at JVA Consulting as a Research and Evaluation Associate with social change organizations.
Marissa is a longtime volunteer food server with Bridge House in Boulder and sits on the International Affairs Committee for the annual Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Question: What interests you most about Maji Safi Group?
Marissa’s answer: “You’re doing it right! CHW model, full integration of Tanzanian staff, and an openness to new ideas!”
Margaret Fredrickson, MPA, Board Member
Originally from Oklahoma City, Margaret received her B.A. in Anthropology from Scripps College and an MPA, with a concentration on Humanitarian Relief, from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. While in college, she studied abroad in Brazil and Japan and later on worked in China and Ethiopia before settling down in New York City. Margaret is passionate about the transformative effect of philanthropy on individuals and has worked as a major gift fundraiser since 2006. She enjoys making an impact in her current role as a Major and Legacy Giving Officer for World Learning and lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.
Question: As a board member, what do you hope to contribute to Maji Safi Group?
Margaret’s answer: “My hope as a board member for MSG is not only to help improve the lives of the children and families in Shirati, but to work as a team on creating an operational and working model that can be replicated in other communities. Our goal is to eventually leave Shirati in the capable hands of locals and move on to other places where the MSG model is needed.”
Shelly Liposky, MBA, MS, Board Member
Shelly has 20 years of experience in Financial Services and Public and Private Education. She is a Director at Barclays PLC with global responsibility across the Corporate and Investment Bank and Wealth and Investment Management. She has extensive experience with business management, including financial and strategic planning, governance and controls, communications, and human capital management. Prior to her career in Financial Services, Shelly held leadership positions in public education where she led diverse schools in a high poverty area outside of Washington, DC, taught students with disabilities, and coached varsity sports. During her career in education, she achieved remarkable results by implementing and teaching the reading methodology now used by Read Write America, and she expanded the program across the school system of 130k students, increasing student performance and reducing costs.
Shelly earned a B.S. in Special Education from Penn State University, an M.S. in Education Management from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She sings in a contemporary choir and enjoys sports and music.
Question: Why is Maji Safi Group’s mission important to you?
Shelly’s answer: “Preventative healthcare is fundamental. I have a passion for education and much of what precludes learning is tied to unmet primary needs (food, shelter, clothing), and I would add clean water.”
Michelle Dunajcik, Maji Safi Group Fellow
Michelle, a St. Louis native, headed to the Deep South and received her Bachelor of Social Work from The University of Alabama in 2013. While at Alabama, Michelle decided to take a semester off and volunteer abroad with an orphan care ministry located just outside of Kampala, Uganda, for a little over seven months. It was during this time abroad that she realized her two passions for international travel and working for social change could intersect within a work environment if she was equipped with the right skills and knowledge. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in International Social and Economic Development. Along with Uganda, she has experience traveling and working overseas in Chile, Britain, New Zealand, and Japan, and she is looking forward to adding Tanzania to that list next year. Michelle is excited to join the Maji Safi team and begin working as the Social Work practicum student in the spring and summer of 2015.
Question: How did you get involved with Maji Safi Group?
Michelle’s Answer: “As I began my Social Work practicum search, a professor at Wash U told me about Maji Safi Group and lauded it as an organization with an incredible practicum opportunity for any student interested in social and economic development. After learning more about Maji Safi through their website and by talking to previous practicum students, I was hooked and began the application process. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with MSG both in St. Louis and in Tanzania this coming spring and summer.”
