Our Amazing team

Meet the exceptional humans who make it all happen at International African School.  It’s their Dedication to Education that Propels Our Mission Forward.

FOunder – Odilia Anyachi Okonga

Holds a degree in Agribusiness Management and is passionate about amplifying African voices in Education. She is a published author of Swahili Grammar books in English, French, Dutch, and German, and continues to document and develop resources for Discovering Africa in the classroom. She organizes cultural and Safari tours for groups and students to East Africa where they get to immerse in the Swahili and African culture physically.

Odilia is a substitute teacher in The Netherlands where she showcases the Discovering Africa Program in both primary and Secondary school classrooms.

Her vast work experience at a UN organization makes her easily accommodate people of all cultures. She is also a motivational speaker and co-founder of KAAAL, www.kaaal.org

The advisory team

In the Spirit of Ubuntu, Odilia does not do everything alone. She has a team of extra-ordinary experienced people on her advisory team who help her achieve the goals of International African School.

Holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies from Tilburg University and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Political Science from Stockholm University. His research interests encompass development politics, migration, Diaspora transnationalism, civil society-state relations, digital citizenship, and decoloniality.

He has been a member of the Commission on Development Cooperation (COS) of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs (AIV) for the Dutch Government.

Studied British and North American History, African Studies, and English Studies at the University of Cologne. She has a Ph.D. in the International Research Group “IRTG 1864 Diversity” at the University of Trier, focusing on the construction and representation of Blackness in Canadian cities from 1960 to 1990. Her academic interests span Black Feminism, Africana Womanist, Postcolonial Studies, and Critical whiteness. 

Njeri is actively engaged in anti-racism efforts and serves on the University of Köln’s Referat for Gender and Diversity Management and is also a Board member of Klima Freunde in Germany.

A trained Early Childhood educator with 20 years of experience teaching Public and private schools, grades preschool to 3rd grade, in the United States of America. Grace also has a master’s degree in Education as a reading specialist. 

She has skills in Curriculum Development & Design; Differentiated instruction in the classroom, Multiple intelligence learning centers in the classroom, and collaborative groups of learners in the classroom.

Grace’s diverse interests, including linguistics, literature, creative writing, and photography, reflect her multifaceted contributions to the school’s mission.

Born in Suriname, Caribbean/South America, she pursued her academic journey in music pedagogy, performing arts, and musicology across the Netherlands, Jamaica, and Ghana. Her extensive education forms the foundation of her artistic and cultural contributions.

She also serves as a Producer, contributing to both national and international organizations like Naks (National African Culture Suriname), IHIB (Online Institute for Hebrew Israelite Awareness), CS (Suriname Conservatory of Music) and LMPA (Lisibeti Music Performing Arts)