Our People

Alex is Co-CEO of Restless Development.  Her career spans over 20 years of experience in international development, with particular expertise in global campaigns, working at WaterAid, Save the Children, Comic Relief, and the Global Campaign for Education. 

Until 2021, Alex was Restless Development’s Director of Strategy, spearheading a comprehensive strategy development process. Her leadership was instrumental in the formation and growth of the Youth Collective and Youth Power initiatives for the agency.

Alex holds a Degree in Geography, and Masters in Education and International Development, specializing in qualitative and participatory youth research.
Outside of work, Alex can be found in North London with her wife and kids – seeking out adventures and often dancing.

Kate Muhwezi, serving as one of Restless Development’s Co-CEOs, embarked on her career with the organization as a volunteer in Uganda back in 2001, shortly after earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography with Maths from the University of London. Since joining Restless Development.

Kate has held various roles across the organization, including in programs, finance, people, and operations, culminating in her appointment as Co-CEO in August 2021.

With the first half of her career spent in Uganda, Kate returned to the UK in 2013. In her spare time, Kate supports a local school as a finance governor, relaxes by reading (mostly cheesy romance) novels, and to keep her endorphins topped up enjoys singing with the Rock Choir each week.

Yande Kalengo serves as the Power Shifting Director at Restless Development. With an unwavering passion for shifting power, Yande has over seven years experience in international development with a focus on gender, women’s rights, and youth programming within Zambia.

Yande is a feminist, activist, and lawyer, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Oxford Brookes University and a Master’s in International Law from the University of Westminster. She serves on the advisory board of Strong Minds, an organisation addressing the mental health crisis among women in Zambia.

Yande Kalengo’s leadership at Restless Development and her active participation in various initiatives underscore her dedication to creating a more equitable and just society. In her leisure time, Yande can be found embarking on travel adventures, taking photos or indulging in the art of baking

Natalie Agboeze, the Strategic Partnerships Director at Restless Development, has been a part of the organization since 2016. She brings to her role a wealth of leadership experience, with exceptional skills in strategic planning, management, monitoring, evaluation, and research.

She has strong staff management experience, having managed large teams, global teams, and large project consortia. Embracing a feminist leadership style.

Natalie is committed to nurturing, coaching, and fostering positive relationships, enabling individuals to achieve their utmost potential. Her passion for community-led action and youth leadership drives her professional endeavors, aligning perfectly with the energetic and impactful mission of Restless Development.

Natalie finds joy outside of work by growing vegetables in any container or pot she can squeeze into her garden, and likes to get creative by painting and printing. 

Al, Senior Business Development Director at Restless Development, oversees the agency’s diverse income streams, including institutional funding, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships and sponsorships, major donors, events fundraising, individual giving, and the communications function.

With 18 years of experience in development, spanning programs, partnerships, business development, and communications, Al brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role. His role focuses on enhancing income quality, generating more flexible funding, and elevating Restless Development’s external profile among partners and supporters. 

Al has 2 young children, so can usually be found in South London carrying a bike, 2 scooters and 8 croissants. He also hosts a monthly radio show on LoveWillSaveTheDay.fm

Rosanne is Restless Development’s Influencing Director. She has around 15 years of experience both as an activist and professional working in politics, policy, campaigning and advocacy, with particular expertise in UK and UN government relations. 

Joining Restless as Head of Policy and Practice in 2016, Rosanne has also served as UK Director and in that time has led UK and global campaigns and advocacy, research, global programmes and communications as well as unrestricted fundraising. 

Rosanne finds her motivation in working with young people to demand and win change. She holds an MA in Applied Human Rights from the University of York and is studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Crisis Communications.

Rosanne can usually be found stomping around the fields outside of her house with her husband and two little boys or challenging herself to lift in the gym

Candie Cassabalian, the Regional Director at Restless Development, has been a key member of the organization since 2018. Initially serving as the Hub Director in Zambia.

Candie transitioned to her regional role in 2021, where she plays a pivotal part in supporting and managing the performance of Hubs in collaboration with National Boards. Her responsibilities also include providing strategic inputs to the Global Agency, mentorship, and resource mobilization.

With over 20 years of professional experience in the development sector, Candie has dedicated much of her career to youth development, working with various United Nations Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Beyond her professional life, Candie is passionate about studying new languages; she loves to learn about history; and enjoys organizing family holidays to embark on new adventures with her children.

Sunil Mahawar, Co-Finance & Operations Director at Restless Development, has been a vital part of the team since 2015. As a qualified Chartered Accountant, he brings over 17 years of global experience in strategic planning and operations, financial management, risk-based auditing, and compliance to the agency.

In his role, Sunil is responsible for leading the financial performance of Restless Development, ensuring the agency’s financial management, planning, efficiency, transparency, and accountability across all global units.

Before joining Restless Development, Sunil had a distinguished career with several prominent national and international organizations, including WaterAid, Aga Khan Foundation, and AccountAid India.

Nikita Khanna is the Head of Impact and Learning at Restless Development, and has been an integral part of the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team since 2018. In her role.

Nikita oversees the delivery and impact of the agency’s strategies and programs, focusing on program quality, and the documentation and dissemination of evidence and learning to advocate for youth-led development. She has dedicated extensive efforts towards advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for young people, ensuring non-discriminatory access to these essential services.

Nikita is a fervent supporter of involving youth in decision-making processes and underscores the significance of evidence-based solutions to overcome developmental challenges. When not at work, Nikita enjoys traveling to the mountains, catching sunsets and collecting postcards.

Charity is the Head of People, Safety and Wellbeing. She is dedicated to youth development, with over 15 years of experience in organizational development, people management, and leadership training. Her career has been a consistent pursuit of empowering young people to become leaders, both within organizations and academic settings.

Charity’s track record showcases her ability to lead teams, develop and implement impactful programs, and drive positive organizational change. She possesses a keen expertise in crafting and implementing systems, policies, and strategic plans that have demonstrably yielded significant performance improvements.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Charity fosters a deep passion for the well-being of  professionals. She champions the creation of safe, nurturing environments that enable individuals to flourish and reach their full potential.
When she is not working Charity spends her time being chauffeur to her 2 young daughters to various after school activities.

Sachin Saini, the Senior Compliance Manager at Restless Development, has been an integral part of the Operations team since 2011. In his current role, Sachin oversees the agency’s risk management, quality assurance framework, internal audit, and data and cyber security protocols on a global scale.

Before stepping into his current position, Sachin contributed significantly to various departments within the organization, including Finance, Administration, People, and Programme Quality.

Sachin is driven by a desire to expand his knowledge of Indian law and compliance within the corporate and development sectors. He dedicates his free time to volunteer work, actively engaging with municipal councilors, legislative assembly members, and others to advocate for local issues affecting his community

Primrose Nanchani Manyalo, Senior Youth Collective Manager at Restless Development, brings over a decade of international experience in building networks, youth engagement, policy, advocacy, financing, and governance. She spearheads the Youth Collective, directing the strategic engagement of over 4,000 youth civil society organizations across 187 countries.

She also leads the We Lead initiative, the largest sexual rights program at Restless Development, which operates across nine countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Africa, and Central America. Primrose has been instrumental in developing the agency’s advocacy and campaign strategies, successfully leading global campaigns on education, livelihoods, sexual rights, and the Global Goals. 

Caleb Masusu, as the Voice & Democracy Manager at Restless Development, is at the forefront of empowering young voices to create just, sustainable, and democratic futures worldwide. With a background of over seven years in Global and National advocacy and policy influencing, Caleb plays a crucial role in ensuring that youth perspectives are heard and considered by decision-makers.

He leads the organization’s flagship project, Democracy Moves, a global network dedicated to promoting democracy and governance, demonstrating his adeptness in managing complex global programs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and a Masters degree in Public Health Policy and is committed to integrating youth power and global health equity. 

Caleb is passionate about agriculture. On any given day, he is likely to be found tending to his pine tree plantation. He would like  to plant 10, 000 pine trees by 2030.

Linus Katonto, the Country Director at Restless Development in Tanzania, is a Certified Public Accountant with a comprehensive background in financial analysis, financial management, project management, strategic planning, and organizational change.

Linus holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree from the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) in Tanzania, obtained in 2008 and 2012, respectively, and a Diploma of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) from the National Board of Auditors and Accountants in Tanzania, achieved in 2021.

With extensive experience in financial controls and management, capacity building, project and financial auditing, and risk management, Linus has worked with a wide array of national and international institutions, donor communities, private, and government institutions.

Gabriel, the Hub Director for Restless Development Uganda brings extensive experience in leadership, strategic planning, and communications/media management to the organisation. Gabriel is deeply committed to guiding the Uganda hub in its strategic development, with a particular emphasis on prioritizing young people in the organization’s mission and activities.

With a background that encompasses law, media, consultancy, and parliamentary journalism, Gabriel has a rich and diverse skill set. His experience as a media practitioner and talk show host has enabled him to engage effectively with a wide range of audiences, providing insightful and accurate information on current affairs. Gabriel is driven by a passion to leverage his skills and experience to contribute to positive change.

Farai Muronzi is a development practitioner with over 20 years of experience in youth leadership, programme management, monitoring & evaluation and research. With eight years of senior management experience, Farai has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic planning capabilities.

Farai’s professional journey has taken him across four Sub-Saharan African countries—Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe—where he has led youth programmes that address key development challenges. His work has covered a diverse set of themes such as Sexual Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Social Accountability, Civic Participation, Youth Leadership, and Livelihoods.

In his free time, Farai immerses himself in his love for agriculture, focusing on refining his expertise in greenhouse cultivation and pig farming

Chanda Chisenga, Director for Restless Development Zambia has 18 years of experience in implementing meaningful youth engagement programming.
In her role within the global leadership team, Chanda is a key figure in defining the strategic direction and vision of Restless Development.

As the leader of the Zambia Hub, she manages strategic operations, leading a diverse team of 50 staff members, coordinating 300 volunteers, and engaging an extensive network of over 500 alumni. Her leadership is pivotal in integrating youth-led engagement principles throughout the organization. 

Chanda’s dynamic approach to leadership and her hands-on advocacy efforts have made significant strides in promoting youth-led development within local governments. Chanda is passionate about horticultural, outside work she is tending to her indoor and outdoor plants as well as a variety of fruit trees. She dreams of expanding this endeavor on a larger scale one day, an aspiration fueled by her profound love for all things nature.

Development Sierra Leone, brings over 13 years of invaluable experience in program management, systems strengthening, and strategic leadership.

His journey with Restless Development has seen him make significant contributions in Zimbabwe and Uganda, highlighting his versatility and commitment to the organization’s mission across different regions. 

Lesley loves cooking on fire. Most weekends, he can be found barbecuing alongside his two children and wife, or preparing Zimbabwean specialties.

A strong advocate for youth-led development, Naval has dedicated his professional career to initiating and guiding youth-driven solutions that significantly influence development outcomes across various sectors while collaborating with a wide spectrum of national and international organizations, including engagements with the Government of India.

Before his tenure at Restless Development in leadership positions for the past 8 years, Naval, for a decade, held pivotal roles in several renowned organizations in India, such as Tata Trusts, UNICEF, Oxfam GB and PRADAN.

Apart from currently holding the position of India Country Director for Restless Development, Naval also serves on the National Governing Body of Sexual & Reproductive Health Right (SRHR) Alliance in India. He has also been nominated as ‘Global Champion for Girls Education’ by the Malala Fund.
Outside of work, Naval can be seen reciting and writing poetry on contemporary social issues.

Nalini, Regional Director at Restless Development, joined the agency in 2015 as the India Hub Director, since moved to a regional leadership position, where her responsibilities span across developing strategic partnerships in Asia, managing personnel and youth leaders, and ensuring financial and legal compliance.

As a Regional Director, her role is crucial in securing resources, elevating the profile of Restless Development, and representing the organization to government and international agencies, donors, and the corporate sector, always championing the organization’s values and vision.

Nalini is deeply passionate about youth-led development, addressing issues related to disability, and enhancing access to opportunities and resources for young girls.  When she’s off the clock, she enjoys playing the host, studying poetry and spend time with her pets and nephews