Carole Avande Houndjo is a linguist of African languages and an advocate and activist for the right to education for youth and adults. She has coordinated the literacy and translation programme of the NGO Wycliffe in Benin for more than 10 years. Since 2014, Carole has been the coordinator of the Pamoja West Africa Network. The Pamoja West Africa Network has members from 15 countries in Africa that promote the REFLECT approach. Pamoja works to strengthen the capacities of civil society organisations to improve the quality of education in Africa. In addition to this, Pamoja promotes and advocates for the right to education of youth and adults in Africa.

David Harrington has worked in the field of education and adult education for the past 30 years, previously as Regional Director for DVV International in Southern Africa. He is Project Manager of the African Continental Project and MOJA Adult Education Platform, and assistant editor of the MOJA Journal of Adult Education. He has worked extensively with African networks and other stakeholders in helping to establish an enabling environment for adult education, especially in Southern Africa, including the development of policies, strategies and curricula. His interests include promoting and working with communityresponsive education that recognises the value and contribution of non-formal education to community development.

Ivor Baatjes is the Executive Director of the Canon Collins Trust, with more than 30 years’ experience in the post-school education and training sector, spanning senior leadership, research, and policy roles. He has served on several ministerial and departmental reference groups and task teams, including those on qualifications for adult educators, community learning centres, and community education and training. Ivor was previously the Director of the Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training, Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. He co-hosted the National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Community Adult and Worker Education and chaired the Education Policy Consortium. His research interests include the solidarity economy and its relationship to community-driven food, health, water, and energy systems; adult and community education; higher education; workers’ education; and learning in social movements. He served as editor of Learning for Living: Towards a New Vision for Post-School Learning in South Africa (HSRC Press, 2018) and has authored book chapters, journal articles, and research reports.

Rebecca Nthogo Lekoko is a Full Professor, andragogue, researcher, author, and academic leader committed to lifelong learning, social empowerment, and human dignity. Her work promotes inclusive, rights-based, and participatory approaches to community development. A respected scholar, she has published widely on lifelong learning, ageing and community empowerment. Her notable works include Entrepreneurial Seniors: The Role of Out of School Education and Training (OSET); Beyond the Rhetoric of Empowerment: Speak the Language, Live the Experience of the Rural Poor; Economic Empowerment for Older Adults, Lifelong Learning for Africa’s Older Adults, Critical Humanistic Pedagogy in Adult Basic Education, and Enlivening Botswana’s Vision of Inclusive Economic Development Through Government Economic Empowerment Initiatives: Sham or Reality for Older Adults? Through her research, publications, and community engagement, she continues to advance inclusive, transformative, and lifelong learning for individuals and communities.

Dr Chiraz Kilani is a Full Professor of Science Education at the University of La Manouba, Tunisia, and former Director General of the Higher Institute of Education and Continuing Training (ISEFC) at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientifi c Research (2020–2024). She is an international expert in adult education, curriculum development, teacher training, and educational leadership, with extensive experience across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Holding a PhD in Science Education from Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University (France) and a postdoctoral qualification in Educational Sciences from the University of Tunis, she has led numerous national and international projects on professional development of teachers, curriculum innovation, and lifelong learning. She has collaborated with UNESCO, DVV International, AUF (University Agency of the Francophonie), and several Ministries of Education on initiatives in curriculum design, adult literacy, and education quality assurance. Her expertise focuses on adult education and lifelong learning, particularly on empowering educators, trainers, and community leaders through participatory and innovative approaches. She co-developed innovative methodologies such as the Semio-Didactic Approach in adult education, and continues to contribute as a researcher, trainer, and consultant for institutions and organisations worldwide. Chiraz is also a certified Lead Auditor ISO 21001:2018 and holds international certifications in education quality assurance, reflecting her engagement in promoting accountability and excellence in education systems.

Twine Hannington Bananuka is Head of the Education Directorate at God of Wonders Yahweh Ministries International Church in Kyanja, Kampala, Uganda. He recently took early retirement from Makerere University, where he served as Senior Lecturer and formerly as Dean of the School of Distance and Lifelong Learning. He holds a Master’s degree and PhD in Adult and Community Education from Florida A&M University, USA, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, respectively. His teaching and research interests include adult education and socio-economic transformation, community development, post-qualitative research methods, and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. His church ministry also includes pastoral care to prisoners at Luzira Prison, Kampala.

Mae Fastner currently serves as Regional Director for West Africa at DVV International, overseeing programmes and partnerships in several countries of the region, including Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. She holds a Master’s degree in public administration and for many years has worked in organisational development in the education sector, supporting partner organisations in strengthening governance, management structures, and institutional capacities. She strongly believes in cross-continental collaboration, grounded in her experience that many countries face similar challenges and can benefit from shared learning.

Dr Johann Heilmann is a German political scientist and development cooperation expert who earned his PhD for a thesis analysing the role of Botswana in the Namibian liberation struggle against South African apartheid occupation. He has over a decade of experience in Adult Learning and Education (ALE) and international development. He joined DVV International in 2017, where his work has focused on strengthening sustainable structures for adult education and lifelong learning in various countries. Johann currently serves as the Regional Director for Southern Africa at DVV International, and is based in Malawi. He previously served as Regional Director for Southeast Asia. His earlier experience includes working in media development with the training institute of Germany’s international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle Akademie.