Our Team
Our team is made up of forward-thinking individuals who use a visionary approach to identify challenges and create practical, lasting solutions. Together, we turn ideas into impact and drive positive change in the communities we serve.
Founder
Silvana Veltkamp
Founder
Silvana grew up in Italy, visited Somalia as a youth, and fell in love with her African brothers and sisters. Before she left Somalia, she put a handful of red dirt in her pocket and swore that she would come back someday. After many years of creating a family and career, including at the UNDP, she turned again to Africa. She had seen that a missing link in development was an education for the local people doing their own development. It could be said that without Silvana AFPF, URDT and ARU may not have ever been created. Priya Stuart has had a career as a commercial and editorial photographer over the last 50 years or so. He started working with Robert Fritz in the early 80’s at the house in Chelsea, and taught DMA for several years. His first visit to Uganda was in the mid 1980's with Han and Silvana, before URDT
Board
Patty Seybold
Board Chair
Patty is an ARU Council Member and AFPF Board Chair. She helped compile and edit the URDT Girls School Book, "It Takes a Child to Raise a Village." She has served on the Council for URDT’s African Rural University (ARU) since 2012. In addition to her volunteer work with AFPF and URDT, Patty is a consultant specializing in co-creating customer ecosystems with the participants, students, beneficiaries, or end-users of services as the design center.
Robert Fritz
Board Member
Robert Fritz is an accomplished, writer, director, composer, consultant, and teacher who has been developing the field of structural dynamics for over thirty years. His work in the areas of creative process and organizational, business, and management issues has garnered worldwide acclaim. Fritz has authored 8 books which have been translated into 15 languages, among these are Your Life As Art and Identity.
Stuart Cohen
Board Member
Stuart has had a career as a commercial and editorial photographer over the last 50 years or so. He started working with Robert Fritz in the early 80’s at the house in Chelsea, and taught DMA for several years. His first visit to Uganda was in the mid 1980's with Han and Silvana, before URDT moved to Kagadi.
Alec Marshal
Board Member
Alec Marshall has recently joined the AFPF Board. Alec and his wife, Jessica Boatwright, lived and worked at the URDT campus for two years while serving in the Peace Corps (2017-2019). “I have an engineering background, and everything is problem-solving, problem-solving, problem-solving. So, coming to URDT and seeing the creative process at work has been really enlightening.
Our Staff
Tatra Musheshe
Executive Director
Tatra is a Uganda Lawyer, she volunteered at the URDT Community Radio in 2000 and AFPF since 2019. She is now the AFPF Executive Director. Having experienced both worlds is relatable and helps her serve the rural communites in Uganda better. She recently earned her Master of Laws (LLM) at Northeastern University, in Boston, MA. Tatra has volunteered for the Boston Volunteers Lawyers Project and with MetroWest Jewish Family Services. She's a winning scholar to attend the University of Washington School of Law’s IP Institute in Seattle, USA.
Sophia Burke
Volunteer/Ambasaddor
Sophie is a volunteer for AFPF and she is developing system expertise so users don't have to.
Priyanka Sachdeo
Volunteer/Ambassador
Healthcare Management professional with experience in North American and International setting. Extensive management and administrative experience. Provided consultation services to medical clinics and doctors’ offices on various aspects of electronic health records (EHR), administrative efficiency, physician credentialing and effective medical billing practices.
Martha Dolben
ARU Council Member and AFPF Board Chair.
She helped compile and edit the URDT Girls School Book, "It Takes a Child to Raise a Village." She has served on the Council for URDT’s African Rural University (ARU) since 2012. In addition to her volunteer work with AFPF and URDT, Patty is a consultant specializing in co-creating customer ecosystems with the participants, students, beneficiaries, or end-users of services as the design center.