Our Team
The Simama Project is a Community Based Organization (CBO)in Nanyuki, Kenya.
The Simama Project’s on-the-ground work is guided by a community-based advisory council consisting of local leaders, social workers, education experts and former Simama Project students under the leadership of Founder and Executive Director Matt Orcutt.
The Simama Project is supported by Simama International, a California-based 501(c)3 organization as defined by the US Internal Revenue Service that identifies and supports innovative education-focused grassroots organizations working on the ground in developing countries.
Operations Team
Matt Orcutt
Founder
Matt is the Founder of the Simama Project and Executive Director of Simama International.
After graduating from UCLA, Matt spent several years in LA and San Francisco. It was a trip to Kenya in 2009 that inspired him to start the Simama Project. Currently he divides his time between San Francisco and Kenya. While in Kenya he oversees operations on the ground and in San Francisco he works closely with his Board of Directors and helps with fundraising. In his spare time he takes up the eternal search for the perfect burrito, following the San Francisco Giants, reading Shakespeare and spending time with his nephews.
Sophia Kitonga
Sophie Kitonga is a social worker and counselor.
She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Nairobi.
Sophie has been in the field of psychosocial services for 10 years now – both as an intern and an employee. She has worked with children from the streets of Nairobi. She worked with adolescent girls and young women in a gender project by USAID in Nairobi as a case worker and now works at Simama Project as a social worker and counselor.
Billy Mugo
Billy Mugo is a trained Social Worker and Counselor (Kobujoi Development Training Institute, Elder and the of University of Nairobi).
He comes to Simama with 24 years of experience in Community Development, child rights and protection, foster, adoption and guardianship and life skills training among other child & youth focused services under the auspices of the United nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the rights & the welfare of the child (ACRWC).
Billy’s other interests include gardening, environmental and horticultural farming activities.
Shannon Beck
Shannon joined the Simama Project as the Fundraising Manager in the summer of 2021. After meeting Matt through mutual friends, Shannon was inspired by Matt’s work and the impact the Simama Project has on the children and families it serves as well as on the larger community.
Shannon discovered her passion for fundraising in 2017. She began as a volunteer on the planning committee for Taste of Potrero, a 501c3 non-profit organization that raised money for public education in San Francisco. Shortly after joining the committee, Shannon took over the role of Head of Sponsorship. While in this role, Shannon generated new sponsors and grew the donations year over year.
Shannon enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing tennis and learning Spanish.
Esther Wainaina
Esther has a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Communication from the University of Nairobi.
Esther has been with us since early 2016. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Communication from the University of Nairobi. Esther first fell in love with Simama after volunteering with us for three months.
Esther loves working with the kids and loves the opportunity to grow and learn with the kids. Esther works with Simama as a counsellor and social worker.
Esther loves travelling, especially to the beach!
US Board of Directors
Chris Bennett
Chris is a long time friend of Matt’s and served as an advisor during the creation of the Simama Project.
After learning about Matt’s work on the Simama Project in 2012 and returning from travels across Africa and the Middle East, Chris jumped at the opportunity to help establish Simama International and manage the Board of Directors. He leverages his eight years of experience managing global programs at NGOs large and small to support Simama’s organizational development, strategic planning and fundraising. In his spare time, Chris enjoys playing with his American Bulldog puppy Layla, reading books on economics, watching any sporting event that is on TV and taking advantage of the many things to do in the Washington, D.C. area. Chris holds a BA in International Relations from UCLA and will complete his MA in International Policy at George Mason University in 2016.
Ryan Borcherdt
Ryan joined the board in 2015 after spending three months on the ground with Matt in Kenya experiencing first-hand the difference that Simama in making in the lives of Kenyan youth.
Having worked with small to medium sized businesses his entire career as both an investor and a small business owner, Ryan’s role is to continually improve the organization’s operational efficiency and procedures. Ryan enjoys playing soccer, fly fishing and backpacking whenever he has spare time. He graduated from UCLA with a BA in Business Economics and runs an organization that operates enrichment programs for children throughout the Bay Area.
Jarod & Rachel Griesbach
Rachel and Jarod met Matt and the Simama project while working in a medical clinic in Nanyuki, Kenya. Inspired by the difference Simama Project was making in the community, they ended up spending 6 months working with Matt and the kids, Rachel using her skills as a nurse and Jarod using his skills as a carpenter. They have since opened a local brewery in Red Deer, Canada that aims to give back to their community and abroad.
William Newsom
William joined the Board of Directors of Simama International to help establish the official structure of the organization and assist with development of the bylaws and articles of incorporation.
A college classmate of Matt’s, Will joined the board in 2012 after learning about Matt’s vision to grow Simama into a world-class charity and expand it reach to more youth in Kenya. Will leverages his legal background to help keep Simama compliant and transparent, and jumps in wherever he is needed to support Simama’s U.S. organization, from fundraising to copywriting. In his spare time, Will keeps up with local politics, reads science fiction, plays soccer, and works on his plan to one day own an asteroid mining company. Will graduated from UCLA with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Hastings College of the Law with a JD and currently works as a venture capital attorney at Cooley LLP.
Larisa Warhol
Larisa Warhol received her PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Arizona State University and her Master’s degree in International Development from George Washington University as well as her BA from Yale University. As a Core Fulbright Scholar in 2013, Larisa was a visiting professor at Auckland University of Technology.
Larissa has been a social entrepreneur for the past 8 years in East Africa and has been actively involved in developing Simama's programming in its Center of Worth.
Raélle Dorfan
Named Executive Director of the DRC in 2018, Raélle has been a dance artist and arts professional for nearly two decades.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Raélle studied various forms of dance and musical theater before immigrating to California, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the UCLA World Arts and Cultures Dance and Choreography Department. Raélle has been a teaching artist and choreographer at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles for a decade and prior to her role at the DRC, was Associate Director at Cadence Arts Network, Manager Director for Pentacle programs in Los Angeles and Education Director for RKDC at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. Raélle has performed at some of California’s most prestigious venues with Pacifico Dance Company and Fusion Dance Theater and served as judge and panelist for multiple performing arts programs and performances. Raélle serves on the Board of Directors for the Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, Fusion Performing Dance Academy in East LA and The Simama Project in Nanyuki, Kenya.
Kenyan Board of Directors
Jesse Kigotho
He is a happy volunteer with simama because of his passion and respect for education.
He has a Diploma in Education and has worked as a teacher for the last thirty years. He is a happy volunteer with simama because of his passion and respect for education; He is a husband and a father of two. His favorite food is choma and ugali. Jesse works hard to ensure that the project prospers.
Charles Mbuto
With over 10 years of teaching experience is currently the Academic Dean at Daraja Academy.
With over 10 years of teaching experience, Charles or “Mr. C” as he is referred to by his students, is currently the Academic Dean at Daraja Academy in Nanyuki, Kenya. Being a teacher and having lived in Nanyuki, Charles understood the need and saw the Simama Project and it’s mission as a great opportunity for local children. Charles hold a bachelor of science degree in Biology from University of Nairobi and currently pursuing a post‐graduate diploma in Education. He lives in Nanyuki with his wife and two daughters.
Victoria Gichuhi
Victoria Gichuhi is the Principal of Daraja Academy, whose role is to ensure all learning and activities that support secondary education are well coordinated.
Victoria Gichuhi is the Principal of Daraja Academy, whose role is to ensure all learning and activities that support secondary education are well coordinated. Since Simama’s inception, Victoria has worked closely with Matt in Kenya on consultative grounds. In the year 2013 she joined in as a member of Simama’s board of directors.
Victoria holds a degree in Education and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Business administration at Kenyatta University. Her passion is to change the world through children’s education.
Mohamed Adam Shaiya
Mohamed is passionate about Simama because we help rehabilitate kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to succeed in life.
A native of Kenya, Mohamed earned a degree in business finance from Ryerson University in Ontario Canada. He has worked in the film industry since 1996. Mohamed is passionate about Simama because we help rehabilitate kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to succeed in life. He loves to cook and owns one of the best restaurants in Nanyuki.