Honorary Research Fellow and retired Senior Lecturer at Queen Margaret University (QMU), first visited STEKA in Malawi in 2016. Inspired by the knowledge, capability, energy and vision of Godknows and Helen Maseko (STEKA’s founders and parents) as well as the high self-esteem, ambitious and positive outlook of the STEKA young people, she started to campaign to support the STEKA vision to build a Centre for Vocational Skills and Community Enterprise. STEKA residents Sandra Ndale and Abigail Maseko lived with Emma and her family for 6 months each so they could train at QMU with filmmaker Walid Salhab to get poverty experienced people's voices heard. Gift Thompson lived with her family for 5 years whilst he completed his QMU education on a fee waiver basis. In her academic life, Emma specialises in Critical Dialogue for social justice, and co-produced the unique STEKA Dialogue Groups with a team of young people from the STEKA home - including Sandra, Abigail and Gift.

Helen is one of STEKA's inspirational founders and parent. 

She is mother and role model for the 100+ children living at the STEKA home and a strong role model for women learning at the STEKA Centre and beyond.

She has completed a qualification as a Trainer of Trainers in Gender Based Violence and Mental Health Programming for women and girls and in Climate Change Awareness. Helen travels widely in Central Malawi training in these areas but also teaching women how to make fertiliser, soap, lotion and tree planting to earn an independent income. 

Alongside Helen, Godknows is also STEKA's inspirational founder and parent to 100+ children living at the home.

He is the CEO of the STEKA Vocational Skills Centre and also sits on the board of several organisations aimed at childcare and education. His community outreach activities focus on working with the community about the advantage of taking disabled children to hospitals and to school; the disadvantage of sexual initiation ceremonies for both girls and boys; men having to understand the role of  women as more than a housewife, and girls having a voice, particularly to speak out when they are abused to 'break the silence'. His role as Chairman of the Catholic Men Association of Blantyre Archdiocese has given him real opportunities to work with a wide range of men beyond the communities surrounding the Vocational Skills Centre. 

A retired nurse practitioner with experience of working in general practice, the third sector and the Scottish Government. Her particular interests are in inequalities in health, health literacy and strengthening the links between general practice and communities.

Part of a Malawian diaspora group in Edinburgh, her PhD is based on the experiences of young and marginalised groups in Malawi (and she works with NGOs in African countries and Scotland).

Gemma is a Philanthropy and Institutional Partnerships Manager at Mary's Meals, with over 15 years of experience in relationship management, strategic partnership building, fundraising and project management.​ She has a passion for indigenous and minority rights and finds our critical dialogue work truly inspirational.