Meet Our Oxford Interns: Supporting TaC’s Mission in Kenya

Astrid Syvertsen and Janke Tolmay at St Mary's Girls High School in Lwak, Siaya County, Kenya.

This summer, Teach a Child – Africa (TaC) was delighted to welcome two volunteer interns from the University of Oxford to Kenya. Their visit marked an important step in strengthening our efforts to provide secondary education for talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Astrid Syvertsen and Janke Tolmay joined us to conduct an external evaluation of our programme — a thoughtful and independent review designed to help TaC continue growing in effectiveness, transparency, and impact.

Meet Astrid

Astrid's academic journey bridges anthropology, public health, and implementation science. She has been involved in several research projects on mental and psychiatric health and has volunteered with people living with a range of cognitive and physical disabilities. Her experience gives her a deep understanding of the human side of education — how emotional wellbeing, family background, and community support all play vital roles in a child’s success.

Meet Janke

Janke brings a strong background in global health and social epidemiology. She is currently completing her PhD in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at the University of Oxford. With over five years of experience in adolescent wellbeing, maternal and child health, and HIV research across sub-Saharan Africa, Janke brings a wealth of regional knowledge and practical insight into the challenges facing young people and families in the communities we serve.

What They Set Out to Do

Astrid and Janke's visit focused on reviewing TaC’s operations and assessing how effectively we are fulfilling our core mission. Their work included developing evidence-based recommendations on several key areas:

Programme efficiency – exploring how TaC can make the most of every pound donated to support as many deserving students as possible.

Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) transition – understanding how Kenya’s evolving education system impacts our scholars and partner schools.

Programme expansion – examining opportunities to grow our reach and support more students in Kenya.

Data protection compliance – ensuring that TaC continues to meet high standards of accountability and respect for personal information.

Their independent perspective helps us reflect, learn, and improve. By sharing their findings and insights, Astrid and Janke are helping to shape the next chapter of TaC’s journey — one that continues to empower talented young people to realise their full potential.