Welcome

Last week we welcomed two new Carbon Projects Officers into the team to help manage the growing portfolio of projects that CO2balance are implementing. Both Antonis and Ethan completed their masters degrees at Edinburgh University and come to us full of knowledge on all things carbon. New members joining the team is always an exciting time for both old and new alike and we can’t wait to see what fresh ideas they bring to the company.

Over the coming weeks and months I am sure you will get to know them more as they begin to pick up their own projects as well as contributing to the blog but until then I hope you will join us in welcoming them to the CO2balance family!

Introducing Moses Maina, Project Development Coordinator

For those of you who have been following our blog you will be aware that we have been recruiting for a new role within the company, to be based in Nairobi, Kenya. After some tough decisions we have made our choice and it gives me great pleasure to introduce Moses Maina to you as our new Project Development Coordinator.

Moses is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Development Studies having already obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies (Community Development) from Kenyatta University. For the last 3 years he has worked for the Centre of Governance and Human Rights (CGHR) based at Cambridge University as a Research Consultant. Prior to that Moses had worked for the German International Cooperation (GIZ) where he supported development of a renewable energy project promoting Akut biogas technology and energy saving stoves as a project supervisor. In his spare time Moses works as a Volunteer Project Assistant with the Nairobi Disabled Empowerment Programme, helping to raise funds and coordinate their activities.

His passion for sustainable environmental conservation & management developed about five years ago when he saw weather conditions becoming very unpredictable and changing for the worst, farm produce dwindling every season due unreliable rainfall patterns, drought affecting areas that were known to be wet almost the whole year round, rising atmospheric temperatures and many more – all these as a result of the global menace; climate change. Knowing well that most of these have been caused as a result of anthropogenic activities, Moses is very much determined to be part of the process that seeks to reduce greenhouse gases from the atmosphere thus save the world for both the current and coming generations.

Moses: “I am very much pleased to officially join the co2balance team as the Project Development Coordinator in Kenya. I am hopeful that I will effectively work together with the rest of the team and thus bring positive change to the company and the world.”

Left to Right: Catherine Ruhiu ‘HR and Finance Coordinator’; Moses Maina ‘Project Development Coordinator’ and Charles Ruto ‘Construction, Maintenance & Logistics Manager’

I hope you will all join us in welcoming Moses to the team!

Jambo!

Having been in Nairobi for about a week now I can safely say that the weather here is much nicer than back in the UK, but I’m not here to get a winter suntan! The main aim of my trip is to interview and select someone for the role of Project Development Coordinator to be based in our Nairobi office.

This is an exciting position that places the lucky candidate at the nexus between operations in the UK and Kenya with the responsibility of managing staff across all our projects in the country. Having concluded the first round of interviews via Skype while in the UK, I spent the majority of my first week here conducting face-to-face interviews with the 6 shortlisted candidates. As was to be expected, the level of applicants was very high, each bringing their own unique combination of skills and experience. While a good problem to have, this makes selecting one over all the others a difficult choice to make!

Keep watching this space as we will unveil our new Project Development Coordinator in the coming weeks……….

New Year, New Faces

The new year not only brings new stoves to families in Rwanda but also a new colleague into our Nairobi office. The deadline for applications closed on the 1st of January 2014 and the level of applications has been very high. Keep following to see who will be unveiled as our new Project Development Coordinator…..