Andrew Agassi appointed Brass for Africa’s new Chief Operating Officer
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year and to tell you about some exciting developments at Brass for Africa (BfA) in 2023!
Last year, 2022, was an incredible year for Brass for Africa. Among many other achievements, we worked regularly with 2,000 young people and delivered over 4,000 music and life-skills sessions!
2023 is shaping up to be even busier, and as we launch our new five-year strategy focusing on social impact through music, alongside fulfilling musical potential, we have been actively developing our team so that we are fit and ready for this busy and bright future.
To this end, I am delighted to announce that our current Uganda Country Director, Andrew Agassi, has accepted the offer to step up into the new Chief Operating Officer role at Brass for Africa.
Andrew will widen his responsibilities to play a key part in charity-wide decision-making and governance, shaping the development and delivery of the organisation’s strategy.
Andrew is East African; he comes from Kisumu in Kenya. He initially joined BfA in 2017 in a management support and consultancy role before becoming our Country Director in 2018 and now the COO in 2023.
Andrew is an exceptional leader, he leads by example and with empathy and has made an impressive and significant impact focusing on our operations, systems and organisational development. The whole BfA team and I are excited about this new appointment and wish Andrew every success in his new role.
Andrew’s promotion has resulted in the need for another senior position in our Uganda operation and I am delighted to report that Ronald Kabuye has been appointed as our new Programmes and Admin Manager.
Ronald epitomises the opportunities available through music and BfA. I first met Ronald as a 14-year-old trombone player in 2009 at the M-Lisada Children’s Home. Ronald was one of the very first to undergo our in-house teacher training programme and became one of our first Music and Life-Skills teachers.
Ronald always dreamed of studying law, and through BfA and our supporters, this dream came true. Ronald was sponsored through university, and he graduated in 2021 with a law degree!
When we launched the LAB UGANDA and Community Music Programme in the Bidibidi refugee settlement in October 2021 Ronald became the project manager leading our team in Northern Uganda. Ronald excelled in his role there and he was the natural choice for us to take on this challenging and vital new role in Kampala.
This healthy movement towards an all-African-led organization has created further promotion opportunities and positions of increased responsibility throughout the Brass for Africa team and I continue to be impressed and inspired by their commitment to, and belief in, creating brighter futures for our many beneficiaries and partners.
Jim Trott
Founder & Executive Director