Our Team
Queen's Cottage Foundation
Mrs. Caroline Kego Laker is a Social Protection and Gender Specialist (Social Development Specialist) with over 30 years of project / programme management experience working with Government development programmes, and 15 years in Development Partner programmes at the Embassy of Ireland in Uganda.
Her areas of engagement are on social protection, governance and gender equality with a major focus on monitoring of policy, analytical and technical inputs to support the Government of Uganda in implementing the Expanding Social Protection Programme, aimed at putting forward a strong vision for a future multi-tiered social security system that includes expanded tax financed direct income support as well as a comprehensive social insurance system, both covering a range of risks across the lifecycle.
Ms. Laker spearheaded Justice Law and Order focused programmes, gender mainstreaming and responsive planning; gender audits including developing and coordinating gender-oriented advocacy and development, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development and Civil Society Organisations.
She led the establishment of the original gender equity budgeting at national, districts and with local authorities at the Embassy of Ireland, established and managed Gender Based Violence Programming with a focus on prevention and response. Caroline is married and has three children.
Joseph Nangole Lobot has held several mid-level and senior-level management positions in both national and international NGOs including Taso Uganda (dealing with HIV/AIDs), ZOA, FOC-REV Ministries and Acted- Uganda/Kenya Offices. He is experienced in HIV/AIDS work, agriculture, female genital mutilation and work with orphans and vulnerable children.
He is skilled in community mobilisation and sensitisation, problem solving and gender mainstreaming and facilitation of agriculture technical training at community level. He has hands on experience in community problem identification, analysis and action planning, facilitation of training in agronomic practices, business plan development, group dynamics and governance. He is excellent at human resources planning and management, financial management and written and verbal communication. He is a great team player and networker.
Mr. Joseph Nangole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Kampala International University, a post graduate diploma in Project Planning and management and a certificate in Administrative Law from Makerere University. He is fluent in two international languages (English and Kiswahili), and local languages spoken in his community in the Karamoja region.
Monica Emiru Enyou is the founder of Queen’s Cottage Foundation, an idea born out of her experience as a widow, as well as several years of working with vulnerable women and children, including orphans and those affected by female genital mutilation. Ms. Emiru Enyou has worked with government, the United Nations and civil society organisations in various capacities. She served the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU), as the Executive Director, building the agency of women and girls to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) in including promoting abandonment of FGM, increasing women’s economic participation and resilience and strengthening institutional frameworks for response to the rights of women and girls. She was a Programme Manager at Skills for South Sudan in Juba, building skills of government and civil society organisations on accountable delivery of services and upholding the rights of women through women’s participation is health service monitoring and governance accountability.
Monica served at UNICEF Uganda as a Social Policy Specialist leading support to the government of Uganda on developing and improving laws and policies that impact on the rights of children and women, and aligning national strategies and programmes to international normative frameworks. She was a Programme Officer at Action Aid Uganda working with communities on prevention of HIV and addressing associated challenges such as health, stigma, and addressing social and economic needs of single mothers, grandparent headed and child headed families. As a Sociologist at the Uganda Law Reform Commission, Monica led research on law reform processes for consideration of societal views and practices. She has served on boards including as a member of the Uganda Law Reform Commission, an institution that keeps under constant review the Acts and all other laws comprising of the laws of Uganda with a view to making recommendations for their systematic improvement, development, modernisation and reform. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Network, the Independent Development Fund and the Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA). Monica is a Social Scientist, holder of an MA in Development Studies majoring in Population and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague, the Netherlands.
Monica is a widowed, has three biological children and has fostered several others.
Ms. Jane Frances Adongo is a Social and Cultural Anthropologist with over 20 years’ experience in social research, development planning, policy and programme development with the social and Justice Sectors, working with both government agencies and Civil Society Organizations. She has provided leadership on the review of the Children Act and other social legislation in Uganda including the HIV and AIDS bill, the Domestic Violence Act, the Domestic Relations Bill and Traditional Justice Mechanism for dealing with war crimes and crimes against humanity among others in Uganda. Most of the studies have been undertaken countrywide to inform National Legislation Planning and Programming.
Ms. Adongo has undertaken varied in community engagements and sustainable development, conflict and conflict transformation, domestic violence issues and related legislation and spearheaded policy formulation and preparation projects for the Justice Law and Order Sector in Uganda. She has undertaken capacity building and programme development for civil society organizations and the Government Analytical laboratory in Uganda as well as the simplification and translation of the Constitution of Uganda and other subsidiary laws to enhance access to justice in Uganda. Jane has strong oral/written communication skills and ability to communicate at multiple levels and languages and the ability to build effective relationships with clients, peers and stakeholders and the ability to work independently even within a difficult work environment.
Esther Kyomugisha is a dedicated advocate for women's and girls' rights, serving as the Programs Coordinator at Queen's Cottage Foundation. With a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from Uganda and extensive experience in legal compliance, corporate advisory, and community mediation, she is committed to empowering women and girls through sustainable programs and strategic advocacy. Her legal expertise, leadership acumen, and dedication to social justice drive her mission to foster equitable opportunities and protect the rights of vulnerable communities.
Esther's work at Queen’s Cottage Foundation is built on the foundation she established during her time at Uganda Christian University under the Clinical Legal Education (CLE) program. Through this program, she gained hands-on experience in community legal interventions, mediation, and providing legal support to marginalized groups. This formative experience equipped her with the skills and insights necessary to effectively coordinate programs that address systemic gender inequalities and advocate for the rights of women and girls.
At Queen's Cottage Foundation, Esther leads initiatives aimed at promoting the rights and empowerment of women and girls. She designs and implements innovative programs that provide access to legal resources, mentorship, and community support. Her work is rooted in the belief that every woman and girl deserve the opportunity to achieve her full potential in a safe, equitable society.
Mrs. Josephine Lakot Pido is an Accountant with over 15 years hands-on experience in both audit and accounting environment. She has demonstrable skills in preparing Financial Statements as per the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, coordinating external audits and carrying out internal audit exercises as per the International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) for decision making.
Ms. Pido is adept in budgeting, budgetary control practices, accounting and reporting for both Profit and Not for profit organizations. Ms. Lakot Pido has had experience that has enabled her to specialize in accounting, administration, budgeting, financial management, financial reporting, fixed assets, payroll processing, reporting, risk management, cashflow, invoicing, inventory management, and tax planning.
She has strong leadership and management skills, with experience in leading teams where she served, such as at the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda and NUPAC and St. Mary’s Hospital, Lacor, Gulu. Josephine is married and is blessed with four children.
Joyce Alungat has served as a community volunteer for over 15 years. In the partnership between Amudat Local Government and UNICEF, Ms. Alungat served as a member of the Safe Learning Committee (SALECO) from 2012 to date. The SALECO mobilized parents to enroll their children to school, while guiding children on the importance of education. At the time, enrolment rates for both boys and girls in primary school in Amudat, was very low.
As a community resource, she volunteers to lead community dialogues, mentors and counsels girls as well as boys, to reject negative cultural practices and embrace education. She advocates against female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, most of which are organised for children. Joyce is married and has one child.
She currently fosters six (6) girls who run away from their families to escape FGM and forced marriage. All the six girls are enrolled in school.
Rebecca Aryao Enyou is a results-driven communications professional with experience in media relations, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy for vulnerable groups.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Communications majoring in Public Relations, she has a proven track record of successfully managing social media platforms, developing content, and coordinating events surrounding activities that promote the welfare and protect the rights of women and children.
From creating awareness and handling internal communications to documenting success stories, she is dedicated to contributing towards positive change for adolescent young girls and vulnerable women.