Veronica Kilala
Dar Es Salaam,02
Summary
Veronica is a seasoned Pan-African Community Development professional with 10 years’ experience in working local and international NGOs, Government at all levels, Education sector, and edutainment both in development and humanitarian settings. Worked in contributing to supervising and managing donor funded projects funded by DFID, USAID, UNHCR, SIDA, LEGO foundation, and the like. Veronica also have practical experience in Outreach with education sector, NGOs, Research, Community Outreach, Case management, Child protection, Early childhood Development, and Social Linkage systems with a dedicated focus on empowering children, youth, and women. With expertise in user research, Teaching at the Right Level, learning through play, and inclusion. Researching children. Veronica brings knowledge into any role that deals with education, sector reforms, and government engagement.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Outreach and User Research Manager
Ubongo Learning
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
04.2021 - Current
- Identified, developed, and established partnerships with Government and Educational Organisations in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda to support user testing and research efforts.
- Successfully initiated relationship with Tanzania ministry of Education that led to MOU between Ubongo and ministry of Education, TAMISEMI, and Ministry of Health (Social Behavioral Change department)
- Managing relationships with relevant government stakeholders and agencies for Ubongo’s recognition as expert in creating educational entertainment content in Tanzania
- Representing Ubongo at external meetings and events at government level such as ministries and organisations, showcasing organisation's mission and findings.
- Establish, manage and nurture relationships with local preschools and schools for collaboration in user testing and research initiatives.
- Leading and managing user testing of all Ubongo products, ensuring impactful results.
- Actively participating in Ubongo content creation from initial stages to production.
- Providing strategic feedback contributing in user research insight and support research work across various departments at Ubongo Learning.
- Managing, supporting, and training diverse team of three members across two countries (Tanzania, and Kenya) to enhance their research and outreach capabilities.
- Build capacity within team to foster growth and development in User research and Outreach activities.
- Preparing user testing, comprehensive reports and presentations of
Plan, coordinate, and host stakeholder roundtables for each show or content piece as required.
Team Leader-Care Reform Project
Railway Children Africa
Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
07.2019 - 03.2021
Community Liaison Coordinator
AfricAid Tanzania
Arusha, Tanzania
11.2017 - 06.2019
District Program Coordinator
Pact Tanzania
Songea, Ruvuma
10.2014 - 04.2017
Education
Master of Arts - Project Management
Open University of Tanzania
Tanzania 10.2019 - 11.2022
Bachelor of Arts - Community Development
Tumaini University
Tanzania 10.2009 - 07.2012
Skills
1 Advocacy and Partnership Development
- Advocating for research-based edutainment at high-profile events to highlight the transformative role of media in education
- Building strategic partnerships with preschools, international schools, and government entities to foster trust and collaboration for research and program implementation
-Working as a contact person between education stakeholders, government and organization
2 Leading stakeholder roundtable sessions to gather feedback, aligning curriculum, content, and program objectives for maximum educational impact
3 Learning Intervention Design and Strategic Program Leadership - Designing and leading user research interventions for innovative edutainment programs, guiding technical teams to achieve research-driven program improvements through a human-centered design approach
- Conducting stakeholder pre-research sessions to inform effective curriculum development and implementation strategies
4 Policy Implementation and Government Engagement
-Building on over six years of experience in government engagement, including obtaining school access permits and advisory roles
- Serving on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Education in Tanzania, contributing to curriculum reforms with a focus on life skills through a collaborative RELI position paper
4 Team Management and Capacity Building
- Managing cross-functional teams across Kenya, and Tanzania to facilitate professional growth through training, coaching, and external event participation
- Strengthening internal capacity by guiding teams in user research methodologies, data analysis, and outreach skills development
5 Technical Writing and Reporting
- Preparing comprehensive research reports and technical deliverables, synthesizing insights to guide partners and stakeholders
- Presenting findings at international conferences like ADEA, and Women Deliver, demonstrating leadership in edutainment-driven education
Languages
English
Proficient (C2)
Certification
Trainings and Workshops attended
● Projective Techniques Training(Training on moderation skills for focus group discussion as a data collection method,)
● UDL Training
● Agora Unicef Training on child protection.
● AMI leadership training (2024)
● Research and Techniques Training (Dr Catherine)
● Workplace Productivity training
● Play For All children Training under LEGO. foundation
● Human-centered Design Training
● Communication Skills training
- Stress management, and Basic Counselling Skills
- Integrated case Management System TOT Training
- OVC Enrollment, Assessment, and Case Management
- Bi-directional referral and linkages system and Nutritional Assessments and Counselling services (NACS)
Timeline
Outreach and User Research Manager
Ubongo Learning
04.2021 - Current
Master of Arts - Project Management
Open University of Tanzania
10.2019 - 11.2022
Team Leader-Care Reform Project
Railway Children Africa
07.2019 - 03.2021
Community Liaison Coordinator
AfricAid Tanzania
11.2017 - 06.2019
District Program Coordinator
Pact Tanzania
10.2014 - 04.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Community Development
Tumaini University
10.2009 - 07.2012
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