Gentiana Development Network

The Gentiana Development Network as the sponsoring organization consists of a board of about 20 members and a board of five members.

Membership Assembly

According to the GDN Constitution, the Membership Assembly is a consultative body primarily tasked with anchoring the NGO in the broader community. The individual members are invited to all occasions of the school. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held once a year.

At the first, inaugural Annual Meeting in August 2005, the AGM elected the three Officials of the Board, Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. They are elected for three years and, if there are no resignations, may be confirmed in office. The AGM may, by a two-thirds majority, withdraw its confidence from a Board member

At the annual AGM, members are informed in detail about the business and performance of GDN projects. The conference venue has been the GPS Library for many years. New projects of the GDN such as the introduction of the Junior Secondary School, the new building of the Gentiana Technical College and generally the school fees are discussed intensively in each case.

Management Board (board)

The GDN Board is the highest supervisory, formative and decision-making body of the GDN. The tasks of the GDN Board can be compared to those of a Board of Directors.

  • The Board is the senior management of the NGO Gentiana Development Network and issues the necessary directives for a short and long term strategy to safeguard Gentiana schools.
  • The Board determines the organizational structure of the NGO.
  • The Board is responsible for the design of accounting, financial control and financial planning.
  • The Board of Directors is responsible for appointing and dismissing the Executive CEO.
  • The Board has ultimate oversight of management, budget and use of funds. The superintendence also applies with regard to compliance with laws and statutes as well as the regulations and directives of the Kenyan Ministry of Education.
  • The Board is responsible for the preparation of the Annual Report as well as the preparation of the AGM and the execution of its resolutions.
  • The Board submits the annual budget, the annual accounts and the annual report to the Gentiana Schools Nairobi Association.
  • The Board shall submit all new projects to the Association for approval, even if they do not have an immediate additional cost consequence.
  • The Board does not interfere in the day-to-day events.

The GDN Constitution stipulates that the Board (Executive Committee) of the Gentiana Development Network shall consist of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 members. The three officials elected by the AGM (Chairman, Secretary & Treasurer) may appoint the remaining two members (assessors) themselves. The GDN Director or CEO elected by the Board shall be an ex officio member of the Board. He provides the board members with the important information and advises them, but he does not have the right to vote. The Board must hold at least 3 meetings per year in accordance with the regulations of the State NGO Coordination and Control Board

The GDN Board is made up of people who are fully committed to the basic objectives of the GDN and who are familiar with the tasks and projects of the GDN. That is, they must have some knowledge of Kenyan school and social policy so that they can fulfill their supervisory and advisory responsibilities and ultimately make decisions in the challenging work of schools in a difficult social and community environment.

The Board of the GDN consists of the following persons (as of February 2023)

Chairman Peter Baumgartner

Secretary Lucy Macharia, Executive Director of the Biovision Africa Trust

Treasurer Immaculate Kanari, Accountant of NARAP (Nairobi Achdiocese Refugee Assistance Program).

Board member Anja Bengelstorff, Deputy Managing Director of the German Academic Exchange Service, East Africa Office, Nairobi

Board member James Wathuge. Qualified psychologist specializing in corporate psychology

ex officio Member Job BarasaWanyala, CEO Gentiana Development Network

Lucy Macharia and Immaculate Kanari, both trained accountants, focus on controlling finances and long-term funding of projects. Peter Baumgartner and Anja Bengelstorff supervise the schools and James Wathuge controls the cooperation of the different projects as well as the intensive communication between the individual projects.

Chairman (chairperson)

Peter Baumgartner
Peter Baumgartner

The chairperson shall have the following duties:

  • Ensures that the strategies and guidelines decided by the GDN Board are effectively implemented by the CEO and the (senior) managers of the individual projects
  • Convenes the annual AGM of the Membership Assembly, organizes meetings of the GDN Board, organizes any special meetings of the Board with the CEO.
  • By being transparent and open, he/she promotes cohesion and cooperation between the different GDN projects
  • Ensures that important issues, suggestions, and proposals from the GDN Board that arise throughout the GDN are taken seriously and addressed.
  • is the link to the Swiss association Gentiana Schools Nairobi
  • informs its Board of Directors about the projects in Nairobi and ensures that the budget, annual accounts and annual report of the GDN are sent to the Gentiana Schools Association in due time
  • Ensures that the GDN is sufficiently supplied with funds
  • actively supports the Gentiana Schools Association in fundraising

CEO

Job Barasa Wanyala

Job Barasa Wanyala has been the accountant of Gentiana Schools for 7 years. He has a master’s degree in economics and is a certified public accountant.

The role of the CEO

  • The CEO has primary responsibility for GDN projects and holds the most senior management position.
  • bears the main responsibility for entrepreneurial decisions
  • Is the link between the main committees and participates in the regular meetings of the GDN Board
  • represents the GDN with his person and shapes its image in public
  • The CEO is the Board’s immediate interlocutor.

In detail, the CEO takes over

  • Upholding the vision and mission of the GDN.
  • The implementation of the short and long term decisions of the GDN Board.
  • Directing the overall operations and major decisions affecting the schools and the scholarship program
  • Responsible for establishing and implementing approved strategic goals and policies for all schools
  • Is responsible for evaluating the success of GDN projects in achieving their objectives.
  • Maintains regular dialogue with the Chairman on key strategic objectives
  • is responsible for contacts with stakeholders, government agencies and representatives of the local community (chiefs, exponents of local education authorities, etc.)
  • Is responsible for budget preparation and implementation, accountability, and filing tax returns for the government and reports for the attention of the State NGO Coordinations and Control Board.
  • Attends the meetings of the School Board
  • Participates in fundraising by writing proposals and developing ideas
  • Creates a working environment conducive to learning for both staff and students

The CEO is the overall leader and responsible for all GDN projects:

  • Gentiana Primary School (GPS)
  • Gentiana Junior Secondary School (JSS)
  • Gentiana Technical College (GTC)
  • Administration
  • Scholarship Programs
  • School Board of the GPS and the JSS

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