Board of Management
Sunrise’s Board of Management (BOM) focuses on educational quality, safety, and welfare of the learners. Members of the BOM include the head teacher, school administrator, several US special needs professionals, and representation from Sunrise’s Board of Directors. The BOM promotes the best interests and development of the institution and quality education for Sunrise learners, helping create a stable environment where children are empowered to achieve their
Douglas Asawani
Douglas Aswani has dedicated his working years to educating children with disabilities. He holds a diploma and a Bachelor’s of Education in Special Needs. Douglas’s area of specialization is in functional assessment of learners.
Maryann Bastian
A speech-language pathologist from southern Vermont, Maryann has many years of experience working with children of all ages in public school settings. She visited Sunrise School several years ago and subsequently served as remote supervisor for Sunrise’s speech therapy staff.
Bonface Evans Okotsi
Head of School, Bonface has over twenty years of teaching and administrative experience. He embraces the unique opportunity of his position in making meaningful differences in the lives of Sunrise learners.
Shelley Donald
An occupational therapist from Glendale, Arizona, Shelle has many years experience in educational and medical settings and currently serves on Arizona’s Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. Shelley has made numerous visits to Sunrise School, providing staff/parent training and direct services to learners.
Marjorie Ottenbreit
Marjorie is a Vermont special education teacher who has visited Sunrise School on multiple occasions, primarily to assist with staff training, sharing an extraordinary expertise regarding the education of learners with autism.
Sellar Odour
Sellar is one of Sunrise School’s founders. She is Special Needs coordinator for Kenya’s western province. The wealth of experience she brings as caregiver, teacher, counselor, and advocate for persons living with disabilities is immeasurable.
Wanda Salter
Wanda is a southern Vermont speech-language pathologist, is one of Sunrise School’s founders and serves as Lead Partner to Uwezo, Sunrise’s “umbrella” CBO.
Board of Directors
Sunrise’s Board of Directors (BOD) represents Sunrise School and manages its overall interests. All members of Sunrise’s BOD were among the School’s founders and share a singular, heartfelt vision: to empower children with autism by providing them with the resources and support needed to to reach their fullest potential.
Douglas Asawani
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Douglas Aswani, a member of Sunrise’s Education Committee, has dedicated his working years to educating children with disabilities. He holds a diploma and a Bachelor’s of Education in Special Needs. Douglas’s area of specialization is in functional assessment of learners.
Habel Ouma
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Perhaps it is because he is hard of hearing himself and understands some of the obstacles faced by persons with disability that Habel Ouma is such an outstanding advocate for them. As one of Sunrise School’s founders and as chairperson of Uwezo Network, the CBO that oversees Sunrise, Habel’s stated objectives are to provide educational opportunities and give hope to autistic children, to help make educational inclusion possible for more of them, and to make lives easier for their families and caregivers.
Habel graduated with a Diploma & Bachelor of Arts in Theology. He has a Certificate in Governance, Leadership and Election. He also successfully completed the Uraia- International Budget Partnership-Kenya Budget Facilitator training and is a member of the National and Lake Region Budget Facilitators Forums.
Habel has a long history of teaching and mentoring deaf students in primary through high school to gain skills that will nurture their personal, academic and career development. He works with a deaf youth group to build members’ leadership skills and foster a strong and informed deaf community.
Habel advocates for and speaks up for persons with disability while serving in many capacities locally, nationally, and internationally. He currently is chairman of Kakamega Deaf Association (KDA), Mumias/Matungu Disability Network CBO, and Educational Assessment Research Centre-Mumias (EARC-MUMIAS), as well as vice chairman of Kakamega County Disability Caucus. He is Board of Trustee National Vice Chairman of United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) and a board member of Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) in partnership with World Council of Churches. Habel serves on the board of directors of four primary/secondary schools as advisor on disability. He champions the rights of all persons with disabilities, working to amplify the voices of women and girls facing gender-based violence, lobbying for persons with disabilities to be included in policy-making and economic empowerment programs.
Habel is a highly-respected advisor at county and national levels regarding the welfare and needs of persons with disabilities on topics including education, reproductive health, access to information, social protection and employment
Wanda Salter
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Wanda Salter, a member of Sunrise’s Education Committee, first traveled to Kenya in 2016 when her family joined in a service trip with the Brattleboro (Vermont) Interfaith Youth Group. Later that year, Wanda returned to Kenya to volunteer with Yellow House Health and Outreach in Kisumu; it was during that visit that Wanda first learned of the plight of many children with special needs in Kenya who can be neglected or even abused due to cultural attitudes about disabilities. A speech-language pathologist in the Vermont school system, Wanda brought her concerns back home with her and shared them with just about anyone who was willing to listen. Wanda has returned to Kenya over a dozen times since 2016, and, with the support of numerous individuals, churches, and civic organizations, she and her Kenyan colleagues founded Sunrise School, one of the country’s only schools for autistic children. While aiming to change each learner’s life for the better, Sunrise’s wider objective is to help Kenyans with disabilities become accepted and appreciated as contributing members of society.
Wanda serves as Lead Partner to Uwezo Network for Persons Living with Disabilities, Community-Based Organization (CBO). Sunrise School for Learners with Autism is just one of Uwezo’s many projects.
Wanda holds a BA in anthropology from McGill University, an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language from St. Michael's College, and an MS in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Vermont. As a teacher, speech-language pathologist and consultant, she has practiced in educational and medical settings throughout New England. Wanda's areas of specialization include augmentative communication and specific learning disabilities. With a co-author, Carolyn Robertson, Wanda has published numerous assessments and instructional programs for children with dyslexia.
Dr. Sellar Odour
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Sellar Atieno Oduor ignited the spark that brought Sunrise School into existence. Sellar, who has dedicated her life to helping persons with disabilities, completed her diploma in special needs education in 2003 and then began working as a caregiver for children with severe physical challenges. It wasn’t long before she was promoted and placed in charge of a school for children with complex disabilities; she now serves as coordinator of special needs for all of Kenya’s Western Province. When asked why Sunrise School is so important to her, she explained, “In special needs education in Kenya, we have had a gap in the area of autism. Until recently we were confusing autism with intellectual disability. Due to a lack of expertise in this area, assessment and educational placement for autistic children has been a huge challenge. In this part of Kenya we have never had a school specifically for learners on the autism spectrum. When I met Wanda in 2016 we shared a lot. I told her about my dream of having a school here, and we got excited. I needed to strengthen my skills in assessing and teaching autistic learners so Wanda and her friends arranged my visit to Vermont in 2018. I was able to take a course through the University of Vermont, and I visited many schools. In 2021 we broke ground for Sunrise, and today the new school is one of its kind, ensuring that diverse learners have a school and home away from home, a place serving children with dignity and enthusiasm. What a great idea! May the sun rise and rise! Shalom.”
School Leaders
Bonface - Head Teacher
Viola - School Administratorr
Wanambisi - Bookkeeper