Josephine Chavaseki

Country Director – The 1010 Project – Kenya

Josephine is a community leader with years of knowledge and training, she also founded Fair Oaks Academy (a partner of The 1010 Project) with her husband Brown (see inset picture) to meet the educational needs of impoverished children.

Read Josephine’s story where she tells us about her inspiration and aspirations for equipping entrepreneurs to break the cycle of poverty.

Melissa Schaap

Executive Director

After having served on the board of The 1010 Project for five years, her fellow board members asked Melissa to transition into the role of Executive Director in June of 2011. She will always refer to herself as the “LED” (Learning Executive Director), because she will always be learning in this role.  Melissa is responsible for providing clear leadership and building strong partnerships to enable The 1010 Project to pursue its vision to break the cycle of poverty and share “abundant life.”

Melissa is passionate about listening to peoples’ stories, inspiring people to use their unique talents and skill sets to positively impact the world around them, forging strategic partnerships and networks, cultivating a culture of transformative service/engagement in our local and global communities, and looking for synergistic, creative solutions to end extreme global poverty.

Melissa’s story includes an eclectic mix of being a wife, and a mom to two dynamic daughters; living and teaching in Japan;  backpacking through more than 40 countries; administering international service-learning programs for nine years at the University of Denver; operating a home-based business; growing spiritually with her church family at Highline Community, volunteering at her daughters’ school; and training for triathlons to raise money for The 1010 Project.

Melissa’s academic background includes establishing her vision for Kingdom service and integrating faith and learning while studying economics and communications at her much-loved alma mater, Calvin College, and earning a Master’s in Education in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy at Harvard University Graduate School of Education.