Meet R-WEF Team
The people behind the work, leaders, practitioners, and young changemakers building something that lasts.
Founder and Executive Director
The person behind the vision
Jessica Chinonye Ohaka is the Founder and Executive Director of Reboot Wellbeing and Empowerment Foundation, a pan-African nonprofit organisation dedicated to strengthening mental wellbeing, expanding pathways to empowerment and meaningful work, and building thriving communities and ecosystems for young Africans across the continent.
Raised in Nigeria, Jessica grew up in a society where the pressure on young people to succeed academically was immense yet the inner resources, professional guidance, and mental health support needed to sustain that success were rarely available, and rarely spoken about. She watched her peers, and eventually herself, navigate the transition from education to adulthood without the tools to do it well. That experience planted a seed that would take years to fully grow but it never stopped growing. Jessica began her career in youth development at sixteen as a volunteer in programme management, drawn by a conviction that young people deserved environments built intentionally around their growth. That early commitment laid the foundation for eight years of professional experience spanning grassroots programming, pan-West African initiatives, and global organisational systems. As Programme Manager for MindYourself at Dream Sports Africa, she contributed to a mental health and wellbeing programme that reached over 20,000 young people across West Africa, an experience that deepened her understanding of what it takes to build systems that create lasting change, not just temporary exposure to it.
Board of Trustees
Our board of Trustees brings together visionary leaders who guide R-WEF’s mission, ensuring we remain innovative, accountable, and steadfast in empowering and serving young people across the African continent.
Nkemjika Mac-Anthony
Chief Finance Officer
Peter Agbontaen
Board Secretary
Patience Asher
Treasurer
Core Team
TIMILEYIN ABE
Programmes Coordinator
MARILYN OKON
Human Resource Lead
MARY IROHA
Communications and Content LEAD
SHEDRACH ODAFE
IT LEAD
JOY OBIANIKA
Programs and Community Associate
ADEMIDARA ADEEKO
Communications and Social Media Associate
EMMANUELLA CHIEMEKE
Digital Learning and Systems Associate
Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
Shape the Organisation Built for Your Generation.
We are looking for 7 to 10 young Africans aged 18 to 30 from across the continent to join R-WEF’s founding Youth Advisory Board. This is not a ceremonial role. YAB members directly shape what R-WEF builds and how we build it.
What is the Youth Advisory Board
The R-WEF Youth Advisory Board is a founding body of young people who actively advise R-WEF’s programmes, strategy, and direction from lived experience. YAB members are not decorative. They genuinely influence what R-WEF builds, ensuring our programmes reflect the real realities of young Africans, not assumptions about them.
- Ages 18 to 30
- Pan-African — open to all African countries
- 12-month term renewable once
- 3 to 5 hours per month
- Fully remote
- 7 to 10 members
This is more than a title. Every YAB member receives tangible benefits that matter for their career and their community.
What you will gain
Official title and profile
Named YAB Member on the R-WEF website with your photo, bio, and country from day one.
Certificate of service
Formal certificate and reference letter from the Executive Director at end of term.
Network access
Access to R-WEF's growing network of funders, professionals, and partners across Africa.
Early access
First access to all R-WEF programmes and resources before public launch
Leadership opportunity
Opportunity to be elected YAB Chair, a peer-elected role with its own visibility and responsibilities.
Real influence
Your feedback directly shapes programmes. When your input changes something it is credited publicly.
What we ask of you
Time Description
3 to 5 hours per month. One monthly virtual session of 60 to 90 minutes plus one extended quarterly session.
Term length
12-month term renewable once by mutual agreement. Maximum two terms total.
Who should apply
Young Africans aged 18 to 30 anywhere in Africa with a genuine connection to youth wellbeing and empowerment. No specific CV required.
The application process
Apply using the Google Form
Fill in your details, your connection to the mission, and why your perspective matters to R-WEF. Applications close 13th July 2026.
Application review
We review all applications and shortlist candidates based on lived experience, commitment, and perspective diversity. Week of 14th July 2026.
Short conversation
Shortlisted applicants join a 30-minute virtual conversation with the R-WEF team. Not a formal interview but a genuine conversation. Week of 21st July 2026.
Founding cohort announced
7 to 10 members selected and publicly announced with names, photos, and countries on the R-WEF website. Week of 28th July 2026.
Core Team
Jessica Ohaka
Founder
Patience Asher
Board Member
Mental health counsellor, Author, and founder of Mental Health with Asher Counselling and Wellness Services.
