One child. One education.

Infinite possibilities.

We are a small but passionate group of individuals who are committed to the idea that through one student, one education, one small step at a time, we can help bring about opportunity and positive change to communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Country Coordinators

Lwanga Muzaifa, Uganda Country Coordinator

Muzaifa has been the country coordinator for Uganda since 2020. Originally from Rwenshama, Uganda, a small village in Southwest Uganda, Muzaifa attended Uganda Technical College Bushenyi for his diploma in Civil Engineering and Kyambogo University for his Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering. Muzaifa is a passionate advocate for SOML students and ensuring that each student find his/her potential and continues to contribute to their local communities after completion of their scholarship.

Cynthia Nidewini, Zimbabwe and Zambia Country Coordinator

Cynthia is the country coordinator for SOML students in Zambia and Zimbabwe. She works for Children in the Wilderness, the charitable arm of Wilderness Destinations, who partners with So Others May Learn in both countries. Cynthia is committed to supporting existing relationships with the rural communities that SOML students come from and ensuring that our scholarship students are placed at schools where they will thrive.

Board of Directors

Hutton Phillips

Hutton served on the board of So Others May Learn for 11 years, and will be stepping into the role of Director in 2023-2024. She is honored to work closely with our donors, scholars, and school communities, leaning on over a decade of fundraising and development experience as well as her degree in Africana Studies. Hutton lives in Chicago, where she previously worked as a marketing and partnership specialist for Children First Fund: The Chicago Public Schools Foundation. She serves on the boards of The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, with campuses in Washington, D.C. and Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation.

Kristina Chien

Kristina is the founder and executive director of So Others May Learn. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and Law School and currently practices medicine and law in St. Cloud, MN. Kristina founded So Others May Learn in 2008 and it has been a privilege to be a part of the educational journey of over 80 students across Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Caroline Ferguson

Caroline Ferguson is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago completing her JD and her PhD in Political Science. Since first hearing about So Others May Learn in college, she has wanted to get more involved.

Elise Szwajkowski

Elise joined the board of So Others May Learn in 2023 after hearing first hand the non-profit’s invaluable impact form Kristina and Hutton. Elise lives in New York City where she currently serves as the Head of Communications for the asset manager, Fifth Wall. She looks forward to continuing to spread the word of SOML’s meaningful work!

Mary Goetz

Mary has served on the board of So Others May Learn since its inception. She is a Minnesota native and a graduate of Harvard Law School, now working as a lawyer in Washington, DC. She treasures her work with SOML and its amazing students.

Ellie Newman

Ellie has been on the board of SOML since 2014, but has been inspired by our students long before then. She had the opportunity to visit all of our students in 2017, and was blown away by their dedication to their studies, their aspirations for the future and their leadership with the younger students. Ellie lives in Chicago, IL with her husband, 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. She enjoys going for long walks through her local parks and was an avid traveler pre-Covid and pre-babies. She attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison and worked in Marketing and Media Planning for six years. She then switched careers to work as a travel agent, freelancing and planning trips to the Patagonia region of South America. She loves exploring new countries and has always been fascinated learning about other cultures, and discovering we are all more alike than we are dissimilar.