News from Jim

Dear friends,

As we come to the end of another year, I would like to reflect on some of the achievements of Brass for Africa in 2024, but also to tell you about a very exciting development for 2025. A development that will ensure our organisation continues to move forward, have even greater impact, and create even more brighter futures.

Currently our figures show that each week we are actively working with 2,473 participants. This is a fantastic number of young people getting direct access to our Music and Life-Skills programmes, but it is not the total number impacted by Brass for Africa. Through our associated youth healthcare clubs and our event audiences our reach is conservatively measured in the tens of thousands!

This December marks 15 years since I shipped out the first 30 brass instruments to Uganda, which, little did I know at the time, spawned this incredible organisation.

We now have a dedicated team of over 50 people passionately delivering our programmes, working alongside over 20 local partners across Uganda, Rwanda and Liberia. I am extremely proud of the fact that most of our team started their journey as a Brass for Africa participant, and that all of our teachers are “homegrown”.

As Brass for Africa has grown and developed, as the founder, I naturally moved into fulfilling the role of Executive Director (CEO) for the Charity, donating much of my time to this task alongside my day job as an airline pilot.

Brass for Africa’s development and continued success now demands a full time CEO who can dedicate 100% of their time and effort to the organisation. Our Charity, our team, and our beneficiaries also deserve someone who can lead Brass for Africa into the next vitally important stage of our development, as we strive to increase our reach and positively impact more young people and their communities.

To that end I am excited to inform you that I will be handing over the helm to Andrew Agassi, our current COO, who will transition to become the CEO from the 1st of January 2025.

Andrew joined us in 2017 as a management consultant, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the NGO sector. He very quickly became an indispensable member of the senior management team and when Rebecca Richards, our wonderful Uganda Country Manager, returned home to the USA in 2018 Andrew was the natural pick to become Uganda Country Director. As the team and I came to rely more and more on Andrew’s knowledge, judgement and leadership I asked him to become Chief Operating Officer for the whole organisation in 2022.

Over the past seven years with Brass for Africa Andrew has instigated and overseen very many improvements and innovations within the organisation. Too many to mention them all, but they include the development of structure, systems and process leading to efficiency and professionalism throughout the whole organisation. Andrew’s ability to work across organisational, geographical, and cultural boundaries has seen Brass for Africa become part of Uganda’s official Refugee Response with our work in the Bidibidi settlement on the Ugandan, South Sudanese border.

Amongst his many achievements to date, I believe Andrew’s enabling of programmes championing those living with disability, in particular young people with autism spectrum disorder, confirms his absolute alignment and commitment to the delivery of Brass for Africa’s goals.

This is why the Board of Trustees have asked Andrew to take on the role of Brass for Africa’s CEO at the beginning of next year.

I am personally delighted with this development, Andrew’s personality, skills, ability to inspire and proven track record fills me with confidence and hope for Brass for Africa’s future. The fact that Andrew hails from Kenya, East Africa, also brings the cultural understanding and awareness that only an African led organisation can have. Congratulations Andrew!

However, I am not leaving Brass for Africa, far from it, I can’t, it’s part of my DNA! I shall remain as Founding Trustee and work hard to support Andrew, Ronald, Lizzie, Andrea, the Trustee Board and the whole team to fulfil our mission.

Thank you all for your support, none of this would be possible without you!

JIM