Ivan Kakembo
Chairperson
“I have held several positions in top football club management and in the third sector for over 25 years. With responsibilities for day-to-day management, strategic planning, funding and uplifting lives. I work closely with funders and policymakers to embed dignity in practice as we improve lives of those seeking sanctuary in Scotland and overseas. We believe in lived experience-led responses to deliver and achieve the much needed support for the people impacted by our work."
Trustee
Stella Jackie Maholo brings compassion, community insight and a strong commitment to creating spaces where people feel welcomed, respected and valued.
Stella plays an important role in helping ensure that the charity remains connected to the experiences and priorities of the communities it serves. As a trustee, she contributes to discussions about the organisation’s development, activities and community engagement, helping to keep its work grounded in the everyday realities of people navigating life in Scotland after displacement.
For Stella, meaningful support is not only about meeting immediate needs. It is also about creating opportunities for people to build relationships, regain confidence and feel that they belong. She understands the importance of having spaces where people can speak openly, share their cultures and experiences, and participate without fear of judgement.
Her contribution to Navigating Sanctuary Life reflects the charity’s wider belief that communities are strongest when people are given a voice in shaping the support they receive. Through her trusteeship, Stella helps champion an approach centred on dignity, inclusion and human connection, while supporting the charity’s ambition to create stronger and more welcoming communities across Scotland.
Treasurer
For the past three years, Sedia has played a key role in the impactful projects led by the Food for All Group 
—supporting local food banks through workshops designed to better understand and meet the needs of people seeking asylum.
Working alongside a team of experts with lived experience, Sedia has helped co-produce vital educational resources that:
Raise awareness of the barriers faced when accessing food support
Encourage culturally appropriate food options (including halal choices)
Provide practical cooking guidance for those unfamiliar with local ingredients
This work not only promotes dignity and inclusion 
but also helps reduce unintentional food waste 
and supports smoother settlement and integration into Scottish communities.
Sedia strongly believes that **everyone deserves dignified access to food**—and that even small, thoughtful actions can create meaningful, lasting impact 
.
Secretary
Pius Matovu is a charity trustee of Navigating Sanctuary Life, bringing lived experience, community knowledge and a strong commitment to dignity and inclusion to the organisation’s work.
His involvement reflects one of the charity’s core principles: people with experience of displacement and navigating unfamiliar systems should not simply be supported by their communities, but should have a meaningful role in shaping the support those communities provide.
As a trustee, Pius contributes to the charity’s decision making, helping ensure that its projects remain grounded in the realities faced by asylum seekers, refugees and ethnic minority communities. His perspective helps the organisation understand the practical and social barriers that can leave people feeling isolated, particularly during the early stages of rebuilding their lives in Scotland.
For Pius, community is about more than providing services. It is about creating spaces where people can be heard, respected and encouraged to participate. He believes that when people are given the opportunity to contribute, share their experiences and support others, they move from being seen only as recipients of support to becoming active members and leaders within their communities.
Through his role at Navigating Sanctuary Life, Pius is helping to build an organisation where lived experience is not simply acknowledged, but valued as an important source of knowledge, leadership and change.