ABOUT US
African Women and Girls Organization for Total Knowledge, Uganda Ltd. (AWAGO) is part of the women’s wing of the global organization teaching the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique in countries around the world for over 50 years.
This global network of women’s organizations teaching the TM technique and its advanced programs, was established in 2007 to focus on raising the quality of life of every woman and every child in 192 countries of the world.
Meet Our Transcendental Meditation Teachers
NASSALI JUDITH
National Director
As National Director, Judith has administrative oversight of all activities and programs of AWAGO. She is an active teacher of Transcendental Meditation and has taught hundreds of women and girls over the past several years. She continues to forge new partnerships with women’s organizations, presenting our programs at conferences and seminars, and expanding our outreach in all areas of the community. Judith has a BA in Business Administration from Makerere University and a diploma in Business Studies. She is a mother with two children.
NANKYA GRACE
Grace is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique, and Headmistress of the EDAPO School (Economic Development and Aids Prevention Organization). EDAPO is an orphanage school with over 300 students, both boys and girls, where all the students have learned the Transcendental Meditation technique. Grace has a degree in Education and is married with three children.
NASSALI TEDDY
Teddy is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique. Her area of focus has been in the implementation of TM programs in schools with a special focus at Peace High School, where half of the students have learned the Transcendental Meditation technique as part of the Quiet Time project. Although she has a diploma in Hotel Management, she has found her calling teaching TM and its advanced programs to improve the quality of life for women and children. Teddy is mother of 2 children.
KICONCO NIGHT
Kiconco is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Her main area of focus as a TM teacher is working with UWOPED (United Women’s Platform for Empowerment and Development) coordinating TM activities, including ongoing follow-up and meetings for the 600 women served by UWOPED. She has a diploma in Leadership and a Certificate in Computer Science. She is a mother of 2 children.
NKAGA DEDE MANOKA
Dede is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. With her language background, her main focus is working with the Refugee Foundation project, an organization that serves all categories of refugees, especially the Congolese. She has a Diploma in Journalism and certificates in both Kiswahili and English language.
ACOM SARAH
Sarah is a certified teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. She is currently using her skill as a TM teacher and her manager training in her role as a school manager at Ideal Girls High School in Mbale. She has a Diploma in purchasing supplies and stores management and has previously worked as a teacher at Peace High School in Kampala.
“As the newest member of the TM teaching staff at AWAGO I am delighted to be using my combined training in management and teaching at Ideal Girls High School in Mbale. It is my honor to work with these young students and offer them the opportunity to reduce stress and increase their happiness, creativity, and enjoyment of knowledge.”
AWAGO Advisory Board
HONORABLE BABIIHA JANE ALISEMERA
Hon. Babiiha was a Member of Parliament for 10 years during which time she chaired the Women’s Parliamentarians Association, and has served as Chairperson of the Association of Former Members of Parliament with over 500 members. She continues to be actively involved in election activities. She is a registered nurse with a degree in Health Planning and a diploma in Health Administration from Makerere University. She is married with four children.
RUKMINI BONTHALA
Rukmini is Executive Director of Kiboko Group of Companies in Uganda. She also owns and runs two businesses—Pure Healthy Living, a health and wellness consulting business; and Health Coach Success Tools, an online business for mentoring and providing training to health coaches on how to establish their practice. She has an MA in Business Administration from Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, IA USA. She also holds certifications as a Raw Food Chef from Living Light Institute, Fort Bragg, CA; as a Health Coach from Institute of Integrative Nutrition, NY; and as a Yoga Teacher from Yoga Alliance.
HONORABLE KIRYAPAWO LOY KAGENI
Hon. Kiryapawo has served as a Member of Parliament for 10 years in total. She is a member of the Executive Board of African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network (AQWCLN). She has a Master’s degree in International Relations, and was previously an agriculturalist with a diploma from Busitema University. She is married with six children.
MALENI MUKIRYA BEATRICE
Maleni Mukirya Beatrice is Secretary of Womens Affairs, Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU); Senior Nursing Officer, Arua Regional Hospital, and Regional Chairperson, West Nile UNMY.
NAKALEMBE BRENDA
Brenda is founder (2009) and Executive Director of United Women’s Platform for Empowerment and Development (UWOPED), serving over 600 women and their children. UWOPED provides training programs to help transform women’s lives. She has a BA in Women and Gender Studies from Makerere University. She is a mother with one child.
NAMBATYA GRACE, PHD
Born in Masaka district, Nambatya is an outspoken scientist who has been at the forefront of advocating for holistic and balanced nutrition to promote health for Ugandans for over 10 years. She holds a MS and PhD in Medical Chemistry from Louhborough University of Science and Technology, Leicestershire, England. Dr. Grace is a member of the top management of the Ministry of Health, serving as the director of research at the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute. She is a board member of the National Drug Authority, representing interests of research about indigenous medicines.
Nambatya is a seasoned motivational speaker in the area of health through community platforms such as The Rotary Club as well as educational and religious institutions. She is currently coordinating the larviciding program (fighting malaria through killing mosquitoes at the source), meant to introduce a fourth pillar in the strategy to fight malaria in Uganda. She has written informative booklets on health management through harnessing our biodiversity for purposes of building capacity in awareness of the environment around us. Nambatya received the Independence Medal in recognition for her contribution to the development of Uganda as a woman, on Women’s Day 8/05/15.
HONORABLE RUTANGYE ERINAH
Hon. Rutangye was a Member of Parliament for 5 years and has worked with several NGOs that deal with peace and moral and family values. She is Chairperson of the Executive Board of African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network (AQWCLN). She and her husband Martin Rutangye are the Founders and Directors of Peace High School in Kampala. She has a B. Com degree and diplomas in Project Planning and Management, Computer Programing, and Data Base Management, and has vast experience working with reputable finance institutions. They have six children.
OMUGO (QUEEN) TULITUUKA REBECCA
Omugo Rebecca is the wife of Kamuswaga sansa Apollo Kabumbuli II, the hereditary cultural leader of Kooki Cultural Institution. She plays an active role in helping promote programs for the well-being of the women of Kooki, and is also a member of the African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network (AQWCLN). They have two daughters.
MELANIE BROWN, PHD
Dr. Brown is Executive Director of The Communiversity of South Africa, Vrygrond, Cape Town, SA and President of the CIDA Foundation, Fairfield, Iowa USA. She has been working in the field of human development and education for over thirty years, earning a PhD from University of California at Berkeley in Educational Psychology, and two Masters’ degrees in psychology and international education. She is the author or co-author of four books, including one on personal greatness. For her work with Communiversity, she was selected to receive a 2013 World of Difference award from The International Alliance for Women for creating economic opportunity for women in Africa.
LESLEE GOLDSTEIN, PHD
Dr. Goldstein is currently assisting AWAGO with expansion activities and Special Projects. She is adjunct Assistant Professor and Research Scholar at Maharishi University of Management, and former Director of Ideal Girls School (middle school) and Vice-President of Maharishi University of Enlightenment (women’s university) in Fairfield, Iowa USA. In 2013 she collaborated with AWAGO and United Women’s Platform for Empowerment and Development on a research project to evaluate the benefits of the TM practice in the lives of disadvantaged women in Uganda, with highly significant results. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Maharishi Vedic Science, MA in Higher Education Administration, and BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Education and Communication from Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa USA.
CAROLYN GAYLORD KING, PHD
Dr. King is a member of the board of Trustees at Maharishi University of Management, USA. She is also a Senior Researcher at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute and Professor in the Department of Physiology and Health. She conducted the first federally funded research projects involving the Transcendental Meditation technique and is actively involved in research on the effects of TM on health. She has a BA in Sociology from Southern Arkansas University, and MA and PhD in Psychology from University of Michigan.
Our Partners in Uganda
Maharishi Secondary School for Girls – Uganda
Maharishi Secondary School for Girls provides Total Knowledge based (Consciousness-Based Education or “CBE”) to Ugandan girls at secondary levels with the mission to enliven the total brain physiology of every student, and thereby create successful individuals who radiate an influence of peace and harmony in the world.
https://maharishischooluganda.org/
African Queens and Women Cultural Leaders Network (AQWCLN)
aims to be an effective partner for the brokerage, advocacy, and implementation of innovative initiatives for the advancement and empowerment of women and girls, and the fulfillment of their social, economic, and cultural rights.
https://www.facebook.com/aqwcln
UNITED WOMEN’S PLATFORM FOR EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT (UWOPED)
Brenda Nakalembe, Leslee Goldstein, Judith Nassali
https://uwoped.org/
PEACE HIGH SCHOOL
Kampala, Uganda
The first secondary school in Uganda to offer the Transcendental Meditation technique to students as a ‘quiet time’ program.
EDAPO Orphans School Uganda
EDAPO (Economic Development and AIDS Prevention Organization) provides food, shelter, education, and basic medical care to hundreds of children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. All students practice the Transcendental Meditation technique.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/EDAPO-Orphans-Uganda/114219758713571?sk=pho
The Communiversity of South Africa
A new and exciting venture in urban and rural community education focused on the present need for relevant trades, skills, and professional development in South Africa.
https://www.communiversitysa.org/
St. John’s College Mpigi
https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-College-Mpigi-316896805177236/timeline/
Kiboko
The fastest-growing distributor of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and consumer durables (CD) in Uganda.
https://kibokoenterprises.com/
The Shanti Uganda Society
The Shanti Uganda Society improves infant and maternal health, provides safe women-centered care, and supports the well-being of birthing mothers and women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
https://shantiuganda.org/
Business Comminucations
A communications company, promoting government development programs and those of its partners towards sustainable national growth, since 2008.
https://businessdaycommunications.com/