Rebecca Musiitwa

Rebecca, the daughter of a Polish mother and a Ugandan father, is a proud first-generation American with a passion for empowering diverse communities across the globe. She is an international affairs and program management professional specializing in sub-Saharan Africa with over seven years of experience in emerging markets. Currently, Rebecca serves as the Africa Program Associate at the Obama Foundation. She oversees program development and implementation for the Foundation’s Leaders: Africa initiative, a non-residential leadership development and civic engagement program designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging African leaders to create positive change and scalable impact in their communities. To date, the program has built a network of over 400+ leaders, hailing from 45 African nations, working in government, civil society, and the private sector. Prior to joining the Obama Foundation, Rebecca worked for a USAID implementing partner managing a portfolio of international development projects in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Jamaica. Her responsibilities included work plan development, activity monitoring and evaluation, deliverable outcome reporting as well as in-country operations for health-focused initiatives aimed at advancing policy priorities at the global, national, and subnational levels. Rebecca also has experience in international education and cultural exchange programming in both China and Eastern Europe. Raised in North Carolina, Rebecca is passionate about building a more inclusive and equitable South. In 2018 she joined Woke Vote, an organization committed to training new organizers and mobilizing historically disengaged voters of color throughout several Southern states. Woke Vote’s commitment to grassroots organizing played a pivotal role in restoring the voting rights of 1.4 million ex-felons in the state of Florida and increased Black and Brown voter turnout in the 2020 election. Rebecca’s organizing work has provided her opportunities to consult for The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation as well as Think Rubix, a social impact firm advancing creative problem solving, policy-making, and political strategies. Rebecca is a graduate of Howard University and is inspired by the revolutionary Nelson Mandela.