Africa on the Ball Welcomes Two New Trustees for 2026

We are delighted to begin 2026 by welcoming two new members to the Africa on the Ball Trustee Board.

Chileshe Bwalya brings invaluable expertise and local leadership from Lusaka. She has over nine years’ experience advancing gender equality, youth leadership, and women’s economic empowerment across Zambia. Chileshe currently serves as Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Manager at iDE Zambia, where she works closely with government, donors, and grassroots organisations. Her professional strengths include governance, systems strengthening, safeguarding, partnership development, and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master’s degree in Gender Studies and is currently studying for an MBA at Heriot-Watt University. As a football mother, Chileshe is deeply committed to community-led approaches that deliver sustainable, long-term change.

Bob Burke brings a wealth of fundraising experience alongside a lifelong passion for sport. A long-standing supporter of Africa on the Ball, Bob has been involved with the organisation for the past three years and founded the Africa on the Ball Golf Tournament in 2025. Raised outside New York City, he graduated from Stanford University in 1972 and went on to coach basketball in New Jersey. In 1977, Bob moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spent 37 years as a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley before retiring in 2014. Bob is married with three children and five grandchildren, and remains actively committed to working with our US partners, Village Athlete, to support fundraising for Africa on the Ball.

We warmly welcome Chileshe and Bob to the Board and look forward to working together to empower more communities and create lasting impact in 2026 and beyond.