Office Staff
Asher Trim-Gaskin
Executive Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4037
Email: director.imhotep@dal.ca
Mansita M. Njie
Program Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-7884
Email: imhotep@dal.ca
Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene
Outreach and Communications Officer
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2400
Email: outreach.imhotep@dal.ca
Kayler Mutyabule
Provincial Program Manager (Culture of Growing)
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2742 or 902-494-2400
Email: ilappc@dal.ca or ppc.imhotep@dal.ca
Wanda L. Colley
Finance & Program Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4402
Email: admin.imhotep@dal.ca
Kayler Mutyabule
Kayler Mutyabule, an entrepreneurial and empathetic young professional, was born and raised in Uganda, East Africa. She learned adaptability from a young age when she moved to Canada in Junior High and graduated in 2018, honours with distinction. Her enthusiasm for leadership and collaborative work is highlighted throughout her time at Dalhousie University where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree (major: Supply Chain Management and Logistics) in 2022, being recognized as an international-award-winning public speaker and was selected as a finalist for Frank H. Sobeys Award for Excellence in Business Studies across Nova Scotia.
Kayler is passionate about Black excellence, combatting underrepresentation, and community collaboration. She initiated Dalhousie University’s first Supply Chain society, which created opportunities for women’s participation and increased interest in the program. Kayler is dedicated to black youth’s success which aligns with ILA’s mission, serving initially as a program mentor since 2020, as program coordinator in 2022, and interacting closely with the young students and their communities. She also is co-founder of Cheerful Givers, a charity organization that fundraises to support the healthcare, nutrition, and education of children ages 0-7 years with incarcerated mothers serving time at Luzira Prisons in Uganda. She also enjoys travelling, embarking on new entrepreneurial business initiatives, and spending quality time with family.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2742 or 902-494-2400
Email: ilappc@dal.ca or ppc.imhotep@dal.ca
Wanda L. Colley
Wanda Colley was born and raised in Beechville, Nova Scotia. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce (Accountancy) from Concordia University, Montreal, PQ; and a Diploma in IT and Computer Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS.
She is a self-published author of poetry and creative non-fiction, and has experience in systems development and support, financial management, and web development.
She has been honored to witness and to contribute to ILA’s growth.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4402
Email: admin.imhotep@dal.ca
Asher TRIM-GASKIN
Asher hails from the beautiful island of Barbados. His leadership qualities emerged as a delegate of the Global Youth Leadership Conference as an early teen. He is an avid sportsman–having represented the island in swimming and rubgy and he is a 23-year classical violinist–10 of which were spent as first violin in the Barbados National Youth Orchestra. In 2017, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a Certificate in Genetics from Dalhousie University. During his time at DAL he was President of the Caribbean Connection Student Society for two consecutive years and more recently, he was a Teaching Assistant for second-year Genetics and Diversity courses. To further satisfy his love for community development and leadership, Asher leads a youth group and plays violin in the band of his local church Deep Water. The 2018-2019 program year was Asher’s first year as the ILA Program Manager.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4037
Email: director.imhotep@dal.ca or asp.imhotep@dal.ca
Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene
Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene is from Ghana in the West Africa sub-region where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, Legon. During his second year at the University of Ghana, he was selected as Ghana and West Africa’s only representative at the 2016 annual KGIP in Seoul, Korea for excellent undergraduate students.
He traveled to Canada to continue his education at the graduate level with the Department of political science at Dalhousie University, where he was awarded three separate scholarships and graduated in 2021.
Benjamin is a motivated professional with hands-on experience in social and political research. He is skilled in identifying social research and policy needs and developing innovative solutions to complex research and policy challenges. More importantly, he is passionate about Black excellence and has been with the ILA since January 2022 as the outreach and communication officer.
Benjamin is currently a pursuing Ph.D. in Political Studies at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. During his free time, he listens to music and play board games.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2742 or 902-494-2400
Email: outreach.imhotep@dal.ca
Mansita M. Njie
Mansita Njie is a proud African from The Gambia, West Africa subregion. She completed her high school education in Gambia after which she moved to Canada to further her education at Dalhousie University. She graduated in 2019 with a double major in Environmental Sustainability & Society and International Development Studies with honours.
After her undergraduate, she landed a job as a junior Environmental and Social Analyst at a consultancy firm in Senegal and later became a tax officer in The Gambia. During her time as a junior Environmental and Social Analyst, Mansita became more purposed towards finding mitigation and adaption strategies to combat climate change and study the impacts of global warming on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mansita is enthusiastic about making higher education more accessible and attainable for our youth and ensuring that they know the world is their oyster, anything they put their mind to, they can and will achieve. Her philosophy on life is to lead with kindness.
On her free time, you can find Mansita either reading a novel or designing or styling an outfit for her side business.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-7884
Email: imhotep@dal.ca
Culture of Growing (COG) Initiative – April 2022 to March 2024
(Engaging African Nova Scotian Youth in Agriculture and Community Food Security)
Alex ADZA
Regional Program Coordinator – North PrestonMarie GREEN
Regional Program Coordinator – SydneyNiran FOSTER
Regional Program Coordinator – TruroGillian STANTON
Regional Program Coordinator – Digby
Trevor SILVER
COG Program Mentor – North PrestonKadence CROMWELL
COG Program Mentor – North PrestonCadine JOHNSON FOSTER
COG Program Mentor – TruroMoiz KAPASI
Agricultural Activity DeveloperLeah KHISA
COG Program Mentor – North Preston
Virtual School Program (VSP)
Marissa Assam ANDRECYK
VSP TutorCarol-Joy CHEVANNES
VSP TutorDeclon DESOUZA
VSP TutorMaddin LAFFIN-SANTIAGO
VSP TutorGlodin MULALI
VSP TutorTiara MULDER
VSP Tutor
Aminat MUSTAPHA
VSP TutorBoris NGES
VSP TutorPatrick NNOKA
VSP TutorAkuabata OKANYA
VSP TutorAnthony OKORO
VSP TutorJaiana SHARPE
VSP Tutor
After-School Program (ASP)
- Tyler ADDERLEY
ASP Mentor
Joyce ADEYI
ASP Mentor (Wolfville)
- Theresa AFI
ASP Coordinator
- Isatou BADJIE
ASP Mentor
Joan CHERIAN
ASP MentorNathaniel GEBRE
ASP Mentor
Joshua PARIS
ASP Mentor
Rhandi FERGUSON
ASP CoordinatorAnastasia FORBES
ASP CoordinatorJasmin DESMOND
ASP Coordinator (Antigonish)
Cadine JOHNSON FOSTER
ASP Coordinator (Truro)Maddin LAFFIN-SANTIAGO
ASP MentorDavid MENSAH
ASP CoordinatorMuiz Demilade ADEBAYO
ASP MentorAfisemi NGEI
ASP MentorUchechukwu OKEREKE
ASP Coordinator (Wolfville)Oluwakemi OLAROTIMI
ASP CoordinatorKissel PHILLIPS
ASP MentorAriel PROVO
ASP Coordinator (French)Taja SCRIVEN
ASP Coordinator
FIRST LEGO League Program (FLL)
Oluwatobi OSHIKOYA
FLL CoordinatorElisabet ASTATKIE
FLL MentorOluwadamilare BANKOLE
FLL Mentor
Chibuike EKEADAH
FLL MentorNnaemeka NNADEDE
FLL MentorHillary OGOKE
FLL MentorTemitope ONAFALUJO
FLL MentorGabriel ROBERTS
FLL Mentor
ILA Coding Program (iCO)
Olashile ADEBIMPE
ILA Coding CoordinatorOluwatoni ADENIYI
ILA Coding MentorBimpe AYOOLA
ILA Coding MentorChiyedza MUGAVAZI
ILA Coding MentorGabriel ROBERTS
ILA Coding MentorEmmanuel YAKUBU
ILA Coding Mentor
2023/24 Student Internships
To be staffed
Logistics Officer (Fall Co-op)Wehyee WONLEA
Logistics Officer (Winter Co-op)To be staffed
Logistics Officer (Summer Co-op)
Oluwatoni ADENIYI
Social Media SpecialistJeffrey LYN
Young, Gifted & Black Science Fair CoordinatorTo be staffed
Activity Developer (Canada Summer Jobs)
