Harry Lee is the Executive Director of the Abaarso Network. Prior to stepping into that role, Harry was the Founder and Executive Director of Kaabe Schools, a system of Montessori-inspired K-12 schools in Somaliland under the Abaarso Network umbrella. Harry earned a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and Bachelor’s Degrees in Foreign Affairs and Psychology from the University of Virginia. While at Harvard, Harry was a graduate-level Teaching Fellow for Professor Tina Grotzer.
Harry first came to Somaliland in 2010 to help build Abaarso School, serving in numerous roles, including math teacher, Dean of Boys, basketball coach, and the school’s first Assistant Headmaster. In 2013, after the inaugural graduating class, Harry returned to the United States to grow the organization’s nonprofit infrastructure. He then produced and directed a passion project documentary about five Abaarso students pursuing their dreams of world class higher education which premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York.
Harry was born in Kaduna, Nigeria; lived in Cairo, Egypt as a child; and has spent eight years in Somaliland as part of Abaarso Network. He has also lived in Alaska, Australia, and Washington state.
Nimco Ahmed Ismail is a member of the first graduating class of Abaarso School in 2013. After graduating from Oberlin College with a degree in Politics in 2017, she helped found Barwaaqo, an all-women’s university under the Abaarso Network umbrella. in 2019, she left Barwaaqo University to pursue a law degree at the University of Stirling’s Law School in Scotland and then worked at the Somaliland Ministry of Planning and National Development as part of the team preparing the third National Development Plan. Nimco is the first Abaarso School alum to serve in the organization’s senior management.
Jin has lived in East Africa for the majority of his life, in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya. He graduated from Cornell University with a BS in International Agriculture and Rural Development with a concentration in Business Economics. He first came to work for Abaarso School in 2017 and has since worked for both Barwaaqo University and Kaabe Schools. Taking what he has learned from all three schools, Jin strives to improve and streamline operational and financial systems to ensure affordable, quality educational access for Abaarso Network students across Somaliland.
Sean Howard is the Chief of Staff for the Abaarso Network. Prior to joining Abaarso School, Sean graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, with a major in Finance. After graduation he joined the Peace Corps and served in Northern Province, Zambia, working in the sector of Rural Education Development. While in Zambia, Sean was a valued faculty member of Kafula Primary School, focusing his fellowship work in Literacy and Teacher Capacity Building.
Sean came to Somaliland in 2020, heading Admissions and Operations for Abaarso School, the Network’s flagship school. Sean is now part of the centralized Abaarso Network team, providing strategic guidance and operational support, helping Abaarso Network advance its mission of providing high-quality education across Somaliland.
Liz is from Northwestern Ontario, Canada. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Ryerson University in Toronto and a Master of Arts in English Philology with a focus on Adult Language Education from LCC in Klaipeda, Lithuania. She is a candidate for a Master in Public Administration from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. She has worked in Corporate Training and Development programs in South Korea and Czech Republic, with Military Language Training Programs in Kuwait, and public and private high schools in China.
Unity W Gwindi, coming from Zimbabwe. She joined Abaarso Network in 2021 because of her passion to foster collaboration and drive change in African communities, all while finding inspiration in interacting with diverse cultures. She worked in procurement and as a Legal Advisor for a mining company in Southern Africa for three years before joining us. Her academic background includes a Master of Business Administration and an Honours Degree in Law, Leadership, and TEFL certifications. Unity enjoys problem solving and has a passion for cultural diversity in organizations.
Roble Ismail Abdilahi, a 2019 graduate of Abaarso School, embarked on a career with Kaabe Schools shortly after graduation, where he worked for two years while pursuing night classes at Franzt Fanon University. In 2022, he was accepted to the African Leadership University (ALU) in Rwanda and relocated there to begin his studies. However, after four months, ALU transitioned to an online platform, prompting Roble to return home. He then resumed his local studies at Franzt Fanon University while continuing his online coursework at ALU.
In June 2023, Roble joined the Abaarso Network as an Assistant Operations Officer, quickly progressing to the role of Operations Officer. By August 2024, he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Franzt Fanon University, balancing both his professional responsibilities and academic commitments.
Meret is the Communications and Development Manager for the Abaarso Network. She joined the Abaarso Network in 2021 as a Site Lead and managed one of the Kaabe schools in Hargeisa for 2.5 years. In her second year, she transitioned into the role of Administrative Lead for Kaabe Schools, while continuing her responsibilities as Site Lead.
In her current position, Meret works closely with the Executive Director to oversee the organization’s internal and external communications. Originally from Germany, Meret holds a Bachelor’s degree from Queen Mary University of London and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Cambridge.
I’m a graduate of Abaarso School (2015 cohort). I was raised in Hargeisa but never had the opportunity to visit a lot of places in my country. I got the opportunity to attend the University of West Virginia via MasterCard Foundation, where I studied Civil Engineering with an emphasis in transportation and environmental engineering. Starting my junior year in college, I worked with the current chair of the civil and environmental engineering department visiting construction sites to monitor pollution levels. Later in my senior year, I joined a program led by the National Science Association to implement autonomous vehicles in West Virginia. After a year of work, I have returned back to Somaliland to give back. I came to Abaarso School as a first time teacher in the 2022-2023 academic year focusing on teaching Mathematics and transitioned into Director of Prep School the following academic year. The transition was rapid but the experience I had as an alumni and working in a community that I grew up in played a major part in getting acclimated. The commitment to be a Co-Head of School wouldn’t be possible without the support of Tomoki (Co-Head of School) and our shared goal of developing future leaders of this country.
Tomoki Sasaki is the Co-Head of School for Abaarso School. He joined the network as an English teacher in 2022. In his second year at Abaarso, as the Director of Upper School, he worked closely with Ahmed Qaalib (Co-Head of School) and Stephen Finney (Outgoing Head of School) in the school’s re-accreditation process as an American school with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Tomoki is from Japan but was born in Ethiopia and raised in the UK, Rwanda, and Kenya. He received a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago, focusing on topics on justice in the intersection between social epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Philosophy from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Meg was raised in East Africa and attended international school in Kenya until finishing secondary. She studied Secondary Education and History for her Bachelor’s in the United States and then moved to Tanzania to pursue a career in teaching in 2005. She has taught at a number of different levels, ranging from A-levels International History to Early Years Swimming. Meg moved to School Administration in 2018 as the Primary Principal at a school in Zanzibar, Tanzania and into a shared role as Primary Principal and Student Services Coordinator the following year. Since the, she has completed her Masters in Special Educational Needs. Meg has three children who attend Kaabe.
Marlee Burns is the President for Barwaaqo University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Middle Eastern Studies and Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Masters in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. During her time at Sanford, her research focused on implementing design thinking curricula in schools. Her professional experience is at the intersection of rural education and technology, having spent time as a Fulbright Scholar in rural Azerbaijan and three years as the Head of Upper-School at Abaarso School. She also interned with the White House during the Obama Administration and spent several years as an engineer with Down Dog App in Silicon Valley. She was thrilled to return to Somaliland and to be working with innovative, driven educators and brilliant young students.
