Our dedicated, volunteer-driven team in the US and Nairobi works hand in hand to create lasting change in Dandora. Through close collaboration, shared purpose, and a deep commitment to education, we are opening doors for children to build a brighter, more hopeful future beyond the landfill.

Our Team

A group of smiling children and a woman taking a selfie together in a community setting with makeshift walls and a ladder in the background.
A woman in a uniform standing with hands on hips in a landfill filled with trash and debris, under cloudy skies.

Soleil Sabalja

Co-Founder
New York, NY

Soleil is a co-founder of The Jua Foundation and a New York City public high school teacher who inspires her Environmental Science students to design and implement real-world solutions for a more sustainable planet. In addition to The Jua Foundation, she founded Nasty New Yorkers, an environmental collective in New York City. A National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow with master’s degrees from Columbia University and New York University, Soleil’s work has been featured by National Geographic Society, Univision, and Conscious Curriculum, among others.

A woman smiling and making peace signs with both hands, wearing a black jacket with reflective stripes over a checked shirt, standing in front of a corrugated metal shed.

Joyce Wangari

Co-Founder
Nairobi, Kenya

Joyce is a co-founder of The Jua Foundation and a former waste picker from Nairobi’s Dandora Landfill. As Assistant Secretary of the Nairobi Recyclable Waste Association and The Jua Foundation’s on-the-ground lead, she advocates for the 7,000 waste pickers working daily in Dandora. From school check-ins to managing the Saturday Lunch Program for 200+ children, Joyce uplifts her community with heart and determination. Her inspiring work has been featured by Global Citizen, Nation.Africa, The Fuller Project, and Environmental Health News, among others.

A man standing outdoors under cloudy sky, wearing a khaki jacket with embroidered patches, looking off into the distance.

Solomon Njoroge

Community Liaison
Nairobi, Kenya

Solomon Njoroge is former waste picker at Nairobi’s Dandora Landfill, one of the largest dumpsites in Africa. Drawing from his lived experience, Solomon is a tireless advocate for the waste pickers who work daily in Dandora, championing better safety, dignity, and opportunity for his community. His insight and community relations are central to The Jua Foundation’s efforts in Kenya. His story and advocacy have been featured by Global Citizen, Nation.Africa, The Fuller Project, and Environmental Health News, among others.

A woman with natural curly hair poses outdoors in bright sunlight, wearing a floral-patterned halter top and pearl earrings.

Janet Chemitei

Community Engagement
Nairobi, Kenya

Janet is an environmentalist, waste and slow fashion educator, and storyteller passionate about reshaping how people see and manage waste. As The Jua Foundation’s Community Engagement lead, she works closely with the families of Jua’s scholars and helps connect the foundation with organizations that align with our mission. With a background in environmental education, she trains communities in sustainable waste management and leads art-based projects that inspire environmental awareness among youth. Also serving as Youth Chairperson for Clean Up Kenya and Africa Regional Director for Threading Change, Janet’s work has been featured by Greenpeace, France24, Twyg, and Threading Change, among others.

A woman with long, light brown hair, smiling, wearing a beige top, gold earrings, a gold necklace, and standing indoors.

Ali Krukowski

Marketing & Operations
New York, NY

Ali is The Jua Foundation’s Marketing & Operations lead, where she developed the organization’s visual identity and continues to guide its brand and communications strategy. Based in New York, she is a Senior Marketing Manager at Teneo, overseeing global brand management, marketing collateral, digital platforms, and events. With experience in marketing and business development at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Ali brings strategic and creative expertise to Jua’s mission of empowering children and communities in Dandora. She also volunteers as a Marketing Advisor with the Foundation for Education in Honduras.

Jen Whitbeck

Finance
St. Petersburg, FL

Jen joins The Jua Foundation as its Finance lead, focusing on building a financial foundation that ensures the organization’s resources support meaningful, long-term impact. She brings nearly two decades of experience leading financial strategy, enhancing organizational operations, and translating complex insights into sustainable growth. Previously, Jen served as Chief Operating Officer at C Street Advisory Group, where she developed robust financial planning and analytics, strengthened operations across marketing, human resources, technology, and compliance, and oversaw the firm’s daily functions. Earlier in her career, she spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, working in investment management and contributing to the launch of a firmwide capital markets and strategy group.