Rhoda Waweru became SAF-Africa’s Finance and Operations Manager in May 2026. In this interview, we asked her about the significance of her role in strengthening the organization’s ability to deliver impact for smallholder farmers. Rhoda also speaks about transparency, financial stewardship, and what sustainability really means for the communities SAF-Africa serves.

What are you most proud of in terms of strengthening SAF-Africa’s ability to deliver impact for smallholder farmers and agricultural communities?

What I’m most proud of is the direct testimonies from smallholder farmers and agricultural communities about how SAF-Africa has impacted their livelihoods. I particularly remember this coming through at the organization’s official unveiling. Listening to farmers sharing their experiences firsthand was a defining moment for me. It reinforced that the collaboration between the programs and the operations team is not just a back-office process, but an enabler to run the programs smoothly and reach the people who need them most. The impact is what brings me the most fulfillment in my career journey.

How does your function help SAF-Africa turn its vision into tangible outcomes for farmers, agri- entrepreneurs, women, and youth across the regions we serve?

The finance function helps the organization turn its vision into tangible outcomes by acting as the engine that enables other departments to deliver effectively. It starts with ensuring that every transaction complies with donor regulations, statutory requirements, and internal policies and procedures. With this in place, donor resources are safeguarded and allocated efficiently across projects so that more value reaches the farmers and other stakeholders.

What role does sound financial management play in ensuring these innovations reach more communities and remain sustainable over time?

Sound financial management plays a pivotal role in ensuring SAF-Africa achieves its mission of scaling sustainable and climate-smart agriculture solutions. It is the vehicle that ensures donor funds are utilized efficiently and strictly for their intended purposes, building the trust and credibility needed to attract continued and new projects. Practically, this means tracking budgets monthly to catch variances early, maintaining transparency and accountability for every shilling spent on an activity, and guiding the right investment decisions. This discipline ensures donor confidence and demonstrates the organization’s financial integrity.

During your interim role, what financial or operational improvements are you most excited about, and how have they strengthened the organization’s effectiveness?

During my time as Interim Finance Manager, several improvements stand out that I’m proud of. First, continuous sensitization of financial policies across the organization helped build a stronger culture of compliance, with staff better understanding and consistently applying procedures. Second, I worked closely with the finance team to systematically address audit ecommendations, which led to improvements such as asset tagging and a reduction in repeat audit findings, reflecting stronger internal controls and better follow-through on corrective actions. Third, the finance team improved the turnaround time for staff to advance retirements, which not only eased pressure on staff but also strengthened our financial accountability by ensuring funds advanced were reconciled and accounted for more promptly. Together, these improvements have strengthened the organization’s financial discipline, reduced risk exposure, and made the finance function more responsive to the needs of staff and programs alike.

Donors, partners, and communities place significant trust in organizations like SAF-Africa. How do transparency, accountability, and strong financial controls contribute to maintaining that trust?

Transparency and accountability are core to SAF-Africa’s vision, and when combined with strong financial controls, they create a powerful foundation of trust that attracts and retains donors, partners, and stakeholders. Transparency ensures that financial information is open, accurate, and accessible to those who need it, while accountability ensures that we take ownership of how
resources are used and are answerable for outcomes. Strong financial controls tie these together in practice; they ensure that resources are expended strictly for their intended purposes, reduce the risk of financial mismanagement, and provide assurance that every shilling is traceable and justified. Ultimately, this combination doesn’t just satisfy compliance requirements — it
demonstrates to donors, partners, and communities that SAF-Africa is a credible and responsible steward of the resources entrusted to us, which is essential for sustaining long-term partnerships and funding.

What does sustainability look like for you?

From a finance perspective, sustainability means ensuring that SAF-Africa’s resources are managed prudently and strategically so that the organization remains a going concern, well beyond the life of any single donor-funded project. This includes maintaining healthy reserves to cushion against funding gaps, diversifying our income sources to reduce over-reliance on any one donor, and ensuring that our assets and systems are robust enough to continue supporting program delivery even as funding cycles change. Equally important is building strong financial systems and capacity, both within the finance function and across the wider organization, so that good financial practices are institutionalized rather than dependent on any one individual. For the communities we serve, this translates into consistency and reliability: programs that aren’t disrupted by short-term funding shocks, and impact that continues to be delivered well into the future. Ultimately, sustainability isn’t just about keeping the organization financially afloat; it’s about ensuring our financial health directly underpins our ability to deliver on our mission over the
long term.

What opportunities excite you most about supporting SAF-Africa’s next phase of growth and impact?

As I step into this new role, what excites me most is the opportunity to continuously strengthen SAF-Africa’s financial processes and procedures in support of delivering sustainable financial goals. I’m particularly looking forward to building on the systems and controls already in place, and refining them to ensure they keep pace with the organization’s growth and evolving donor requirements. Equally exciting is the opportunity to support the finance function in building a stronger, more resilient team, investing in capacity building, mentorship, and cross-training so that the team is well-equipped to handle increasing complexity and is not dependent on any single individual. Together, these efforts will ensure that as SAF-Africa grows, our financial foundation grows with it, strong enough to support the organization’s expanding impact for farmers, agri-
entrepreneurs, women, and youth.

What lessons have you learned about leadership, resilience, and stewardship during your journey to inspire young careers?

On leadership, I’ve learned that it’s less about authority and more about supporting and developing the people around you, creating an environment where team members can grow, take ownership, and perform at their best. On resilience, I’ve learned the importance of remaining calm under pressure, especially in a finance role where deadlines, audits, and donor reporting can be
demanding; staying composed allows you to think clearly and make sound decisions even in moments when the pressure is high. And finally, on stewardship, I’ve learned that organizational funds must always be treated as a trust, not a personal resource; every decision I make is guided by the responsibility to safeguard resources on behalf of donors, the organization, and ultimately the
communities we serve.

What financial trends or opportunities in the agriculture and development sectors excite you most, particularly in unlocking sustainable impact for farmers, women, and youth?

What excites me most are opportunities around strengthened grant management and financial compliance, particularly as donors increasingly demand greater transparency, value for money, and demonstrable impact from the resources they invest. I see this as an opportunity rather than just a requirement. Organizations that build strong compliance and financial management systems are better positioned to access larger and more diverse funding. This, in turn, allows us to channel more resources directly toward farmers, women, and youth in a sustainable and accountable way.

Do you have an example of how financial planning has helped SAF-Africa deliver stronger results or greater efficiency?

Financial planning is central to every successfully completed project at SAF-Africa. We take it seriously because it’s the approach that smoothens our delivery and ensures donor funds are well spent and impact is achieved. In practice, this is driven through structured budgeting at the start of each project and monthly tracking of budget versus actuals. This structured approach to managing resources doesn’t just keep us compliant — it ensures that every shilling is directed toward activities that move us closer to our goals, ultimately helping SAF-Africa achieve stronger results and greater efficiency in project delivery.

What do you love doing outside your work routine?

I love swimming and spending quality time with my family. Reading is also one of my hobbies. I’m currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. The author emphasizes the importance of small, consistent improvements, which he calls for marginal gains and which compound over time.