BOARD MEMBERS
Social Management - Counselling
André Mebold
Board Chairman
+41 79 550 14 15
„Learning is indeed a privilege “
André's earlier passion was the financial markets and as a investment advisor he tried to make the rich even richer. Some 20 years ago he decided to change the focus as he moved to South Africa. There he not only wanted to make a living but contribute to a positive change. He then moved on to Australia, before returning to Switzerland. He joined a global child-focused INGO in 2004. Overthe last 15 years he has been serving in various organisational and leadership roles to enhance global child wellbeing. André holds an MBA and a Masters in Human Resource and Organisational Development and is engaged in another degree program, realizing that learning is indeed a privilege.
André is married and has three children.
Social Management - Counselling
Christine Diethelm
“My passion is to perceive people as a whole, to meet them on eye-level and to promote them as individuals.”
Christine is a Coach and Counselor and has given much value to continuously further her knowledge in all areas concerning her field of work. For many years she was able to invest and further her competences by working with peoples from different cultural backgrounds in the environment of churches and as workplace counselor.
While working for more than 10 years with the NGO Mission Aviation Fellowship in different countries and acting as board member for different NGOs for almost 20 years, her fascination, curiousity and love for peoples with different cultural, professional and personal views and has grown.
Since 2015 Christine works for the Stiftung Sozialwerk Pfarrer Sieber and is in charge of the Gassencafé Sunestube, where men and women in difficult social circumstances find a place of fellowship, hospitality and support. At the same time she is studying at the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz where she aims to graduate with a MAS in Social Management.
ICT Techer - Research and Development
Michael Kellenberger
Teacher ICT- Research & Development
+41 76 409 63 60
„To experience how an apprentice celebrates a light-bulb moment after overcoming a learning hurdle is an emotionally and cognitively very uplifting feeling"
Michael obtained his education as an Electrical Engineer FH in System Engineering and then worked at the Institute of Microsystems Engineering at the Fachhochschule Ostschweiz (University of Applied Sciences) in the field of Microsystems Technology for ten years. His field of activity was among others research and development of micro sensors for the textile industry. As a member of the board he was responsible for the education of students and apprentices at the institute.
Due to his passion to promote people, he trained at the Zurich University of Teacher Education to become an ICT specialist teacher for vocational training. For more than 20 years he has been teaching electronics technicians, physics lab technicians and computer scientist EFZ in technical education. He has been a full-time employee at the TBZ Technische Berufsschule Zürich (technical vocational school) since 2003.
A personal focus of his teaching activities is research and further development of the competence-promoting learning arrangement called "Self-Organized Learning" at the TBZ. With more than 15 years of experience, he was able to coach other vocational schools to introduce and establish this "Self-Organized Learning" approach.
Michael has been working part-time as an individual psychological counselor (ICL) with men in private as well as professional contexts since 2006.
ICT Techer - Research and Development
Rachel Wille
Partnerschaften Stiftungen & Corporates
+41 79 543 40 36
"I
am passionate about innovative projects in which the people are at the
centre and they contribute with initiative and with heart and
soul."
Rachel studied communication and business administration at the
University of Zurich and has worked in different companies in the fields of
communication, marketing and sales.
As fundraising manager responsible for partnerships with companies and
foundations, she worked for the last six years at World Vision Switzerland in
both, the marketing and the international program department.
She is currently working in catechetics and at the NADEL Institute of
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich she is doing
a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Cooperation and Development
ICT Expert & Teacher
Daniel Kast
ICT Expert
„I am fascinated by the potential of digital learning labs to provide hope for a better future for children in the most challenging environments“
Daniel's past includes a childhood in England and Germany, vocational training in Switzerland, missionary training in New Zealand and India, and professional work in Norway, Liechtenstein, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
From 1999 to 2018, Daniel held different IT positions at World Vision Switzerland while he continued his studies. In July 2018, he accepted an invitation to join World Vision International as their Director for Donor & Funding IT Solutions.
During his years with World Vision, Daniel has grown more and more interested in connecting his professional background as primary teacher with his studies in computer science and his love for simple technical solutions.
In 2016, Daniel and Ragnhild traveled to Lesotho where he upgraded a computer lab in a mission station school with 550 middle and high school students. Later in 2018, Lesotho’s first RACHEL server is expected to be introduced to the teachers and student in this school.
STAFF MEMBERS
Head Humanitarian Aid WV Switzerland
Roland Diethelm
Founder & CEO
+41 76 215 09 63
"My passion is to discover the creativity of people, encourage and empower them with modern technology to reach their full potential."
Roland is a federally certified Electrician, trained as an Airline Pilot, was Training Captain, and Chief Pilot before serving as a Ground Operations Manager in the international aviation industry. Through his calling as a missionary pilot with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) he gained over 10 years of valuable Afrika experience. He had the priviledge to support countless humanitarian missions and development projects accross southern and eastern Africa.
After various management positions as well as a trustee of a Charitable Organisation he began working as a country program manager for World Vision Switzerland. He attended post graduate studies on international development at the ETH Zürich, was promoted as team leader to manage the longterm development programs for World Vision Switzerland in 19 countries on 4 continents.
Beginning 2016 he was called to start a new aquisition team within the International Programs Department to increase project partnerships with foundations and multinational corporates in Switzerland. A year later he acted as Director of International Programs ad interim before tackling the new challenges as Head of Humanitarian Aid in Sept 2017.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolanddiethelmworldvision/
Head Humanitarian Aid WV Switzerland
THE FOUNDERS
"We are committed as a group of passionate learners to take life changing learning platforms to communities that express their desire to be free to learn and discover their own strength and personal capacity."
wiLearn 4 Life was founded as a charitable organisation on the 15. July 2018 in Lufingen, Switzerland.
The founding members are:
Daniel Kast, Michael Kellenberger, Rachel Wille, Samuel Wille, André Mebold, Priska Mebold, Christine Diethelm, Roland Diethelm