In January this year, we were delighted to welcome on board two new staff members to our Scotland office team. Chris Hoskins is joining the team as Creative Manager, working alongside Ailidh to form the Publicity Team, and Thomas Nkhonjera brings his experience to the table as Fundraising and Project Manager. We thought you would like to get to know a bit more about them, so here they are to introduce themselves!
“Hi everyone, I’m Chris Hoskins and very excited to be a part of the team at Comfort International. I’m excited to get stuck in with the creative elements of Comfort International – photography/ videography/ design etc. I have a varied background, and have been on quite a journey with God which has brought me to Comfort. Graduating from Edinburgh University after studying Divinity, I spent 6 years working in Youth Ministry in Aberdeen before launching my own photography and videography business working with 3rd Sector and Christian organisations. Through this work, I’ve had the privilege of doing photography and videography for some amazing organisations such as Tearfund, Christian Aid, EMMS, SU Scotland, BMS, Bethany Christian Trust and many more. Alongside this work, I have always also worked in a 3rd sector role – with Christians Against Poverty in Wester Hailes and more recently with Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS).”
In the summer last year, I started to feel like God was nudging me that it was time to move on from my role working with SOHTIS, but I had no idea what to. When I saw the job advertised with Comfort, it was like reading about my dream job! Everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive and I’m keen to meet more of those involved with Comfort as soon as possible.
I worship in Holy Trinity Wester Hailes Church of Scotland in Edinburgh alongside my amazing family, we live just outside Edinburgh in East Calder. My wife, Linda, is an incredible artist and we have 2 young boys (7 and 10) who are brilliant! (not that I’m in any way biased…)”
“I am Thomas Andrea Nkhonjera, a fourth-born son of Rev Vaiton Nkhonjera in Malawi, Africa. I am married to Loveness, and we have four children: one girl and three boys. I am excited to work with Comfort International because of its vision for the African countries I come from. I was born and grew up in a rural village in northern Malawi, experiencing poverty. This is a common problem and experience for many children and citizens growing up in Malawi, especially in remote areas that comprise the country’s largest population. Undertaking my role with Comfort International is well aligned with my continuous passion and vision of serving underserved communities and giving me the confidence to influence changes in people’s lives, which I have experienced before.”
“I came to the UK to advance my studies as I pursue a Master of Arts in International Development with Nottingham Trent University. Before joining the NTU, I worked in different NGOs in Africa, the UK, and the USA. I am a programme manager with 18 years of experience in charity and non-profit organisations. I have experience in organisational management, capacity building, problem-solving, leading, reporting, networking, project management and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, community mobilisation, and securing funding from various sources, including trusts, foundations, and government agencies. I have worked in over six countries across Africa as a cross-cultural facilitator and researcher with strong technical knowledge in a wide range of issues, including education, health, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene, disability inclusion, gender equality, human and child rights, livelihoods, and organisational development.”
As a charity, bringing Chris and Thomas on board marks an important new chapter for us. We have always been a small team, with a huge emphasis on our invaluable volunteers who truly make Comfort International what it is today. Therefore, any increase in staff is a step of faith and a huge increase in capacity for us. In addition, this year is especially significant for us, being our 25th anniversary. We want to be attentive to what God may be saying to us and how He is leading us at this time. Of all of the wonderful staff that we have been blessed to work with over the years, Chris and Thomas bring skills, talents and experience completely new and unique to them, and we are excited to see the fruit of their efforts over the coming year. We hope they have many wonderful years with us and they feel welcomed and valued, and we know that like us, they will fall in love with the incredible people and projects that we are privileged to work with. Welcome to the Comfort Family!