The Board - U.S.
Incorporated in Durham, NC in 2007, Africa Yes! is committed assisting Gbeworbu and the surrounding area in sustainable and positive development. The board serves to guide projects, find resources and ensure that funds are being spent according to the mission: assist the village.
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Steve Cameron
Steve was born and raised in eastern North Carolina. He attended Duke University and loves living in Durham, NC, with his wife Barbara and daughters Cate, 15, and Anna, 12. He is the Facility Team Leader at Wellspring Bakehouse, a wholesale baking facility that is part of Whole Foods Market. He enjoys hiking, gardening, and family time. He spent two years living in the small bush village of Gbeworbu, Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1989-91, and considers the villagers there part of his extended family. (Photo taken when he was a PC volunteer)
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Braima MoiwaiBraima Moiwai is a freelance storyteller and drummer Artist in Public schools and Historic sites in the Carolinas since 1987. At the end of the eleven year “blood diamond” war in his home country, Sierra Leone in 2002, the idea of rebuilding destroyed villages was on the minds of everyone including community elders and a former Peace Corp Volunteer, Steve Cameron. Braima teamed up with Steve to reconnect with elders and friends in Gbeworbu village where Steve had served as Peace Corp Volunteer in 1989 prior to the war.
The willingness of community members to organize and form kor-mbee, “team work” led to the establishment of “Africa Yes!” as a 501(c) in 2008. “Africa Yes!” is compatible with the Mende values of my extended families who raised me. They Approach sustainability as a collective community effort that requires a strong work ethic, an ability to listen and to collaborate and most importantly accountability from all members of the group. Africa Yes is built on a foundation of trust and hope. Braima is the liaison of Africa Yes! who travels to Sierra Leone on yearly basis to oversee and document on-going projects by project Directors in Gbeworbu Tunkia Chiefdom in Kenema District. |
Haddie Njie
Dr. Njie is a native of The Gambia, West Africa, and currently a Teaching Assistant Professor at the North Carolina State University, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and in the International Studies program. Her research interests are in gender and development in Sub-Saharan Africa and include topics such as girls' education, women's social uses of literacies, female employment, female household resource management and their social networks and cooperative activities. Dr. Njie enjoys cookouts and hiking with her family and friends in her leisure time for balancing out her teaching, research and community service responsibilities. Board member since 2015
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Cheryl Mitchell-OldsCheryl's professional career has always revolved around maternal child health. She has had strong interest in improving health care for vulnerable populations around the world. Her introduction to Africa Yes! was an event celebrating the launch of Africa Yes! as an official non-profit. It was the emphasis on relationships established with the community that drew her in. The strategy of listening to the needs as expressed by the villagers and support of the community in improving their own lives is a very effective strategy in the world of international aid. Small donations and relationships continue to provide huge improvements in the lives of the community. Board member since 2015.
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Daniel A Green
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