Linda Atwater, presidentLinda is a school teacher, mother and grandmother living in Portland, Oregon. Peace Corps changed her life when she spent three years teaching deaf children in rural Ghana. Since 2001, deep relationships have developed with the people, her “Ghanaian family”, as she continues to bring projects and support programs that make a difference.
She travels to Ghana every year to monitor the scholarship program, work with our teachers at Oasis Pathways Academy, visit other schools and, her favorite part, visiting students in their homes. Other community involvement opportunities always arise; such as working with Rotary Club rebuilding the local dam by hand or the villagers ongoing, multi-acre afforestation program. Linda is passionate about empowering girls and encouraging both girls and boys to become educated. She understands the power of family and community, seeking to support village grassroot efforts and strengthen families. She aspires to follow the example Christ gave us as he lived love, acceptance, and grace. |
David Kmetovic, SecretaryDavid Kmetovic has worked on a wide variety of projects as a Project Manager, in the environmental analysis and engineering field. Projects often require a sensitive treatment of natural resource and social issues. Through his volunteer work with Mercy Corps and friendships with dedicated people doing beneficial work building capacity and improving education in the developing world, he has come to appreciate the tremendous good that can be done. But, it was meeting Linda Atwater in 2012, learning her story and seeing the strong continuing connections she has formed with the members of the Talensi community that led to his commitment to be part of Ghana Community Pathways. David has worked with Linda supporting her scholarship efforts in recent years and is now an active part of expanding GCP’s efforts expanding the Oasis Pathways Academy.
David is a father of three living in Portland, Oregon where he has his own consulting business, and where he stays active in community-building, music performance and outdoor recreation. |
Hawa Bangrey, ghana advisor
Hawa is a wife and mother of four, including one adopted nephew. She lives in Kaare village, Ghana where she has been intrinsically involved with the Ghana Scholarship fund since 2010. She is a strong community organizer and a leader in Hope Ghana Church. Hawa brings a level of trust and transparency to the scholarship fund by coordinating the children in need with the scholarship process. Hawa supports girl-child education and advises many of the girls we have in the program, who call her Momma Hawa.
Hawa enjoys cooking (including Western burritos and brownies) and studying the gospel. |
JANICE DAhNKE
From a young age, Janice felt deeply drawn to those facing challenges or suffering. These sentiments led to the progression from a desire to run an orphanage when she ‘grew up’ to graduating with a Masters in Speech Pathology from Purdue University. As a practicing speech pathologist, she saw that patients made the best strides when they not only had evidence-based treatment but were supported both physically and emotionally by a strong support system. These observations are some of the same values that Ghana Community Pathways embraces. Knowing that there is more to learning than simply paying a fee to sit in a classroom, the health and support of an entire village community impacts the success of the children whom we support. Janice currently stays at home, parenting and homeschooling her three children. When she is not focused on letters and arithmetic, she can be found caring for others in times of need such as by providing meals or loving on their little ones. |
BARBARA KUTASZ Barbara believes strongly that education is key to improving the lives of young people and the communities in which they live and she has acted on this belief throughout her life. Barbara recently retired from teaching middle school in Portland, Oregon and now returns to her former school as a literacy volunteer. For 15 years, Barbara chaired a small group that operated a winter emergency shelter for homeless families and she always felt that she received as much as she gave by doing this work. Recently, Barbara combined her love of travel and her belief in the importance of education by taking a mission trip to Sierra Leone, where she taught children at an orphanage and modeled lessons for their teachers. Again, she felt she learned as much as she taught on this trip, forming lasting connections with educators there. It is this experience in West Africa that makes Barbara especially pleased to be working with Ghana Community Pathways to provide educational opportunities. Barbara enjoys reading, gardening and travelling with her husband. She shares a passion for good food with her two adult daughters and family conversations usually include exchanging recipe ideas and restaurant reviews. |
Drew racine,
|