Meet Our Team

I was raised in Lumpa, Waterloo in Sierra Leone. Lumpa is an impoverished village within a country ranked 184/189 for poverty (Human Development Index 2018). Education, which is private, is a luxury out of reach for many. Families with limited resources choose to educate their sons, not their daughters. My parents’ sacrificed to pay for primary school (US elementary school) yet couldn’t afford secondary school (US high school). At the age of 13, I walked 20 miles a day, four times a week, to sell sugar and other market goods to finance my education. I was first in my family to complete high school, first to earn Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I supported secondary and post-secondary education for my siblings and extended relatives and watched their quality of life improve. Since arriving in the US in 1979, I’ve continued to sponsor the education for children in Sierra Leone. When I finished high school in 1966, Lumpa didn’t have a secondary school. Sadly, more than 50 years later, not much has changed. Even for families who can afford school, children must travel many miles for a quality education. I established Amie Academy Foundation in 2016 to help rural communities in Sierra Leone achieve a better future. The Foundation’s first project is a co-ed secondary school named Amie Academy, in honor of my late mother, who took the road less travelled and supported education for her daughters. I am a steadfast advocate for education. My vision is that Amie Academy graduates will embody this philosophy and continue to pay it forward. With their help and the generosity of donors, the community of Lumpa will thrive. To connect with me and learn more about Amie Academy Foundation, please email me: info@amieacademyfoundation.org

Board Members

I arrived in the US at the age of 8 and my parents continued to pour into me the values of our culture – interdependence, community, education, giving. I grew up helping my mother package needed supplies to send to Sierra Leone. I understood the gift of living in the US and being able to help others who weren’t afforded the same opportunities. It is from this upbringing that my gift of service flourished. I’ve volunteered for over 25 years, continuing my efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. It is no surprise that I went on to become a Clinical Social Worker – advocating for the needs of our most vulnerable persons. I am honoured to work beside my mother and provide an education for a village that is one of the most impoverished in a country that tops poverty lists. I am a living testament that education changes outcomes. It’s unfortunate that in Sierra Leone education is a luxury, not a basic necessity. We are working to change that, one village at a time. The Global Partnership for Education sums it up well – “Education reduces poverty, boosts economic growth and increases income. It increases a person’s chances of having a healthy life, reduces maternal deaths, and combats diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Education can promote gender equality, reduce child marriage, and promote peace. In sum, education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its people and its future.”

I am where I am today, partly because of a good secondary school education. Accra Academy, which I attended, was the first private academy to be established in the then Gold Coast. It was founded in 1931 by four men who provided tuition to students from Accra and other parts of the country who wanted a secondary grade education but who did not have the financial means to enable them to do so. It has since then become a Government-assisted secondary school. Over the years, “Accra Aca” has produced a Head of State, 3 Speakers of Parliament, 4 Chief Justices (including the immediate past one for Nigeria–my year mate in Sixth Form), several Supreme Court judges, numerous ministers of state, and a host of leaders in business and public life. Who knows the positive impact that Amie Academy will bring to the lives of people in Sierra Leone and beyond? I pray and trust that God will give us (the Board) the wisdom we need to guide this institution to achieve what will be greater than we can imagine or think of.

Born in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone where I lived for the first 16 years of my life, I am now a Nurse Manager currently residing in Maryland. I joined my family in the United States when I was 16 years old. The culture shock was real. The educational standards and refinement of the west were more appealing and I desired the same for Sierra Leone. I wanted to be educated like my dad, which meant a lot of hard work, both to study and to support myself through school. I’m privileged to have obtained an RN, BSN, and MSN certifications in nursing. Looking back at my country of origin, I want others to have the same privilege. I feel obliged to provide assistance to less fortunate young people needing education. My passion is simple – join forces with like-minded people to build schools and support education for the neglected youth of Sierra Leone.

I was born and raised in a Lawrenceville, Virginia and have always believed that being an educator is in my DNA. I am an entrepreneur, owner of Just Teach Educational Consulting, LLC and Gordon Global Education Concierge where the focus is on providing coaching, consulting and training parents and educators with educational institutions to train new teachers, mentor seasoned teachers and create teacher leaders in all aspects and areas. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University. I have been in education for over 20 years with experience that includes teaching in rural schools in Virginia to urban schools in Florida, Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia. My passion has allowed me to teach and train teachers in the States and abroad in the areas of English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Humanities, and Writing. I have found my niche and embraced the Middle School/Junior High School culture and continue to focus on how I can improve, expand, expose and connect my students to “real-life”. The mission of Amie Academy fits with my professional and personal values. I want to be part of an organization whose leaders realize the necessity of supporting the whole child. This involves meeting social, learning, and healthcare needs while preparing students for the 21st Century global market. I am excited to join in making this vision a reality for youth in Sierra Leone.