our Team
A combination of vision and on-the-ground expertise in international health
inspire and inform the work of Restore Hope and it's inaugural program, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA
inspire and inform the work of Restore Hope and it's inaugural program, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA
staff - LIBERIA
Kumeinu Da-Tokpah, BS
Executive Director, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA
Kumeinu Da-Tokpah earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Liberia in 2016, with a focus on Agricultural Management. Mr. Da-Tokpah has worked in agriculture for over ten years. He has integrated agriculture into education efforts, created women owned agricultural projects, and served as the Vice Chairman of Hope Agriculture Company. In 2014, he co-founded Agrilife Liberia, supporting women’s empowerment and educational opportunities through agriculture. He served as Executive Director from 2014 to 2021, when he joined RHL as Country Director. His expertise in community development and his focus on impactful, sustainable interventions is a tremendous asset to RHL.
Executive Director, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA
Kumeinu Da-Tokpah earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Liberia in 2016, with a focus on Agricultural Management. Mr. Da-Tokpah has worked in agriculture for over ten years. He has integrated agriculture into education efforts, created women owned agricultural projects, and served as the Vice Chairman of Hope Agriculture Company. In 2014, he co-founded Agrilife Liberia, supporting women’s empowerment and educational opportunities through agriculture. He served as Executive Director from 2014 to 2021, when he joined RHL as Country Director. His expertise in community development and his focus on impactful, sustainable interventions is a tremendous asset to RHL.
Kolee Gboyo, BSN
Mental Health Manager
Kolee joins RHL as the Mental Health manager, leading the mental health and women’s empowerment projects. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and is a Master of Science candidate for Public Mental Health and Policy. He has post basic certificate in mental health and additional training in Ebola Case Management, mh-GAP, and SGBV. Before joining RHL, he spent the previous 7 years working in mental health services across the country.
Mental Health Manager
Kolee joins RHL as the Mental Health manager, leading the mental health and women’s empowerment projects. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and is a Master of Science candidate for Public Mental Health and Policy. He has post basic certificate in mental health and additional training in Ebola Case Management, mh-GAP, and SGBV. Before joining RHL, he spent the previous 7 years working in mental health services across the country.
Gladys Zarbay, RN, BSN, MPH
Heath and Nutrition Coordinator
Gladys is the Health & Nutrition Coordinator, overseeing all aspects of RHL’s health program. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) with an emphasis in Community Health. Gladys comes to RHL with over 10 years in health sector working with non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Health across Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Heath and Nutrition Coordinator
Gladys is the Health & Nutrition Coordinator, overseeing all aspects of RHL’s health program. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) with an emphasis in Community Health. Gladys comes to RHL with over 10 years in health sector working with non-governmental organizations and the Ministry of Health across Liberia and Sierra Leone.
advisory board
Lisa V. Adams, MD
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital, Lebanon, NH
Dr. Lisa V. Adams is the Associate Dean for Global Health, Director of Dartmouth’s Center for Global Health Equity Director of Global Initiatives, and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Disease and International Health at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. In all her roles, she develops and oversees cross-cutting global health programs and partnerships involving faculty, staff and students.
She has worked in domestic and international TB care and prevention for over 25 years. As an international TB consultant, she has worked in over a dozen countries to provide technical assistance to Ministries of Health. She has published extensively on her TB and HIV research and on global health equity and education. At Dartmouth, she teaches global health and health equity to medical and college students. She is engaged in research on TB and HIV care and is leading a major training initiative through the DarDar Programs, a collaboration between Dartmouth and Muhimbili University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In 2012, she led Dartmouth’s faculty participation in the Rwandan Human Resources for Health Program, a major medical education initiative. She recently worked with partners in China, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), South Africa, and Ukraine on projects to improve the delivery of TB care services to vulnerable populations, including HIV-infected individuals, children, and those suffering from drug-resistant TB.
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital, Lebanon, NH
Dr. Lisa V. Adams is the Associate Dean for Global Health, Director of Dartmouth’s Center for Global Health Equity Director of Global Initiatives, and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Infectious Disease and International Health at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. In all her roles, she develops and oversees cross-cutting global health programs and partnerships involving faculty, staff and students.
She has worked in domestic and international TB care and prevention for over 25 years. As an international TB consultant, she has worked in over a dozen countries to provide technical assistance to Ministries of Health. She has published extensively on her TB and HIV research and on global health equity and education. At Dartmouth, she teaches global health and health equity to medical and college students. She is engaged in research on TB and HIV care and is leading a major training initiative through the DarDar Programs, a collaboration between Dartmouth and Muhimbili University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In 2012, she led Dartmouth’s faculty participation in the Rwandan Human Resources for Health Program, a major medical education initiative. She recently worked with partners in China, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), South Africa, and Ukraine on projects to improve the delivery of TB care services to vulnerable populations, including HIV-infected individuals, children, and those suffering from drug-resistant TB.
Corey Bills, MD
Dr. Corey B. Bills is faculty at the University of Colorado in the Department of Emergency Medicine and a core member of the Global Emergency Care Initiative (GECI). Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Affiliate Faculty member of the Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS, UCSF). Dr. Bills graduated medical school and attended residency in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago where he served as chief resident in his final year. He subsequently completed a Global Health Fellowship and was a Clinical Instructor at Stanford University before joining the faculty of UCSF. He completed undergraduate studies at Middlebury College with a double major in environmental studies and comparative religion and obtained a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University as a Peter J Sharp Scholar. Throughout the years Dr. Bills has partnered with several NGOs in Liberia, including the International Rescue Committee. For the last 15 years Dr. Bills has been working to support and develop essential emergency and acute care health services in Liberia.
Dr. Corey B. Bills is faculty at the University of Colorado in the Department of Emergency Medicine and a core member of the Global Emergency Care Initiative (GECI). Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Affiliate Faculty member of the Institute for Global Health Sciences (IGHS, UCSF). Dr. Bills graduated medical school and attended residency in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago where he served as chief resident in his final year. He subsequently completed a Global Health Fellowship and was a Clinical Instructor at Stanford University before joining the faculty of UCSF. He completed undergraduate studies at Middlebury College with a double major in environmental studies and comparative religion and obtained a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University as a Peter J Sharp Scholar. Throughout the years Dr. Bills has partnered with several NGOs in Liberia, including the International Rescue Committee. For the last 15 years Dr. Bills has been working to support and develop essential emergency and acute care health services in Liberia.
Brenna Blazis
Brenna Blazis has over 12 years of experience in education, teaching in both the United States and abroad. She holds bachelor's degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education from the University of Evansville. She holds multiple teaching certificates from the state of Georgia. During her four years of Peace Corps service, she developed her passion for curriculum writing and teacher training. In partnership with Liberian educators, she helped author the Let's Read Phonics Curriculum and train over 300 Liberian educators to implement the program. As a Letras de La Semana Program Writer in the Dominican Republic, she created a guide to implement their new national literacy curriculum through student-centered practices. She is currently working as a virtual teacher and education consultant in Monrovia, Liberia.
Brenna Blazis has over 12 years of experience in education, teaching in both the United States and abroad. She holds bachelor's degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education from the University of Evansville. She holds multiple teaching certificates from the state of Georgia. During her four years of Peace Corps service, she developed her passion for curriculum writing and teacher training. In partnership with Liberian educators, she helped author the Let's Read Phonics Curriculum and train over 300 Liberian educators to implement the program. As a Letras de La Semana Program Writer in the Dominican Republic, she created a guide to implement their new national literacy curriculum through student-centered practices. She is currently working as a virtual teacher and education consultant in Monrovia, Liberia.
Joni Burrell
Joni Burrell earned her Bachelors in Mathematics Education from Maryville College in 2015. She served with the Peace Corps in Liberia from 2017-2019. During her service, she lived in Massabolahun, Lofa County where she taught General Science and Mathematics to junior high grades 7-9. Apart from teaching, she worked with her school on applying for and receiving a grant to restore the campus bathrooms, along with provide health and hygiene education via their health club. While in Liberia, she worked closely with RESTORE HOPE’s James Y. Kpangbai to develop and lead a sexual reproductive health workshop with local schools in Kolahun district and the hospital in Kolahun. Along with Restore Hope, she worked with a Lofa organization called “Community Empowerment Ark for Human Rights Protection” or CEAHRP. They worked directly with local domestic abuse cases and women’s and children’s rights advocacy. Also during her service, she was enrolled in the Peace Corps Master’s International Program through Boston University where she will receive her Masters of Education with a focus on Curriculum and Teaching. For this program she worked alongside Liberian teachers to create instructional textbooks for Religious Morals and Ethics and Physical Education based on Liberian curriculum and standards. Since returning home to America, she is a mathematics teacher for Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia.
Joni Burrell earned her Bachelors in Mathematics Education from Maryville College in 2015. She served with the Peace Corps in Liberia from 2017-2019. During her service, she lived in Massabolahun, Lofa County where she taught General Science and Mathematics to junior high grades 7-9. Apart from teaching, she worked with her school on applying for and receiving a grant to restore the campus bathrooms, along with provide health and hygiene education via their health club. While in Liberia, she worked closely with RESTORE HOPE’s James Y. Kpangbai to develop and lead a sexual reproductive health workshop with local schools in Kolahun district and the hospital in Kolahun. Along with Restore Hope, she worked with a Lofa organization called “Community Empowerment Ark for Human Rights Protection” or CEAHRP. They worked directly with local domestic abuse cases and women’s and children’s rights advocacy. Also during her service, she was enrolled in the Peace Corps Master’s International Program through Boston University where she will receive her Masters of Education with a focus on Curriculum and Teaching. For this program she worked alongside Liberian teachers to create instructional textbooks for Religious Morals and Ethics and Physical Education based on Liberian curriculum and standards. Since returning home to America, she is a mathematics teacher for Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia.
Andrew Cole, MD
Dr. Andrew Cole is a native son of Liberia, born in the village of Fangalahun, in the Kolahun District of Lofa County. He came to the US as a teenager and pursued his education here, always planning to return to Liberia one day. Following his undergraduate education at Gonzaga University, Dr. Cole studied medicine and received his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington, in 1972. He completed his internship and residency, training that included medicine, surgery and pediatrics, in Youngstown, Ohio.
Dr. Cole provides RESTORE HOPE with extensive, deep, pre-war history and knowledge of health care in Liberia and Kolahun. Following two years of post-graduate medical education in medicine and surgery, Dr. Cole returned to Liberia in 1974. For the next three years he served as the Medical Director at Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor. Recognizing the need to improve pediatric care in Liberia, Dr. Cole returned to the US to complete a full pediatric residency, learning skills he knew were so needed back in Liberia. Returning to Liberia once again in 1981, he served as the staff pediatrician at Phebe Hospital in Bong County until 1983. His work then took him full circle as he returned to Lofa County where he served as the County Health Officer for Lofa County, and as Medical Director of Kolahun Hospital from 1983 to 1990.
Dr. Cole’s professional experience has also included Lassa Fever Control efforts in Liberia (1982-1990), planning and evaluating community health and financial programs in Lofa Co., and participant in the WHO World Health Assembly (1983-1989) and as WHO Board Member (1988-1989). The outset of the Liberian Civil War forced Dr. Cole and his family to flee Kolahun and the country, leaving behind a beloved community. Though he returned to the United States to live and practice medicine, a piece of his heart remained in Kolahun. He and his wife have returned to the community on numerous service missions over the years. Currently Dr. Cole provides Family Medicine and Pediatrics services for the community of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Andrew Cole is a native son of Liberia, born in the village of Fangalahun, in the Kolahun District of Lofa County. He came to the US as a teenager and pursued his education here, always planning to return to Liberia one day. Following his undergraduate education at Gonzaga University, Dr. Cole studied medicine and received his medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington, in 1972. He completed his internship and residency, training that included medicine, surgery and pediatrics, in Youngstown, Ohio.
Dr. Cole provides RESTORE HOPE with extensive, deep, pre-war history and knowledge of health care in Liberia and Kolahun. Following two years of post-graduate medical education in medicine and surgery, Dr. Cole returned to Liberia in 1974. For the next three years he served as the Medical Director at Curran Lutheran Hospital in Zorzor. Recognizing the need to improve pediatric care in Liberia, Dr. Cole returned to the US to complete a full pediatric residency, learning skills he knew were so needed back in Liberia. Returning to Liberia once again in 1981, he served as the staff pediatrician at Phebe Hospital in Bong County until 1983. His work then took him full circle as he returned to Lofa County where he served as the County Health Officer for Lofa County, and as Medical Director of Kolahun Hospital from 1983 to 1990.
Dr. Cole’s professional experience has also included Lassa Fever Control efforts in Liberia (1982-1990), planning and evaluating community health and financial programs in Lofa Co., and participant in the WHO World Health Assembly (1983-1989) and as WHO Board Member (1988-1989). The outset of the Liberian Civil War forced Dr. Cole and his family to flee Kolahun and the country, leaving behind a beloved community. Though he returned to the United States to live and practice medicine, a piece of his heart remained in Kolahun. He and his wife have returned to the community on numerous service missions over the years. Currently Dr. Cole provides Family Medicine and Pediatrics services for the community of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
Marcia Davidson, PhD
Dr. Davidson recently joined FHI360 as a Senior Technical Advisor in Reading in the Global Education Division. She is currently residing and working on a USAID early grade reading project in Ghana. Before coming to FHI360, she held the position as the Team Lead for the Reading Team in the E3 Office of Education at USAID. Prior to joining USAID, she was a senior consultant in literacy where she provided support for and contributed to the design on projects funded by USAID and the World Bank in early literacy in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, S.E. Asia, and the South Pacific. She designed one of the first USAID/World Bank early grade reading interventions in Liberia in 2008 and returned to lead a scaled reading intervention in Liberia from 2010 to 2012. She served as the Global Director of Reading for Room to Read and led the classroom reading interventions in nine countries in S. and S.E. Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has designed, implemented, and consulted in the development of reading interventions and early grade reading assessments in multiple languages, developed coaching models and professional development modules in teaching children how to read. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has designed impact evaluations for reading interventions.
Prior to her international work, Dr. Davidson worked as a national consultant to the states for Reading First, and designed and directed several intervention studies in early literacy. As a tenured faculty member at Western Washington University, she developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in general education and special education on reading methods, assessment, and early language and literacy acquisition. She also taught graduate courses and conducted research as a faculty member at the University of Maine and the University of Utah. She earned a master’s degree in school and community psychology from Central Florida University and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in special education.
Dr. Davidson recently joined FHI360 as a Senior Technical Advisor in Reading in the Global Education Division. She is currently residing and working on a USAID early grade reading project in Ghana. Before coming to FHI360, she held the position as the Team Lead for the Reading Team in the E3 Office of Education at USAID. Prior to joining USAID, she was a senior consultant in literacy where she provided support for and contributed to the design on projects funded by USAID and the World Bank in early literacy in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, S.E. Asia, and the South Pacific. She designed one of the first USAID/World Bank early grade reading interventions in Liberia in 2008 and returned to lead a scaled reading intervention in Liberia from 2010 to 2012. She served as the Global Director of Reading for Room to Read and led the classroom reading interventions in nine countries in S. and S.E. Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has designed, implemented, and consulted in the development of reading interventions and early grade reading assessments in multiple languages, developed coaching models and professional development modules in teaching children how to read. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has designed impact evaluations for reading interventions.
Prior to her international work, Dr. Davidson worked as a national consultant to the states for Reading First, and designed and directed several intervention studies in early literacy. As a tenured faculty member at Western Washington University, she developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses in general education and special education on reading methods, assessment, and early language and literacy acquisition. She also taught graduate courses and conducted research as a faculty member at the University of Maine and the University of Utah. She earned a master’s degree in school and community psychology from Central Florida University and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in special education.
Stephanie Kim
Stephanie Kim is a member of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, class of 2024. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2018 where she studied biological sciences and was a four-year varsity coxswain on the rowing team. At Wellesley College, Stephanie first became interested in global health after spending a semester studying international healthcare systems in Bremen, Germany. Stephanie built upon this interest through a fellowship with the Madeleine Albright Institute, where she traveled to Cambodia to volunteer and learn about the challenges and benefits associated with Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital, an international charity hospital in the rural community of Kampot. After graduating from Wellesley College, Stephanie spent two years working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducting translational cardiovascular research that investigated pulmonary arterial hypertension and musculoskeletal disease. She first became involved with RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA as a Global Health Scholar at Geisel and is excited to build upon her past experiences in international health. In the future, Stephanie hopes to merge her diverse interests in research and global health throughout her future career as a physician.
Stephanie Kim is a member of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, class of 2024. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2018 where she studied biological sciences and was a four-year varsity coxswain on the rowing team. At Wellesley College, Stephanie first became interested in global health after spending a semester studying international healthcare systems in Bremen, Germany. Stephanie built upon this interest through a fellowship with the Madeleine Albright Institute, where she traveled to Cambodia to volunteer and learn about the challenges and benefits associated with Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital, an international charity hospital in the rural community of Kampot. After graduating from Wellesley College, Stephanie spent two years working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducting translational cardiovascular research that investigated pulmonary arterial hypertension and musculoskeletal disease. She first became involved with RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA as a Global Health Scholar at Geisel and is excited to build upon her past experiences in international health. In the future, Stephanie hopes to merge her diverse interests in research and global health throughout her future career as a physician.
Karin Landgren, BSc, LL.M
Karin Landgren is the Executive Director of Security Council Report. She is also a Senior Fellow, at the Center on International Cooperation, New York University. The first woman to have headed three United Nations peacekeeping operations, she was until 2015 a UN under-secretary-general and head of UNMIL (Liberia). In 2008-2012 she led two UN political missions, BNUB (Burundi) and UNMIN (Nepal).
Ms. Landgren holds a B.Sc. and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics, and a Certificate in Public Policy and Governance from the University of Maastricht. She has facilitated UN civilian and military leaders’ training in mediation skills and in peace operations leadership. She has taught on conflict, public policy, peacekeeping, human rights, and leadership at post-graduate level, and is a founder member of the Nordic Women Mediators Network. Other interests include organizational structure and process; corruption and accountability; and civil-military relations in international peacekeeping. Her work has been published by the Huffington Post, Human Rights Quarterly and Oxford University Press.
Ms. Landgren's operational responsibility for the Liberian peacekeeping operation ranged up to US$500 million/year and over 11,000 personnel. Her leadership of UN peace operations included support to political processes, security, arms monitoring, the rule of law, transitional justice, and human rights, including efforts to address extrajudicial killings. Ms. Landgren led UNMIL's response to Liberia's deadly Ebola outbreak from March 2014 through its peak.
Her engagement with policy and practical crisis response dates to her work on refugee protection with the UN Refugee Organization, UNHCR (1980-98), in conflict, post-conflict and politically-sensitive settings. As UNHCR Chief of Standards and Legal Advice, she re-activated the organization's work for stateless persons, and drew attention to the problems of safe zones in international law and practice. Subsequently, as UNICEF's first Chief of Child Protection, she introduced a groundbreaking systemic approach to strengthening children's protection against violence, abuse and exploitation, the Protective Environment Framework.
Karin Landgren is the Executive Director of Security Council Report. She is also a Senior Fellow, at the Center on International Cooperation, New York University. The first woman to have headed three United Nations peacekeeping operations, she was until 2015 a UN under-secretary-general and head of UNMIL (Liberia). In 2008-2012 she led two UN political missions, BNUB (Burundi) and UNMIN (Nepal).
Ms. Landgren holds a B.Sc. and an LL.M. from the London School of Economics, and a Certificate in Public Policy and Governance from the University of Maastricht. She has facilitated UN civilian and military leaders’ training in mediation skills and in peace operations leadership. She has taught on conflict, public policy, peacekeeping, human rights, and leadership at post-graduate level, and is a founder member of the Nordic Women Mediators Network. Other interests include organizational structure and process; corruption and accountability; and civil-military relations in international peacekeeping. Her work has been published by the Huffington Post, Human Rights Quarterly and Oxford University Press.
Ms. Landgren's operational responsibility for the Liberian peacekeeping operation ranged up to US$500 million/year and over 11,000 personnel. Her leadership of UN peace operations included support to political processes, security, arms monitoring, the rule of law, transitional justice, and human rights, including efforts to address extrajudicial killings. Ms. Landgren led UNMIL's response to Liberia's deadly Ebola outbreak from March 2014 through its peak.
Her engagement with policy and practical crisis response dates to her work on refugee protection with the UN Refugee Organization, UNHCR (1980-98), in conflict, post-conflict and politically-sensitive settings. As UNHCR Chief of Standards and Legal Advice, she re-activated the organization's work for stateless persons, and drew attention to the problems of safe zones in international law and practice. Subsequently, as UNICEF's first Chief of Child Protection, she introduced a groundbreaking systemic approach to strengthening children's protection against violence, abuse and exploitation, the Protective Environment Framework.
Betty Newman
Betty Newman is a experience maker + idea scout + humanistic brander.
A native New York entrepreneur & business owner of The Holding Company, Betty has been impressing the press and influencing the influencers with her one of a kind consumer brand experiential packages for over thirty years.
Transformed by the cataclysmic events of 2008, Betty's perspective of the role of corporate brands and their constituents encountered a seismic shift. The result, the birth of The Fresh Idea Farm a state of mind, an incubator and a experiential venue for social good. Follow Betty at the Farm as she grows her humanistic fresh ideas on Instagram.
Foundation: zeitgeist diviner + pop up brain thinker + brand alchemist + entrepreneur + business founder + social media pioneer + creative arts therapist + textile designer + dog lover + garden liberator + antique aficionada+ labyrinth facilitator + fresh idea farmer
Betty Newman is a experience maker + idea scout + humanistic brander.
A native New York entrepreneur & business owner of The Holding Company, Betty has been impressing the press and influencing the influencers with her one of a kind consumer brand experiential packages for over thirty years.
Transformed by the cataclysmic events of 2008, Betty's perspective of the role of corporate brands and their constituents encountered a seismic shift. The result, the birth of The Fresh Idea Farm a state of mind, an incubator and a experiential venue for social good. Follow Betty at the Farm as she grows her humanistic fresh ideas on Instagram.
Foundation: zeitgeist diviner + pop up brain thinker + brand alchemist + entrepreneur + business founder + social media pioneer + creative arts therapist + textile designer + dog lover + garden liberator + antique aficionada+ labyrinth facilitator + fresh idea farmer
Yaayaa Pajibo, CNA
Yaayaa Pajibo, CNA is currently a Product Designer at Meta, Yaayaa Pajibo studied at Stanford University, and has developed her passion for health in both domestic and international settings. Through her time in South Korea fostering intercultural dialogue and her personal experiences as a Liberian-American, she has become an advocate for public health and global studies. In 2018, she founded Beds For the World and most recently became a Junior Advisor for Restore Hope Liberia. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in Epidemiology and humanitarian medicine.
Yaayaa Pajibo, CNA is currently a Product Designer at Meta, Yaayaa Pajibo studied at Stanford University, and has developed her passion for health in both domestic and international settings. Through her time in South Korea fostering intercultural dialogue and her personal experiences as a Liberian-American, she has become an advocate for public health and global studies. In 2018, she founded Beds For the World and most recently became a Junior Advisor for Restore Hope Liberia. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in Epidemiology and humanitarian medicine.
Vamba Sherif
Vamba Sherif was born in Kolahun, Lofa county, Liberia. In his early teens, he moved to Kuwait, where he attended high school and wrote his first story. During the First Gulf War, he fled Kuwait through Basra and Bagdad to the border with Jordan. There he was forced to stay at a refugee camp where thousands of refugees lived. There were hardly any facilities. For months, he suffered deprivation, and the heat and dust of the desert. The experience marked him forever. On leaving the camp, he arrived in Amman, where he stayed for a while before settling in Damascus. He could not return to Kuwait or go home to Liberia, and so he sought asylum in The Netherlands.
Vamba lost his mother in the Liberian civil war. His memories of her and of his boyhood in Kolahun remain vivid today. His family kept a library full of ancient manuscripts which were handed down from one generation to another. His father, a great scholar, was the custodian of these manuscripts. These manuscripts were burned in the war. While living in a refugee camp in The Netherlands, at the height of the war in Liberia, he decided to attempt to explain the complexity of his country’s history to himself by trying to write about it. He wrote Land of my Fathers, a novel about the founding of Liberia with the return of the freed men and women from America to Africa in the 19th century.
Vamba Sherif is a lawyer by training and has written many novels and edited the anthology, Black: Afro-European literature in The Netherlands and Belgium. Besides his love of writing and his collection of rare books on Africa, Sherif has developed a passion for films, which he reviews. He’s ambassador for the Dutch Refugee Council. He has written for The New York Times, Long Cours in France and Kulturaustauch in Germany, and many other newspapers and magazines. He divides his time between The Netherlands and Liberia.
Vamba Sherif was born in Kolahun, Lofa county, Liberia. In his early teens, he moved to Kuwait, where he attended high school and wrote his first story. During the First Gulf War, he fled Kuwait through Basra and Bagdad to the border with Jordan. There he was forced to stay at a refugee camp where thousands of refugees lived. There were hardly any facilities. For months, he suffered deprivation, and the heat and dust of the desert. The experience marked him forever. On leaving the camp, he arrived in Amman, where he stayed for a while before settling in Damascus. He could not return to Kuwait or go home to Liberia, and so he sought asylum in The Netherlands.
Vamba lost his mother in the Liberian civil war. His memories of her and of his boyhood in Kolahun remain vivid today. His family kept a library full of ancient manuscripts which were handed down from one generation to another. His father, a great scholar, was the custodian of these manuscripts. These manuscripts were burned in the war. While living in a refugee camp in The Netherlands, at the height of the war in Liberia, he decided to attempt to explain the complexity of his country’s history to himself by trying to write about it. He wrote Land of my Fathers, a novel about the founding of Liberia with the return of the freed men and women from America to Africa in the 19th century.
Vamba Sherif is a lawyer by training and has written many novels and edited the anthology, Black: Afro-European literature in The Netherlands and Belgium. Besides his love of writing and his collection of rare books on Africa, Sherif has developed a passion for films, which he reviews. He’s ambassador for the Dutch Refugee Council. He has written for The New York Times, Long Cours in France and Kulturaustauch in Germany, and many other newspapers and magazines. He divides his time between The Netherlands and Liberia.
James Strickler, MD
Dean Emeritus, Dartmouth Medical School
Chairman Emeritus, International Rescue Committee
Director Emeritus, Senior Advisor, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
James Strickler received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1953. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School (pre-clinical), a stint in the Navy as a medical officer in the Pacific ignited Dr. Strickler’s interest in refugee medicine. He remained on the faculty of Cornell until 1967 when he became associate dean for academic affairs at Dartmouth Medical School. There he helped build a strong academic program and conversion from a two-year basic science program to a full MD program. From 1973-1981, Dr. Strickler held the position of Dean of Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Strickler then embarked on his next career, international health, first taking a volunteer, hands-on clinical assignment with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a physician in the pediatrics ward of Khao-I-Dang, Thailand’s largest refugee camp for Cambodians. He joined the board of IRC, established IRC’s health unit, and served as co-chair of the board. In the aftermath of the Balkan war, Dr. Strickler and DMS colleagues developed the Dartmouth-Kosovo Project, a collaboration that helped the Kosovars rebuild their medical school and hospital, which had been destroyed by the war, and strengthen primary care services. Dr. Strickler also helped create the Kosovo-based foundation, Action for Mothers and Children (AMC), whose mission is to strengthen the public health sector and provide good medical care. Dr. Strickler serves as Honorary Trustee and Chairman of AMC. He is an active Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor for RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Dean Emeritus, Dartmouth Medical School
Chairman Emeritus, International Rescue Committee
Director Emeritus, Senior Advisor, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
James Strickler received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1953. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School (pre-clinical), a stint in the Navy as a medical officer in the Pacific ignited Dr. Strickler’s interest in refugee medicine. He remained on the faculty of Cornell until 1967 when he became associate dean for academic affairs at Dartmouth Medical School. There he helped build a strong academic program and conversion from a two-year basic science program to a full MD program. From 1973-1981, Dr. Strickler held the position of Dean of Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Strickler then embarked on his next career, international health, first taking a volunteer, hands-on clinical assignment with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a physician in the pediatrics ward of Khao-I-Dang, Thailand’s largest refugee camp for Cambodians. He joined the board of IRC, established IRC’s health unit, and served as co-chair of the board. In the aftermath of the Balkan war, Dr. Strickler and DMS colleagues developed the Dartmouth-Kosovo Project, a collaboration that helped the Kosovars rebuild their medical school and hospital, which had been destroyed by the war, and strengthen primary care services. Dr. Strickler also helped create the Kosovo-based foundation, Action for Mothers and Children (AMC), whose mission is to strengthen the public health sector and provide good medical care. Dr. Strickler serves as Honorary Trustee and Chairman of AMC. He is an active Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor for RESTORE HOPE (USA).
leadership
Barbara Burke, MD, MPH
Director, Secretary, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Barbara Burke earned her M.D. in 1984 from Georgetown University School of Medicine, completed her residency in emergency medicine at the Christiana Health System Medical Center of Delaware, and studied international health and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earning her master's in public health there in 2002. Dr. Barbara she has a strong commitment to international humanitarian medicine. She has served with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) in South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Angola, Gaza, Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya, and with the International Rescue Committee in Kolahun, Liberia. In 2014, Dr. Barbara co-founded RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and currently serves as a Senior Advisor, and Director, Secretary for RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Director, Secretary, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Barbara Burke earned her M.D. in 1984 from Georgetown University School of Medicine, completed her residency in emergency medicine at the Christiana Health System Medical Center of Delaware, and studied international health and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earning her master's in public health there in 2002. Dr. Barbara she has a strong commitment to international humanitarian medicine. She has served with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) in South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Angola, Gaza, Pakistan, Nigeria and Kenya, and with the International Rescue Committee in Kolahun, Liberia. In 2014, Dr. Barbara co-founded RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and currently serves as a Senior Advisor, and Director, Secretary for RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Bakhtavar Desai, CPA
Director, Treasurer, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Bakhtavar is a CPA working freelance as auditor and consultant in the public sector and not-for-profits. Her expertise is auditing government grants and offering consultation to nonprofit organizations in the area of governmental grants program management.
She was born and raised in India, where she received two degrees, Bachelors in Commerce and Bachelor in Arts. She has lived in Cincinnati, Ohio for 25 years, where she and her husband raised three daughters. For several years, she has been a volunteer in her community, working with kids and teachers in the local school district, focusing on helping struggling elementary school students improve their skills in reading, writing, and math. She was awarded the annual ‘Friend of Education’ Award by the Fairfield Teachers Association. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader in Western Ohio for the past twelve years, Bakhtavar works with and empowers young girls to believe in themselves and live their dreams. She is also a trustee on the Board of the Fairfield Food Pantry, helping to end hunger in her community by securing funding for the pantry through grants, donations, and fundraising.
She is President of ZAKOI (Zoroastrian Association of KY, OH, & IN), keeping her ancient religion alive and vibrant in her region. She is a volunteer with the Greater Cincinnati’s Interfaith group, EquaSion, serving on the Steering Committee that organized the 2019 Festival of Faiths in Cincinnati. EquaSion is a non-partisan civic organization founded upon interfaith dialogue that works to develop educational and community service programming to foster greater understanding, respect, compassion, inclusion and engagement for all people and faith communities in Cincinnati and beyond.
Director, Treasurer, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Bakhtavar is a CPA working freelance as auditor and consultant in the public sector and not-for-profits. Her expertise is auditing government grants and offering consultation to nonprofit organizations in the area of governmental grants program management.
She was born and raised in India, where she received two degrees, Bachelors in Commerce and Bachelor in Arts. She has lived in Cincinnati, Ohio for 25 years, where she and her husband raised three daughters. For several years, she has been a volunteer in her community, working with kids and teachers in the local school district, focusing on helping struggling elementary school students improve their skills in reading, writing, and math. She was awarded the annual ‘Friend of Education’ Award by the Fairfield Teachers Association. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader in Western Ohio for the past twelve years, Bakhtavar works with and empowers young girls to believe in themselves and live their dreams. She is also a trustee on the Board of the Fairfield Food Pantry, helping to end hunger in her community by securing funding for the pantry through grants, donations, and fundraising.
She is President of ZAKOI (Zoroastrian Association of KY, OH, & IN), keeping her ancient religion alive and vibrant in her region. She is a volunteer with the Greater Cincinnati’s Interfaith group, EquaSion, serving on the Steering Committee that organized the 2019 Festival of Faiths in Cincinnati. EquaSion is a non-partisan civic organization founded upon interfaith dialogue that works to develop educational and community service programming to foster greater understanding, respect, compassion, inclusion and engagement for all people and faith communities in Cincinnati and beyond.
Darlington James Martor, MA
Director, Advisor, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Darlington Martor is a graduate from Concordia University in California, having completed his master’s degree in International Studies with a concentration in International Business. Born in Liberia during the early years of the civil war, Darlington and his mother escaped the atrocities there and became refugees in Danane, Ivory Coast, in 1997. They then moved to the United States in 2003, sponsored by a United Nations resettlement program. In the U.S, he excelled throughout his school years and took advantage of opportunities to attend the Providence Country Day School, followed by Connecticut College where he received his BA in International Relations, with a double minor in Economics and History. Currently, he runs a non-profit organization, Anything Is Everything, and a campaign that has collected clothes, books, school and medical supplies to benefit the children enrolled in RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA. After more than 17 years away, in December 2016 Darlington traveled back to Liberia to reconnect with his family, culture, and birthplace—a journey that has had deep spiritual significance as he embarked on his next chapter. Besides his work as CEO of Anything Is Everything, Darlington is a Grants Administrator at the James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco.
Director, Advisor, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Darlington Martor is a graduate from Concordia University in California, having completed his master’s degree in International Studies with a concentration in International Business. Born in Liberia during the early years of the civil war, Darlington and his mother escaped the atrocities there and became refugees in Danane, Ivory Coast, in 1997. They then moved to the United States in 2003, sponsored by a United Nations resettlement program. In the U.S, he excelled throughout his school years and took advantage of opportunities to attend the Providence Country Day School, followed by Connecticut College where he received his BA in International Relations, with a double minor in Economics and History. Currently, he runs a non-profit organization, Anything Is Everything, and a campaign that has collected clothes, books, school and medical supplies to benefit the children enrolled in RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA. After more than 17 years away, in December 2016 Darlington traveled back to Liberia to reconnect with his family, culture, and birthplace—a journey that has had deep spiritual significance as he embarked on his next chapter. Besides his work as CEO of Anything Is Everything, Darlington is a Grants Administrator at the James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco.
David Okiror, MBCHB, DTMPH, M.MED, FLCPS
Chairman of the Board, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA (Liberia); Senior Advisor (Ex Officio), RESTORE HOPE (USA)
David Okiror is a graduate of Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, where he earned degrees in medicine and surgery in 2004 and did postgraduate studies in family medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and public health. He also holds a diploma in international health, with a major in tropical medicine and public health, from Humboldt University in Germany. Dr. Okiror grew up in Uganda and has worked since 2008 in Liberia, including several years as Medical Director at Kolahun Hospital. He is currently a family physician and Chair of the Faculty of Family Medicine at ELWA Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia, as well as an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Liberia's A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine. Dr. Okiror is a co-founder and Senior Advisor to RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and Chairman of the RHL Board of Directors (Liberia). He is Senior Advisor and Liaison to RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Chairman of the Board, RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA (Liberia); Senior Advisor (Ex Officio), RESTORE HOPE (USA)
David Okiror is a graduate of Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, where he earned degrees in medicine and surgery in 2004 and did postgraduate studies in family medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and public health. He also holds a diploma in international health, with a major in tropical medicine and public health, from Humboldt University in Germany. Dr. Okiror grew up in Uganda and has worked since 2008 in Liberia, including several years as Medical Director at Kolahun Hospital. He is currently a family physician and Chair of the Faculty of Family Medicine at ELWA Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia, as well as an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Liberia's A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine. Dr. Okiror is a co-founder and Senior Advisor to RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and Chairman of the RHL Board of Directors (Liberia). He is Senior Advisor and Liaison to RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Robert Rufsvold, MD
President, Chair of the Board, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Bob Rufsvold received his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School in 1979 and completed his family practice residency at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in California. Dr. Bob was a solo-practice family physician for 20 years in Lyme, N.H., where he also founded and directed the New England Center for Integrative Health, the Wellspring Foundation of New England, and the Wellspring Cancer Help Program. He also had a faculty appointment at Dartmouth Medical School for many years. From 2001 to 2006, he worked with Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen as associate director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness in California. Since 2006, Dr. Bob has worked in the field of global health, serving in Liberia, Ethiopia, Chad, Afghanistan, and Libya with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), the International Medical Corps, and the International Rescue Committee. In 2014, Dr. Bob co-founded RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and currently serves as a Senior Advisor. He is the President and Chair of the Board of Directors of RESTORE HOPE (USA).
President, Chair of the Board, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Bob Rufsvold received his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School in 1979 and completed his family practice residency at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in California. Dr. Bob was a solo-practice family physician for 20 years in Lyme, N.H., where he also founded and directed the New England Center for Integrative Health, the Wellspring Foundation of New England, and the Wellspring Cancer Help Program. He also had a faculty appointment at Dartmouth Medical School for many years. From 2001 to 2006, he worked with Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen as associate director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness in California. Since 2006, Dr. Bob has worked in the field of global health, serving in Liberia, Ethiopia, Chad, Afghanistan, and Libya with Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), the International Medical Corps, and the International Rescue Committee. In 2014, Dr. Bob co-founded RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA and currently serves as a Senior Advisor. He is the President and Chair of the Board of Directors of RESTORE HOPE (USA).
Saundra Williams, MPH, MIA
Executive Director, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Saundra Williams earned Master of Public Health and Master of International Affairs degrees in 2009 from Columbia University in New York, with a focus on health in complex emergencies. She had previously spent two years in the Peace Corps, in Turkmenistan, as a teacher and trainer of other teachers; her focus there included female education, community-supported youth activities, and English-immersion instruction. Upon return from Turkmenistan and before her graduate studies, Saundra worked as a case manager in the foster care system in Texas. During her graduate work, she conducted field research on breastfeeding practices in contexts of forced migration in West Darfur, Sudan with Save the Children’s nutrition program. Since completing her graduate degrees, she has worked in the international health arena — serving field missions in Chad, working on the International Rescue Committee's reproductive health program and in Sierra Leone on the Ebola response. She also worked at IRC headquarters on the global Emergency Response and Preparedness Unit to create systems for more effective and data driven responses. Currently, as Executive Director, Saundra brings great expertise to RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA / RESTORE HOPE (USA) on health systems and program management, development, and monitoring and evaluation.
Executive Director, RESTORE HOPE (USA)
Saundra Williams earned Master of Public Health and Master of International Affairs degrees in 2009 from Columbia University in New York, with a focus on health in complex emergencies. She had previously spent two years in the Peace Corps, in Turkmenistan, as a teacher and trainer of other teachers; her focus there included female education, community-supported youth activities, and English-immersion instruction. Upon return from Turkmenistan and before her graduate studies, Saundra worked as a case manager in the foster care system in Texas. During her graduate work, she conducted field research on breastfeeding practices in contexts of forced migration in West Darfur, Sudan with Save the Children’s nutrition program. Since completing her graduate degrees, she has worked in the international health arena — serving field missions in Chad, working on the International Rescue Committee's reproductive health program and in Sierra Leone on the Ebola response. She also worked at IRC headquarters on the global Emergency Response and Preparedness Unit to create systems for more effective and data driven responses. Currently, as Executive Director, Saundra brings great expertise to RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA / RESTORE HOPE (USA) on health systems and program management, development, and monitoring and evaluation.
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Board of Directors — RESTORE HOPE: LIBERIA (Liberia)
Dr. David Okiror, Chair Jerry Kerkula Mary Kpoto Adelphine Moore Jenninah Okiror Vaifee A. Tulay Ex Officio: Kumeinu Da-Tokpah, Executive Director Dr. Barbara Burke, Senior Advisor Dr. Robert Rufsvold, Senior Advisor Saundra Williams, Senior Advisor |
Board of Directors — RESTORE HOPE (United States)
Dr. Robert Rufsvold, Pres., Chair Dr. Barbara Burke, Secretary Bakhtavar Desai, Treasurer Saundra Williams, Executive Director Darlington Martor Ex Officio: Dr. David Okiror, Senior Advisor, Liaison Dr. James Strickler, Emeritus Director, Senior Advisor |