Mr. Stephen Amoako is a project management expert with interest in education, natural resources development, relief management, food security and, maternal and child health (including HIV/AIDS). In the past four decades, he has worked in multi-cultural settings by consulting for complex projects sponsored by USAID, SIDA, Global Affairs Canada, DFID and many other international institutions. Mr. Amoako’s project management roles have taken him to over 30 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. He was a Resident Manager for large-sponsored projects in Ghana, Guinea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Between 2016 and 2020, Mr. Amoako was the Chief of Party for a consortium (Children Believe, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Canada, and Emmanuel International Canada) to promote sustainable health projects in Ghana, Rwanda and Malawi. Prior to joining Children Believe, Stephen had served as the Associate Director for ADRA Africa, with the responsibility of providing capacity for 14 ADRA Country Offices within the West-Central Africa Region. In this role, he was responsible for the design, development and implementation of programs funded by national and international donors within the Sahel Region. From August 2010 to September 2012, Mr. Amoako served as Senior Program Manager of ADRA International to execute many complex projects. Here, he played key roles in the design, management, monitoring and evaluation of a 55-million dollar USAID-funded project in Ghana and South Sudan in the areas of health, nutrition, economic empowerment, water and sanitation. Again in this role, Stephen worked with multi-stakeholders such as the Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Food for the Hungry, Concern Worldwide, Malaria Consortium, Aweil Community Development Organization and, Assistance Mission for Africa. Mr. Amoako also managed a 71-million dollar food security program in Ethiopia. Prior to his three year working tour to Ethiopia, Stephen had worked with the US-based Education Development Centre in Ghana as a Project Coordinator for a USAID-funded program that supported the achievement of the basic education goals in the Ghana Education Strategic Plan. This program was in collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, the Ghana Education Service, the US-based Centre for Applied Linguistics and Yale University, South Africa’s Molteno Project and other Ghanaian NGOs. Between 1991 and 2005, Stephen occupied many Executive positions in ADRA Ghana and Guinea. He was the Programs Director and once, the Acting Country Director for ADRA Guinea. Here, he oversaw the implementation of a multi-million dollar portfolio from the US Government and other international institutions. Some of the major projects he executed were in food security and poverty alleviation. Mr. Stephen Amoako is a member of the Institution of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (UK) and holds a Master’s degree in Administration and International Development from the Andrews University (Michigan, USA). He also has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History, Diploma in Education and, a Professional Teaching Certificate from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Mr. Amoako is proficient in English, French and Twi, and is passionate about the holistic education of children.

James is a Chartered Accountant with over eighteen (18) years profession experience in both the public and private sectors in Ghana and the UK. He has taught Accounting and other Business Management modules at the Cambridge University, Anglia Ruskin University, University of East London and the London School of Commerce. In the past, James has also volunteered his professional services to NGOs (including ADRA-UK and the Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum) that support development programmes in less privileged communities. His passion for empowering people in underprivileged communities gave birth to Growing Together. James holds a PhD, MBA (Anglia Ruskin University) and BSc Accounting (Oxford Brookes University). He is also a Fellow of the ACCA-UK.

Jessey is an entrepreneur and youth activist who has provided leadership to many young people in faith-based associations. He has trained and mentored many young adults to uncover their potentials and to contribute to the development of their communities. Mr. Jessey Tayman has a considerable industry experience in the areas of Accounting, Finance, Taxation, Auditing, and Strategic Management. In the past, he has consulted for a number of reputable companies in the financial markets, manufacturing, mining, information technology, and construction. Mr. Tayman is a part-qualified member of the ACCA-UK and holds a BSc degree in Finance. He also holds an International Certificate and Diploma in Finance from the Association of Business Executives, UK.

Florence is a teacher by profession. She has taught children between the ages of six (6) and twelve (12) for the past fifteen (15) years. Mrs. Sarkodie-Tuffour has a strong passion for the development of children from underprivileged communities. Her responsibilities as an Assistant Headteacher at the Ghana Education Service include the counselling of adolescents on matters relating to personal hygiene and sexuality. Florence has special interest in the education of the girl-child. For the past decade, she has been the Focal Person for girl-child education in her school where her roles cover inter alia increasing the enrolment and retention of the girl child at school. Florence holds a Bachelor’s degree and Diploma in Basic Education from the University of Education. Again, she has a Professional Teacher’s Certificate from the University of Cape Coast.

Henry is a Public Speaker and Entrepreneur. He is also a Cognitive BehavioralTherapist and a qualified Mental Health Practitioner. Mr. Makuyana has over18 years working experience in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. In this role, Henry supports individuals suffering from mental health problems. He is passionate about mental health education, the development of emotional intelligence, and robust emotional resilience to cope with everyday challenges. Henry believes that education can break the poverty cycle in developing countries. Hence, he enjoys helping young people to attain a holistic education: academically, emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually. He contributes to this holistic education standpoint through active participation in charitable events and programs that are aimed at growing healthy communities. Henry supports global community development initiatives championed by agencies such as ADRA-UK. In the past, Mr. Henry Makuyana has led many fundraising drives to solicit for public support for poverty alleviation, economic empowerment and, the education of young people in less-developed countries.

Felicia has extensive experience spanning four decades in educational leadership. She attained her Professional Teaching Certificate in 1969 and retired from active service about fourteen years ago. Felicia has trained and mentored many teachers in the Ghana Education Service. As Headteacher for over two decades, she was key in the implementation of many governm -ents educational policies for the basic schools. Key among them were the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education and Girl Child Education Access. In her long service in the education sector, Felicia helped to increase enrol- ment and retention of pupils in the schools. Ms. Munufie is passionate about the education of the girl-child and believes that the surest way to sustainable poverty alleviation is through education. She continues to support programmes that help to retain the girl child in school. Felicia has facilitated many sexuality (including HIV and AIDS) programmes and counselled several young people on career and skills development. She has also facilitated incalculable empowerment programmes that boost the socio-economic development of vulnerable women. Ms. Felicia Munufie has served on many governing boards in the Ghana Education Service and other faith-based organizations. In 2004, she was a member of the Governing Board of the Tuobodom Senior High School. She held a similar office at the Techiman Senior High School, between 2005 and 2007.

Joseph is an Entrepreneur and Accountant with about fifteen years work- ing experience in the education sector. He supports the Advisory Council with has deep knowledge and understanding of the education system in Ghana, especially, the operations of rural schools. His desire for the delivery of quality education for all children led to the establishment of the UniJoe Educational Complex, a model school at the Offinso North District of Ghana. Joseph holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Valley View Unive- rsity, a BSc and Diploma in Accounting from the University of Education and the Sunyani Technical University, respectfully. Currently, Mr Nyame heads the Accounts Department at the Asuoso Senior High School.

Mrs. Paula Meriez is a mental health practitioner and holds an MSc in Advanced Clinical practice from the *University of...* She has over three decades working experience in the healthcare sector. Majority of her working career has been with the UK’s National Health Service (Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust) where she has risen through several ranks in Medicine and Mental Health. She also has extensive industry experie- nce from the United States of America and the Caribbean. Paula is passionate about the fight against inequalities and discrimination in the workplace and society in general. She has a peculiar interest in the integra- tion and inclusiveness of ethnic minority groups in the workplace. Her recent study on race and ethnic discrimination within the health service has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. She undertook this study in collaboration with researchers from the King’s College London and other healthcare practitio- ners across the UK. Mrs. Meriez is a public speaker and enjoys facilitating programmes that sen- sitize against discrimination and, promote quality healthcare and women empo- werment. In her professional practice, she has provided mental health support to many young and vulnerable people to overcome their developmental challe- nges. She also volunteers her spare time to support the elderly in her commun- ity through the national charity, Age UK. Mrs. Paula Meriez holds the belief that quality education is a right of every child and not a privilege. At Growing Together, she brings on board her enorm- ous experience in the support of the underprivileged in society, particularly, in lifting children and youths from poverty through education and skills development.

Dr Asafo is a Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. She is also the Communications Director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana, a position she has held since 2007. As a Professional Journalist and, Communications and Public Relations Practitioner, Solace’s expertise cuts across Strategic Communication, Corporate and Public Policy Communications and Mass Media Management. Dr Asafo has consulted for many reputable institutions, including, the Inter-Ministerial Coordinat- ing Committee on Decentralisation, Water Resources Commission, Public Procurement Authority, Land Use Planning and Managem- ent Project and Maple Consult. In the past, Dr Asafo did work for the Directorate of Public Relations, Ghana Armed Forces. She was the Public Relations Manager for the Association of Ghana Industries and, a Parliamen- tary Research Assistant for the policy think tank, the Institute for Democratic Governance. Solace holds a PhD in African Studies, MPhil in Communication Studies and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Ghana.

Mr. Benjamin Amaning-Kwarteng is a highly experienced Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) expert with over 15 years of professional experience in Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a passion for empo- wering vulnerable communities and fostering accountability, Mr. Amaning- Kwarteng has dedicated his career to developing cutting-edge systems in internationally funded projects that promote transparency, efficiency, and meaningful impact. Throughout his career with international NGOs, Benjamin has been at the forefront of pioneering accountability solutions and embracing innovative approaches to revolutionize the measurement, tracking, and reporting of multi-dollar projects. His track record speaks for itself, demonstrating his commitment to delivering results and driving positive change. As a member of the Advisory Council of the Growing Together Educational Foundation, Mr. Amaning-Kwarteng brings his expertise in building sustain- able systems that empower the organization to achieve its goals and stay connected with both internal and external stakeholders. Beyond his role as an M&E professional, Mr. Amaning-Kwarteng is also a dedicated trainer and mentor. He takes immense joy in working with young people and guiding them to become future leaders. His innovative training programs combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills, equipping the next generation to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing world. One of Benjamin's key strengths lies in his ability to enhance community engagement and participation. He strongly advocates for inclusivity, firmly believing that every community member's voice matters. His work has been marked by integrating community-driven approaches into M&E frameworks, creating platforms that enable individuals, particularly young people, to actively contribute to decision-making processes. Innovation serves as a gui- ding principle throughout Mr. Amaning-Kwarteng's work. He consistently seeks new methodologies, technologies, and data-driven solutions to improve M&E practices. By harnessing the power of emerging technologies such as machine learning and data visualization, he unlocks valuable insights and presents infor- mation in a user-friendly manner, enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions effectively. With his global perspective, Mr. Amaning-Kwarteng has had the privilege of working on projects in various countries, including Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Kenya, Rwanda, among others, and across diverse sectors. This exposure has broadened his horizons and enriched his understanding of different cultures and contexts, enabling him to tailor M&E strategies to specific needs and challenges. Benjamin aims to foster accountability, tran- sparency, and positive change in every project he undertakes. His focus on designing robust systems and engaging communities collaboratively contr- ibutes to achieving sustainable development that uplifts lives. Mr. Benjamin Amaning-Kwarteng is excited to connect, collaborate, and ex- plore ways to build a better future together. He welcomes the opportunity to make a positive impact, one project at a time, by embarking on a journey of innovation and accountability at the Growing Together Educational Foundation.