Village Hope was founded by Jon Bart, Humphrey Sonny, Victor ali Bangura and Craig Wolford in December 2007. As Jon began looking for ways to give back to the community, he read Bill Clinton’s book, “Giving” in September 2007. About the same time, Humphrey, a Sierra Leonean living in Minneapolis, also read the book. Both were impressed by the book’s description of the US-Africa Children’s Fellowship which sends educational items to Zimbabwe. Both wrote to the Fellowship who put them in contact with each other.
Victor ali Bangura, also a Sierra Leonean living in Minneapolis, soon joined the team. When Victor offered to pay for shipping the first container (40 x 10 x 8 ft) of school supplies, what first seemed like a dream was suddenly possible.
Victor and Humphrey grew up in Sierra Leone during peaceful times before the war. They are now a central part of Village Hope (picture to left), giving a voice to the needs of the Sierra Leonean children, sharing their knowledge of the culture and environment, and forging links with Sierra Leonean officials, churches, and community leaders.
- Use a comprehensive approach
- Encourage sustainable programs
- Include monitoring and evaluation
- Partner with other organizations
- Be risk averse
- Complete programs within five years
Village Hope, Inc. is a public charity (501c3 designation pending), incorporated in the State of Idaho, governed by a Board of Directors, and run by its officers: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. An Advisory Committee assists the Board and Officers.
Jonathan Bart, PhD. President and Chair of the Board of Directors. Jon received his education in statistics and ecology and has worked as a research scientist for universities and the federal government for more than 30 years. He has conducted field work in many parts of the United States and Canada, especially in the Arctic.
Curt Beckmann has spent 30+ years in high tech engineering and management, and 3 years in nonprofit volunteering. He has degrees in physics and business administration. He is founding director of The Appropedia Foundation, and board member at LeapingStone
Bob Koeberleinis a Registered Professional Engineer (CA and ID) who has worked on a variety of projects in the US and internationally. His engineering career spans over 30 years, and includes employment with the Federal Government (Voice of America), State Government (Idaho Transportation Department), and private consulting engineering firms. While with the Voice of America, Bob managed projects in Kuwait, Saipan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Liberia, Morocco and Botswana.
Jeanne Koeberlein has held several administrative positions with private companies, local government and state government. She currently manages the Koeberlein household.
Sierra Leone Country Director
Abi Jones has a strong background in international development, including an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She has worked on several projects for Volunteers Serving Overseas, serving most recently for a year in Mombasa, Kenya. She has also worked with NGOs in a variety of roles in the UK, East Malaysia, and Pakistan. She arrived in Sierra Leone on October 4th, 2009, to work for Village Hope for at least one year.
We have produced both administrative and technical reports. VHTR2 Program overview (below), describes our approach for community assistance. Other reports provide technical information about specific aspects of the program. Reports that can be downloaded are shown below. Others are in an early stage of development but can be requested from us by email.
VHTR1: Overview of Sierra Leone
VHTR2: Village Hope Business Plan
VHTR5: Construction of buildings
VHTR8: First aid kits for schools
VHTR10: Well construction
VHTR12: Small-scale irrigation
VHTR15: Fish farming
VHTR16: Micro-finance
VHTR 17: Visiting Sierra Leone
VHTR 18: Village Hope Phone Program
VHTR 19: Development Specialist Training Program
VH Conflict of interest policy
VH IRS certification as tax exempt
