FOCAGIFO-USA Welcomes New Board Members

The Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation-USA (FOCAGIFO-USA) is delighted to welcome two new members to its Board of Directors.
Sara Woldehanna lives in the Washington D.C. area. As a social science researcher, she has used her expertise in global health programs targeting HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and childhood diseases. Woldehanna came to know Canon Gideon’s work when she was leading a multinational research project to assess faith-based organizations’ impact on the HIV pandemic. She recently worked in Uganda on a project to reduce transmission of emerging-pandemic-threat (EPT) viruses from animals to humans. Woldehanna holds an M.A.A. in applied anthropology from the University of Maryland, an M.S . in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, and a B.A. in physics with a sociology/anthropology minor from Randolph Macon Women’s College.
Betty Carpenter of Sewanee is a Louisiana native and ordained Episcopal Deacon. She received a degree in education from Louisiana State University. Carpenter served as a parish youth minister and has developed programs for children in churches, public schools and private schools. She currently serves as director of the Community Action Committee (CAC) of Otey Memorial Parish, giving assistance to individuals and families living below the poverty line.
Current board president and social scientist Karin Ringheim of Arlington, Va., spent 25 years conducting research on family planning, maternal and child health, and HIV/AIDS in more than 20 countries. She has worked with the World Health Organization, USAID and the Global Health Council. Ringheim came to know Canon Gideon in 2005 in a study of faith-based organizations’ role in HIV/AIDS prevention and care. She has actively supported his Hope Institute in Uganda since that time. She has a Masters in public health from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan. Ringheim has recently consulted with the UN Populations Fund and the Glazier Pediatric AIDS Foundation. She is the author of a book on homelessness and a prize-winning play about addiction.
Current secretary Marilyn Phelps of Sewanee earned a B.S. in psychology and management of human resources with a minor in sociology, and a M.S. in social work. She has a private counseling practice in Sewanee. Her family has been involved in work in Uganda since 1980; her three children have lived and worked in Uganda.
Founder and current treasurer of FOCAGIFO Sally Hubbard of Sewanee began her HIV activism by facilitating a support group for families and friends of people with AIDS in Houston. She crewed, fundraised or rode 12 AIDS bicycle rides primarily in California and Texas. Since meeting Canon Gideon while he was teaching at Sewanee in 2013, Hubbard spent a month in his Hope Institute and returned determined to implement annual fundraisers for his school. She has a B.A. in English and music from Tulane University, and was an associate editor of studies in English Literature 1500-1900 at Rice University in Houston.
Canon Gideon Byamugisha, an HIV+Anglican priest, established his Hope Institute near Kampala to provide basic education and job skills for orphans and other vulnerable children aged 14 to 20. What makes his school unique is the extensive, pervasive training about HIV and HIV prevention. His abiding principle is the determination to reduce shame, stigma, denial, and discrimination so that youth who are not infected with HIV can prevent infection, and those already infected (often since birth) can live honorably and to their highest potential. More than 1,000 have graduated from Hope Institute and 86 are currently enrolled. For further information, contact Sally Hubbard at 598-5338 or <sally@hubbard.net>.