Started in 2015, The Education Assistance Mission (TEAM) represents a specific major project under the 501(c)(3) umbrella of the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance (PSA). While PSA focuses primarily on providing access to clean water resources, TEAM’s focus is specifically on education. As a new organization, it is important for us to begin our work in specific communities. Visit our Geography page to see the communities we have contacted so far.
The officers and board of directors are listed below:
Margareth Awiti was born in Tanzania and came to the United States in 1996. She lives in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia and works as a nurse at the Inglis Foundation. For years she has personally assisted family, friends and former neighbors with medical emergencies, school fees and housing needs. She has long been interested in developing a larger outreach program to help people in Tanzania. She hopes for people in Philadelphia to get to know the wonderful people and famous natural sites in Tanzania. The objectives of the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance have grown out of her own experience of life in Tanzania, where as a nurse midwife she encountered many individuals, especially women and children, who were and still are deprived of human rights, clean water, education, economic well-being and health care. In 2010 she launched an effort at St. Peter's Church that has grown into the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance.
Brett Anderson is a data analyst for a financial software company with prior experience in banking and nonprofit administrative management. Brett has been an active officer with the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance for 3 years and has made multiple trips to Tanzania, including a trip in 2015 to initiate local fundraising in various communities.
John Gummere is a self-employed graphic designer, illustrator and painter who graduated from Columbia University and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He has two daughters and lives in South Philadelphia with his wife Sue. In 2010 Margareth Awiti asked John to assist her in developing an outreach program for Tanzania; that effort has become one of John's passions and led to the creation of the Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance. John's other interests include his work on the Board of Historic St. Peter's Church Preservation Corporation, for which he edits and designs a newsletter.
Stephen is a Philadelphia bankruptcy lawyer helping people in financial trouble see the light at the end of the tunnel by stopping debt collection harassment, during and after Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
As an undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University, Stephen served as an infantry soldier in the Pennsylvania National Guard and as a cadet in the R.O.T.C. Stephen's major in Criminal Justice led Stephen to attend the New England School of Law in Boston. Once there, Stephen honed in on bankruptcy law and was a scholarship recipient for “Securities Regulation.” Stephen followed that with an internship at the Boston Stock Exchange and a clerkship for McGarthy & Ged. During this time, Stephen learned how to help people find financial relief through legal action.
When Stephen is not seeking out solutions for your case, Stephen is looking for ways to make a positive impact in his community – whether that be on the local, state, national, or international level.
Stephen's volunteer activities have led to the creation of a 501(c)(3) non-profit titled the “Philadelphia-Serengeti Alliance” where he serves as the Chief Legal Officer (CLO). The organization will build 90 water wells in Tanzania, Africa to help local communities gain access to necessary water reserves.
Richard J. Aherne is an attorney with a practice in Montgomery County. He lives with his wife and daughter in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Saint Joseph University where as an undergraduate he studied and did service work in Latin America; after college he was awarded an Ambassadorial Fellowship by the Rotary Foundation to study in South America. His experience also includes past service as a board member for two subsidiaries of the Northwestern Human Services Corporation, a non-profit dedicated to assisting individuals with mental health challenges. As an attorney he often works with the Spanish speaking community in Philadelphia on legal and social issues.
Tim is a health insurance actuary at Cigna, where he has held several positions over 10 years. Most relevant to this project, he was the finance lead for Cigna's launch of health insurance products in countries throughout Asia. In this role, he gained experience with cultures, legal environments, and economies in developing countries.
Geoffrey Ngullu was born and grew up in Tanzania. While in Tanzania he worked as an officer with local and central governments, in charge of helping to promote strong rural and urban community development. Later in his career, he worked as revenue accountant and he was in charge of the department, Dar-es-salaam City Commission, Temeke Municipal. Since relocating to the United States, he has been developing his career with an education in accounting and business. In this country he has opportunities to work with a number of corporations and organizations. His goal is to help transform life through the mobilization and distribution of resources, and putting an end to suffering, poverty, and abuse, especially of women and children.