Staff
Executive Director After working as a midwife in the US for over 15 years, Bonnie and her family moved to Soroti, Uganda to conduct research with TERREWODE in 2011. The experience led Bonnie to dedicate her life’s work to improving maternal health and ending obstetric fistula. In 2014, she co-founded Terrewode Women’s Fund and currently serves as the Executive Director. Bonnie holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology and a MPH from Oregon State University.
Administrative Assistant Burgandee holds a BA in Language and Culture with an emphasis in Spanish from Southern Oregon University. She has worked in education for several years and currently serves as the registrar at a local middle school. She has a passion for helping others improve their lives and Terrewode Women’s Fund provides that opportunity to many women and girls. Burgandee is excited to be working with an amazing team to help achieve the goal of ending obstetric fistula.
Board of Directors
Board President Carolyn is an epidemiologist who has worked on maternal health issues in the US and internationally. She studied pregnancy outcomes and carried out program evaluation at Group Health Cooperative’s Center for Health Studies, and served as Director of International Programs for One By One, a US-based NGO dedicated to the treatment and prevention of obstetric fistula. Carolyn holds an MPH from Yale and a PhD in epidemiology from University of Washington.
Vice President Vivien is a Clinical Professor of Global Health at the University of Washington. She retired in 2018 from PATH, a global health NGO, after 37 years devoted to women and child health issues. She holds an MA in African History from UC Berkeley, an MPH from UCLA, and a PhD in epidemiology from the UW. She has worked in multiple countries in Africa and Asia, including Uganda, and spent a year in Zimbabwe doing research on obstetric complications.
Treasurer Connie is an obstetrician and gynecologist, as well as an urologist. She specializes in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Her professional understanding of obstetric fistula underlies her compassion for women who suffer from it. She is a graduate of St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, and has a Master’s Degree, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Mayo School of Medicine.
Secretary Julie is the co-owner of Mathnasium of Northwest Seattle and former Advancement Director of One By One, funding the treatment of obstetric fistula and safe motherhood initiatives in East Africa. Julie is passionate about empowering individuals through health and education. She holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a BA in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College. She's served on the boards of One By One, Pacific Crest School, and PCC Community Markets.
Director John Agaba is the President/CEO of Kitara Enterprises, Inc. He headed the United States Ambassadors Security detail from 1992 – 1998 at the United States Embassy in Kampala and previously worked in the President’s Office. He is the current President of the Pacific Northwestern Ugandan American Association (PNUAA) based in Seattle, Washington.
Director Kate Dandel is a filmmaker and marketing consultant. She is passionate for causes that support the health and dignity of women and children. She holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MPA with a focus on Nonprofit Management from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. Among other works, is her documentary feature GOLD BALLS: Inside the World of Ultra Senior Tennis.
Director Lynne pursues her passion for humanitarian photography through philanthropic and advocacy efforts to support the people of Africa. Since 2008, she has worked with numerous nonprofit organizations in Uganda. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Lynne and her husband actively support nonprofits in Texas through their own Tejemos Foundation, which focuses on education, healthcare, the musical arts, social justice, civil rights and environmental preservation.
Director Dr. Suzy Elneil is a consultant in urogynaecology and uroneurology at the University College London Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. She is a member of the International Continence Society and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). She chairs the Board of Trustees of FORWARD (Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development) which is committed to safeguarding the rights of African women.
Ex-Officio Alice Emasu, MSW, MBA, is the Executive Director of TERREWODE and TWCH. She grew up in eastern Uganda and felt compelled at an early age to address the injustices she witnessed against women. In 1999, Alice co-founded TERREWODE and focused efforts on eliminating obstetric fistula and providing holistic treatment to fistula survivors. A national advocate for reproductive health rights, Alice holds an MSW from Washington University St. Louis and an MBA from University of Cattolica.
Director Audrey Garrett, MD, MPH, is a gynecologic oncologist in Eugene, Oregon whose interest in international women’s health started with a combined major in East Asian Studies and premed at Yale. A strong advocate for improved reproductive health care, she has worked in China, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Guatemala. Each country has challenges with women’s health, but linking those challenges is the common thread of reproductive health—from child marriages, fistulas to cancer.
Director Laura Hitchcock, JD, consults with Glick Davis & Associates, supporting public and nonprofit organizations transformations. She has served as a policy analyst in local and national governments, and was Executive Director of the Washington State Public Health Association. Passionate about women’s equality and maternal health care, Laura lives in Seattle and when not working, loves to be outdoors and to travel to new places, including living and working in Tanzania and Uganda.
Director Annika is a public health professional and organizer in the global health equity movement. Her professional experience is with mission-oriented organizations that are driven by the belief that quality healthcare is a human right. After volunteering for TWF for many years, she is humbled to join the Board and continue supporting efforts to improve access to and quality of women's healthcare in Uganda. Annika currently manages operations and physician recruitment at Arc Health.
Board of Advocates
A native of Kampala, Uganda and a recent M.S. Architecture graduate from the University of Oregon, Sharon works as a Project Engineer for Colas Construction in Portland, OR. Sharon has long been drawn to how architecture, construction, and technology can improve lives. Sharon is passionate about research on sustainable design and its impact on human well-being and approaches every project with an open mind and an urge to understand the evolving nature of the environment and human experience.
Claire's passion for women's health issues was developed by her time spent conducting development based field research among local communities in India, Tanzania, Turkey, Mexico, and New Zealand during her undergraduate career at Fordham University. She helped kick off UFF while in graduate school for Business Management at Seattle Pacific University. Claire currently works at Microsoft on the Field Performance Data Management team.
Texas State Musician Sara Hickman has over 20 albums, 2 appearances on the Tonight Show, multiple awards for her songwriting, and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for nonprofits while acting in films and singing national commercials. Sara teaches classes on songwriting and creativity; received a lifetime achievement award from The National Association of Music Therapists and donated over $20,000 from the sales of her hand drawn Texas Musicians Coloring Book.
Advocate Sharon co-founded Terrewode Women's Fund in 2014. For over 20 years, she directed donor relations and fundraising programs for The Fistula Foundation, Americans for UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund), and other nonprofit organizations. During those years, she saw the plight of women and girls suffering under the weight of fistula. The empowering, holistic approach developed by TERREWODE stood out among all the organizations offering medical care to women.
Sandy has had a career long interest in women’s health, reproductive decision making and reproductive mood disorders. She holds a BS from Columbia University and a PhD from NYU. During her career she has worked as a Visiting Nurse in the South Bronx making the postpartum and pediatric home visits, ran a Planned Parenthood Clinic, as a professor of Maternal and Child Health, as a marriage and family counselor, and as a researcher.
Dian joins our Board of Advisors with decades of experience in organizational development, governance and fundraising. She has worked with numerous organizations dedicated to ensuring access to reproductive health care that is safe and available to all. Dian holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in Social Work Planning, Administration and Policy from Western Michigan University.
Tibba is an Investment and Financial Analyst with a focus on Private Equity and Real Estate. She holds a Master of Science in Financial Investments from Texas A&M University and is currently working at Texas Permanent School Fund. She is a co-founder of the Miss Uganda North America Leadership Program and is an advocate for women’s rights, health, and financial literacy. Tibba’s goal is to collaborate with organizations to directly invest in the empowerment of women and girls in v
Elana is a global health consultant supporting organizations to improve access to vaccines, oxygen, and other medical devices in Africa. Elana held international leadership positions in global health non-profit and pharmaceutical organizations. A native of South Africa, Elana has a master’s degree in science from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She is passionate about making an impact in the lives of people in Africa and other low resource countries.
Monica is an entrepreneur and writer living in Seattle. She's a jewelry expert, editor and published author who writes about fine artisan jewelry at www.idazzle.com. She and her family are supporters of women’s health initiatives, particularly global and reproductive health. She is passionate about Africa and the challenges that people, especially women, face as part of their daily existence.
Partners
Collaboration and partnership are two keys to the success and sustainability of our work. Our partners and sponsors provide essential support to the health care of women in Uganda.
