Meet the Team

  • Pastor Wariel Maphie

    FOUNDER

    Board Chairman and Pastor

  • Barakael Lutherson

    Board Secretary and Project Managing Director

  • Eleanor Parks

    SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR

  • Jerry Thames

    Chairman - UboraTZ

    US retired business executive,

Leadership from Siha Leadership School recently traveled to Dodoma to meet with the Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Education to share more about SLS’s teaching methodologies and ongoing successes.

 

School Leadership

PUNCHWMI Foundation/SHEFO

Siha Leadership School is owned by PUNCHWMI Foundation, a NGO established in 2002 by Pastor Wariael Maphie.  The foundation is anticipating a change of name to SHEFO - Shelter of Hope and Excellence Foundation.

The NGO is governed by a nine member board including:

  • Pastor Wariael Maphie, Board Chairman and Pastor

  • Goodluck Nnko, Teacher

  • Olais Sikoi, Engineer

  • Magreth Mushi, Advocate

  • Unity Msami, Pastor

  • Barakael Lutherson, Board Secretary and Project Managing Director

  • Dave Burgess, Engineer and President, UboraTZ

  • Jerry Thames, US retired business executive, Chairman - UboraTZ

  • Tim Neet, US retired business executive, Board Member - UboraTZ

SLS Parent Committee

The school is also supported by a ten member parent committee which is responsible for providing additional oversight and communicating with and representing the parents of the school

Mentor Team

A US-based teacher mentoring team provides training and support to SLS teachers.  It consists of trained and experienced educators including:

  • A graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelors degree in Biology and Animal Science with middle and high school teaching experience.

  • A preschool - kindergarten founder and administrator. 

  • A holder of Bachelors degree in Education from the University of North Carolina and a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from North Carolina State University.  Experienced Elementary School teacher.

  • A teacher with 40 years of classroom experience and a Bachelors degree in Education from Belhaven College.  

  • A graduate of Westchester University with a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education and extensive experience as an early grades teacher and administrator.

Direct oversight of the school is provided by:

  • Baraka Lutherson, Managing Director, Shelter of Hope and Excellence Foundation (SHEFO)

  • Amani Nicolas, Siha Leadership School

UboraTZ

UboraTZ is a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving long-term sustainability for the people of the Siha District of Tanzania.  Ubora comes alongside local religious, government and community leaders and through its partner in-country NGO, SHEFO.  Impact is achieved through five programs: child sponsorship, education, health, business and community.  Click here to visit the Ubora website.