Meet Our Team of Volunteers

Tito Gatkoi Kach

Tito is a South Sudanese national born in Bentiu, Leer County, Unity State. Professionally, he is a Clinical Officer (CO) holding a 3-year diploma in Clinical Medicine and Public Health from AMREF South Sudan (2005). He is also currently a distance learning student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Humanitarian and Conflict Response at the University of Manchester in the UK.

Tito has extensive experience in the humanitarian sector, with 26 years of service as national staff with MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) Holland in South Sudan (1989–2015). He also worked as international humanitarian staff with MSF Holland, including in Nigeria’s Borno State malnutrition program, in Bangladesh during the Rohingya refugee crisis, and in Yemen at the Taiz Mother and Child Health Hospital.

Simon Bol Gatwech Buluong
*Chairperson of UOCO’s Board of Directors* *(South Sudan)*

Simon Bol Gatwech Juluong

Simon is the Program Manager at CEDS (Centre for Emergency and Development Support, WASH). He is from the Republic of South Sudan and is personally very excited to be part of Tito’s dream.

Like Tito, Simon has a consistent determination and deep interest in promoting education. Before 2013, while working in Wau, Western Bahr el Ghazal, he began his own primary school initiative. He left Wau in December 2013, just one week after the Juba Massacre, fleeing because of the war. When he returned to the area in July 2023, he was overwhelmed with emotion—the school had expanded into a high school, and the primary school had grown to include many more classes. His reflection: “We can do the same!”

Tab Gatdiet Bannack

Tab Gatdiet Bannack is a South Sudanese national born in Leer County, Unity State. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Law (LL.M) from Wuhan University and a Bachelor’s Degree of Laws (LL.B) with Second Class Honors from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). He is currently working and volunteering for (UOCO) as Program Manager. He is also a part-time lecturer at Catholic University of South Sudan and a legally licensed practicing advocate and legal consultant. Tab previously worked for UNIDO South Sudan as Child Protection Officer; he was also the focal person for Protection case management and for deepening the attainment of the rule of law, supporting access to justice, and advocating for gender equality and women’s empowerment. He is passionate about enhancing a dignified life for our needy children by building their hopes, trust, and confidence within their socio-economic and cultural development.

Reckoning on his past experiences of having been once a beneficiary of GUA-AFRICA and also a founding member of Mat Africa Education and Development Fund (MADEF), this work not only gives him hope and motivation but also challenges him to be responsive to the community’s needs. He gives his free service as part of giving back to his community.

Diana Rutto

Diana Rutto was born into a family of twelve—five girls and five boys—and raised in the vast Rift Valley in Kenya. She is married to George, and they are lucky to raise four beautiful children—two girls and two boys.

Diana has worked with the Central Bank of Kenya for over twenty years as an Assistant Manager in various departments, so she has one or two things to offer UOCO. She is passionate about the vulnerable, especially the suffering children in the world—more specifically, the children of South Sudan. She believes that the people of South Sudan are cousins of the [Kalenjin] people to whom she belongs.

She served as a Board Member for Dominion Children’s Home in Eldoret, Kenya from 2014-2016. The children’s home helps orphans and needy children in Kenya, and it is also a nonprofit organization.

Silke Sobek

Silke Sobek was born and raised in Cologne, Germany and has a degree in Engineering; she has worked mainly Germany but also in South Africa and Nigeria. She spends most of her professional career in consulting, specializing in financial controlling of international projects. Her leadership experience brought her to MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) as a Finance and Human Resources Manager; this is where she met Tito.

She was an active volunteer for more than 10 years in CISV (Children’s International Summer Village), a youth organization for a more just and peaceful world. She also believes in being a global citizen, having a responsibility to care for people in need.

After learning about UOCO and the current situation in South Sudan, she instantly volunteered to become a fundraiser for UOCO in Germany.

Nyachangkuoth Rambang Tai

Nyachangkuoth is the Big Ocean Women’s South Sudan Cottage president, a YALI alumnus, and has won numerous other prestigious fellowships. She is Special Assistant to the AU chairperson advisor on policy and strategic relations with the African Union Organs (AUO). As head of Gender Programs at the Assistance Mission for Africa (AMA) and Youth Country Liaison for South Sudan and Uganda with the US Institute of Peace (USIP), she raises awareness of the cross-cutting nature of gender equality considerations in social, economic, political, scientific, cultural, and educational fields.

Nyachangkuoth Rambang Tai is a feminist, peace activist, human rights defender, and co-founder of The Mother Care Organization. She seeks the participation and inclusion of women in decision-making processes and the protection of women from all types of violence. She conducts trainings and workshops that empower women to embrace free, just, dignified, and self-actualizing lives in South Sudan. In her work, she incorporates USIP’s Generation Change training manual, which has allowed her to effectively transform her community. She was on the USIP youth advisory council and briefed the UNSC on South Sudan representing South Sudan civil society.

Nyachangkuoth is a graduate of Bahr El Ghazal University with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Social Studies from the Department of Rural Development.

Theng Tut Kach

Theng Tut Kach is South Sudanese by nationality from Leer County, Unity State, where the boarding school is being built. He is currently working for Uppernile Orphans Care Organization (UOCO) as a Finance Officer. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from The Catholic University of South Sudan.

Having been a beneficiary of charity help from various well-wishers while he was pursuing his dreams, he is passionately motivated and moved by the Hand of Hope initiative; this is one way of giving back to his community. He will not only manage the financial transactions for the Uppernile Orphans Care Organization (UOCO) but also grow and develop his career within the organization’s management system.

Chol Ngut Khor

Chol Ngut Khor is a Field Monitoring Assistant at WFP South Sudan. He is from the Republic of South Sudan and is a supporter of UOCO. He has learned from Tito how he came about this dream, and he was touched by the story. South Sudan has been devastated by conflict over the years, which has left many children orphaned. Chol is happy that Tito has this dream to be the hope of these children by building a school to accommodate them and restore their hope and future.

Chol writes, “We all have dreams, but I am so happy to be part of this unique dream of Tito’s! Tito has drawn his dreams from real life experiences by helping an orphan child, which later opened his mind and made him think bigger for the rest of the children. His big heart led to UOCO.

May God bless this dream.”

Raan Clement

Bio coming soon!

James Geng Dieu

James Geng Dieu has a substantial background with MSF Holland in logistics and as a driver. This includes a deep understanding of various logistics domains such as supply chain management, transportation, warehousing, and technical logistics regarding biomedical equipment.

His strong background in logistics, specifically with MSF Holland, suggests a deep understanding of the organization’s logistical operations and the challenges of working in various field environments. This role involves not only driving but also tasks related to the safe and efficient transportation of goods, potentially including medial supplies, equipment, and personnel.

Therefore, his experience includes strong organizational, communication, problem-solving, and logistical planning skills, which are valuable in many professional settings.

Philip Bieh Tap

Philip Bieh Tap is South Sudanese by nationality, hailing from Leer County, Unity State. He was trained for four years (2010-2013) as a teacher in an in-service training program run by ECS/World Relief South Sudan. However, the diploma certificate was not issued due to South Sudan’s civil war. He has been a primary school teacher since 2002.

Philip is currently teaching for Uppernile Orphans Care Organization (UOCO) at Hand of Hope Community School. Before this, he worked for various organizations, such as Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH)/German Agro Action (GAA), Rural Child Organization (RCO), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), World Health Organization (WHO), Oxfam, and Padeah primary school. He was interested in volunteering for UOCO to serve his community with the experience gained from both national and international organizations as well as from education training.

Mary Grace

Mary Grace is humbled and excited to volunteer as part of Tito’s dream of building a boarding school in Leer for war orphans and other vulnerable children. She met Tito in 2013 while volunteering there as an English teacher. There she became friends with six-year-old Khan, an orphan amputee, who was one of her youngest students. In escorting Khan to the local hospital for his routine stump bandage changes and visiting the other patients, she got to know the director of the field hospital, Tito.

Mary writes, “Tito is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. He is a South Sudanese man who shared his dream of helping children with me. His hope is coming to fruition with the founding of the Hand of Hope Community School. Tito and his wife Roda, with six kids of their own, welcomed Khan into their family when they fled the war. The circle widens. This project gives me hope. Please let me know of concerns or suggestions at warorphancaremary@gmail.com.”

Rev. Frank D. Lewis, Sr. *Vice President (USA)*

Pastor Frank D. Lewis, Sr.

Pastor Frank D. Lewis Sr. is the pastor of the Antioch Baptist Church in Madison, Virginia.

He is extremely excited about being on this board. He had always wanted to contribute to ministry in the African nations. Reverend Lewis is actively engaged with the board, offering ideas and guidance. His church is supportive with its prayer and finances.

“May God’s blessings be upon us all in our endeavors,” he writes.

Post Script from Mary Grace: As pastor of my home church in Madison, Virginia, Reverend Lewis has facilitated the work I’ve done in South Sudan and Iraq. His church was the tax-exempt recipient for donations to fund education for three refugee children (including Khan).

Megan L. Coppege

Megan’s lifelong desire has been to help those in the margins. Serving on the Board of UOCO provides just that opportunity. Megan was born and raised in Virginia and has many interests, including photography and gardening—allowing her to see beauty in all things and all people. She is a paralegal and office manager as well as a fitness instructor. These jobs allow her to assist, encourage, and connect with those in need.
When Megan was asked to serve on the UOCO USA Board, she considered it true honor to serve alongside such dedicated and caring people who are determined to make a positive difference in the world abroad. She is excited to partner with others across the globe to provide hope, stability, love, shelter, and an education to the sweet children in South Sudan. Life is short, and investing in an endeavor that will outlive oneself and impact humanity as a whole, one child at a time, is the very definition of what it means to be fully human.

Minister Shirley Barbee

Minister Barbee loves sharing the Gospel and living it out in her daily life. She takes her role as a board member seriously. She provides constant prayer support for the school, and is an able advisor to UOCO. She also writes many of the donor thank-you notes!

Alex Thomas
*Communications Manager* *(USA)*

Alexander Thomas

Alex is from North Carolina, USA and joined UOCO during his time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He supports the organization through his role as the Communications Manager, helping with the technological aspects of UOCO. Alex is passionate about the work this organization does and loves working on new ways to help the children we serve.

Scott Spaine

With deep sadness, we mourn the death of Scott Spaine. This kind soul served on our UOCO board from its inception until his death in August of 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to UOCO or to the charity of your choice. Scott is certainly resting in peace. With gratitude.

Gweneth Norton

Gweneth Norton lives in Virginia, USA. She retired from teaching after forty years. She received her BS in Education from Eastern Tennessee State University and earned my Masters in Education with a concentration in Reading from Shenandoah University.

She has always wanted to help others, and when she learned about this organization from UOCO board member Megan Coppege, it plucked at her heartstrings. She is honored to be a part of this group.

Mary Helene Mele

Mary Helene Mele set up our 501(c)(3) in the USA, which allows tax-deductible donations to our counterpart, the UpperNile Orphans Care Organization (UOCO) NGO. She took a class so she could do this work!

She writes, “I’m impressed by the many efforts which fly under the radar of people helping people across barriers. I think it just might be possible to form a connection between war orphans in South Sudan and a few folks in the USA. I’ve seen it happen. I don’t really know how it happens, but let’s see where this adventure takes us.”

Continuing: “I am a 70-year-old grandmother who has lived in Bellingham, Washington since I was 50. Prior to that, I lived for multiple years each in Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Africa, Ghana, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia as well as San Francisco and Washington, DC. My years in Africa sharpened my heart for the hungry and the children.”

Ezekiel Koech

Ezekiel Koech is a runner, husband, father, and brother. As an accountant, a coach, and a business owner, he loves serving others and helping people. He is also a volunteer Kiswahili translator for refugees from East and Central African regions who reside in North Carolina.

In 2018, Ezekiel met Mary Grace at a local store in Durham. They chatted a little bit and stayed in contact. Over time, they exchanged lots of ideas, including education, basic needs, and foreign currency conversions. Eventually, Ezekiel introduced Mary to his sister, Diana, who then became a UOCO Liaison and Board Member based in Kenya.

Ezekiel writes, “Mary asked me to serve as UOCO Treasurer. For the cause, I said yes. I’m so excited to be part of the mission and to have the opportunity to serve others especially the children in South Sudan.”

Samira Ahmed

Samira is the Senior Grants and Compliance Specialist at Jesuit Refugee Service USA. She collaborates with field offices in Africa, Latin America, MENA countries, and Asia Pacific to support proposal budget development, financial reporting, and compliance reviews. Before joining JRS/USA, Samira worked with several international non-governmental organizations, including Save the Children, Search for Common Ground, and Counterpart International. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park.