Founder and Executive Director (South Sudan/Kenya)
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.
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!”
Board Member (South Sudan)
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.
Board Member (Kenya)
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.
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.
Finance Officer (South Sudan)
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!
UOCO Maintenance and Practical Support
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.
Head Teacher and Administrator: Hand of Hope Community School (South Sudan)
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.