Our Team

“a passion for creating brighter futures”

Sarah co-founded Action Through Enterprise in 2012, after a frustrating year as a development volunteer – today, she oversees a team of more than 30 staff and is driving an ambitious growth plan. She’s recently published her memoir – To Lawra with Love – telling the compelling and very honest story of a challenging and inspiring decade.

“The work we do couldn’t be more important. As a former primary school teacher. my great passion is enabling young people to access education and creating opportunities for brighter futures. I am beyond proud of my team and the impact we have, enabling the people of Lawra to fulfil their potential.”

Sarah lives in Wiltshire with her husband, daughter and cat, and in her spare time, she is a governor at Hungerford Nursery School Youth and a reluctant runner.

“the baton is now in my hands”

Assuming the Lawra Manager role after five successful years running our SNAP disability Programme, Kaamil has quickly become a vital asset. His humility and interpersonal skills have already brought progress as he guides the team towards making Lawra our Centre of Excellence.

“My favourite part is us enabling underprivileged children to access education and healthcare – and you see them smile. Many times I sit at home and think about it, and say ‘wow, this is amazing’.”

Kaamil, from a renowned Muslim family in Zongo community, previously ran the IT Unit at Lawra District Assembly. His experience working with different agencies, senior officials and  traditional authorities will be a strength as ATE grows. “I believe all the things we do here is what is going to bring the funding. To be able to expand further than where we are today, that is how I am looking at it.”

Read more about Kaamil here: https://ateghana.org/an-interview-with-kaamil-issahaku/

“telling the world about ATE”

Michele is a TV executive producer and co-author of To Lawra With Love, Sarah Gardner’s memoir. She has been using her storytelling experience to tell the world about ATE, spreading the news about the transformational work through communications and new relationships.

“People are always blown away by what we do. The work on the ground, the team, the passion, the experience and insight driving it all. We have an amazing story to tell and I feel privileged to be telling it.”

“leading and encouraging girls”

“I am Charity Kyekpo, and I began my life transition with ATE in 2021. My initial job was a Hub Assistant, from which I learned so much and today am confident to say I am now a Hub Manager working with great positive wishes.

“Leading and encouraging school girls as the Girls Project Lead has been a great pleasure. The mentorship, experiences and the positive impact are what makes me better. As I embrace ATE with much love and gratefulness, so are the many people I work with in Lawra. In all, ATE is a life-changing organisation.

“a passionate advocate for community development” 

I’m Umar Abdul-Gafar, a passionate advocate for community development and equality in education, with a special focus on the Lawra area. As a firm believer in the power of education, I joined ATE to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families in Lawra. I’m dedicated to eradicating poverty and promoting equal opportunities for all. Together with the incredible team at ATE, I will help various programmes and initiatives that empower the community through education, healthcare, and livelihood support. I’m excited to contribute my skills and knowledge to this meaningful cause and work towards a brighter future for Lawra. I’m happy to join hands and make a difference together!

“I am much proud of the role”

Esther works every day, supporting and inspiring the children and carers who attend SNAP.

“ATE is a great organisation that has made changes in many families in Lawra and most especially myself. I joined ATE in 2021 and I am much proud of the role in which I play which is teaching SNAP children to regain their mind with a lot of sensory activities.

“The greatest part of the work as an employee, which I love, is associating with disabled children, for them to feel accepted though they are vulnerable in the society as a whole. My greatest hope one day is to see SNAP families marvel.”

“transformational and life-changing”

“My name is Helen, I joined ATE as a Special Needs Awareness coordinator, main aim was to make them feel accepted in society without a single discrimination. Suddenly, through ATE  monthly SNAP meetings across six hubs, I became a motivational speaker (inspiring parents to have patience, though not easy) and a great comedian (making parents laugh even in the midst of their problems).

My wish is to see SNAP families look good in their various homes and in public so that great acceptance from everyone will be a key. To say the least I have become a transformational and a life changing person through ATE.

“a deep-rooted love for the work`’

Kanyir has been a dedicated member of ATE for several years – starting as an intern and currently serving his national service with us. He’s always shown enthusiasm, dedication and a strong willingness to learn, and has become an integral part of ATE, contributing his unique skills to various projects.

He has a deep-rooted love for the work, and this passion is at the core of his commitment. “What I find most fulfilling is the tangible impact I can make on the lives of those in need, knowing that every effort directly contributes to improving the living conditions of rural communities. The most fulfilling moments are witnessing positive changes in the lives of the people ATE serves.”

Read more about Kanyir here: https://ateghana.org/kanyiri-kuube-issan-rising-star-of-ate/

“proud to be part of this journey”

Gabriel has been part of Action Through Enterprise from the very start, and is leading our growth into the new district of Nandom.

A native of Lawra, he brings the right type of leadership for the Ghana team, building on his master’s degree in Public Affairs and many years’ experience in the non-profit sector in the United States and Ghana. From volunteering for ATE in 2012, he became Lawra Director in 2021, Country Director in 2022, and is now a Strategic Advisor for the organisation whilst working in America.

“Working with this organisation has been an impactful moment and a career-high for me. It has brought me much closer to the people, the communities and the team. I am very proud to be part of this journey and proud of seeing how much I have contributed in impacting the lives of our communities through our programmes. More importantly, I am looking forward to supporting the organisation to build another success-driven team in Nandom and I am excited to encounter the challenges Nandom brings while ensuring that Lawra becomes the Centre of Excellence.”

“the opportunity to learn”

Kakpe has been working with ATE as a volunteer since the very early days of the organisation. As a volunteer, he provided great support to the team through his consistent hard work and dedication, and he continues to work with ATE during his university breaks.

“It has always been my passion to contribute to community development and help make a difference in the lives of people. This passion has greatly influenced my choice of study, and I am pursuing a degree in Development Planning.

“I hope to complete uni and make use of my new skills to augment the transformational works of ATE in Upper West Ghana. Working with ATE has given me the opportunity to work with and learn from great personalities en route.”

Dee is a retired primary school deputy headteacher with many years’ experience as a special needs coordinator. She has been involved with ATE since the beginning, and has visited Lawra on several occasions where she has helped develop the SNAP play schemes and worked with the families of disabled children. She provides ongoing support and guidance to the SNAP team, as we open continue to launch more groups.

Co-Founder of the organisation, and Chair of Trustees for 10 years, Charles now focuses on providing vital support to ATE’s small business development programme. Charles is instrumental in the planning, execution and monitoring of the BizATE, where his extensive business background contributes significantly. Regular trips to Ghana are an important part of his role, where Charles facilitates training workshops for ATE’s Small Business Owners and Consultants.

Charles’s business background included senior roles in Kantar Retail, Glendinning Management Consultants, St.Ivel, Tesco and Sara Lee.

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Peter is involved in the day-to-day running of ATE. In his working life, he was involved in the operations of businesses so he attends the monthly Operational Management Meetings and gives support in the finance and project areas as well. Peter is a key fundraiser and advocate for ATE.

Susan has been a Trustee of ATE for nearly 10 years. She provides support over a wide range of activities, particularly in the area of Human Resources management. She is a strong advocate for ATE particularly in the local Wiltshire area.

Priyanka is a development practitioner specialising in education and gender programming. During her career, including her work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, she has designed and managed large-scale implementation programmes supporting communities across a variety of humanitarian and conflict-affected contexts. She provides strategic advice to ATE’s programmes, including how to mainstream gender and inclusion into projects and initiatives.

Andrew is ATE’s Treasurer and completes the management and annual published accounts from the detailed records kept in the UK and Ghana.  After a financial career in multinational companies, both large and small, he uses his extensive accountancy expertise and experience to provide advice on all areas of finance.  As the Charity has developed, he has worked to strengthen its financial procedures and controls.

Jacob is an experienced international development practitioner who has been key in the continuous improvement of accountability and the introduction of systematic quality management at Dutch development agency Cordaid. More recently he managed the development and worldwide rollout of unified management standards, with compliance checks, in the international Caritas network.  

He contributes to the Board’s strategic planning, is involved in some HR activities and will be working with ATE management to explore fundraising opportunities in the Netherlands. 

Nigel grew up in Ghana and retains personal and business links with the country.

A chartered architect with project management and development consultancy experience, he has supported Action Through Enterprise for several years, raising funds and awareness of the charity and its work in Ghana through the Rotary organisation on local, national and international platforms.