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Who is Solace?
STAFF | FIELD DIRECTORS| BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
FIELD DIRECTORS |
One of Solace’s basic operating principles has been to seek out competent and driven individuals at the local level to facilitate projects in the field. Local field directors help Solace staff bridge many communication and cultural barriers, and also help represent Solace’s interests to the community. |
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INDONESIA
Rayadin (Adin) Sinurayna, Field Director
Adin grew up surrounded by the war and conflict in the hotly contested Ache Province, Indonesia. He became a teacher to help rebuild the regions educational system. After meeting Nate York in 2005, he agreed to oversee school construction projects and vocational programs in Ache Province. He has been instrumental helping negotiate with the many conflicting elements in the region.
E-Mail rayadins@solaceinternational.org
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KENYA & SUDAN
Simon Okelo, Field Director
Simon Okelo was born and raised in Kisumu Kenya. He lost his mother when he was only 11 years old. Without any relatives to turn to, Simon ended up living with a friend of his mothers Seline who cared for him as if he were her own son.
Over time Seline began taking in more orphaned children and eventually, her home became the Young Generation Center (YGC). As the oldest orphan living at YGC, Simon assumed various responsibilities and began to help oversee projects. Simon's work included administrative duties, over seeing construction projects, as well as the creation of his own event called the Riverbash Explosion that he designed to help raise funds for YGC.
In 2006 Simon met Nate York (Executiver Director of Solace) and quickly became part of the Solace team. Because of his ability to work with people, his natural leadership skills, and his experience working with orphans Simon was a huge asset to Solace and soon began working with Nate in Kenya, Sudan and Malawi.
Now Simon is part of the Solace team and has said "working with Solace is like a call to serve and what makes me really happy is that it makes me part of the solution and not part of the problem that is facing the world now".
E-Mail jahvoh@gmail.com
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MALAWI
Ayub Azizi, Field Director
Born in Kabul in 1960 to a family of 16 siblings, Ayub was the first of his family to attend a university, where he studied philosophy and writing. In the early ’90s, after the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan was embroiled in a violent civil war. Because of the dangers posed by remaining in Kabul, Ayub fled with his wife and four daughters over the Hindu Kush Mountains to Northern Afghanistan. He settled in Sheberghan, where he drove a taxi to support his family. After meeting Nathaniel York in 2002, Ayub joined the Solace team in 2003.
In 2007 Ayub and his family moved to Malawi where he is now the Field Director for Solace.
E-Mail ayub@solaceinternational.org
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NEPAL
Mingma Lama, Field Director
Dr. Mingma Lama grew up in the remote Napali village of Phaplu in the Solu Khumbu District. He walked nearly an hour each way to attend the local school. He carried this determination to his studies at Sarswati Multiple Campus – Kathmandu, Nepal. In 1995, he earned a Ph.D. in Information Technology from Sydney Institute of Technology in Australia.
Mingma began his work advancing the cause of rural education in Nepal in 2004, acting as treasurer for the Belgium aid organization Cunina. With Solace in 2005, Mingma facilitated the construction of the Dorothy Byren Primalry School in his home village of Phaplu, convincing his family to donate land for the project.
He will continue to work with Solace in 2006 in Nepal.
E-Mail lama@solaceinternational.org
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