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Giving Hope One Village at a Time
Helping to improve lives and outcomes for pupils, teachers, parents and the local community at Bathurst Village, Sierra Leone
Help fund our Mission
Founder : Augusta Rhoda Hughes
Our Vision:
To empower teachers, students, and parents at the Rural Education Committee School at Bathurst Village, Sierra Leone to become a model of excellence in quality education, self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
Our Team
Augusta Rhoda Hughes (Founder)
Deacon Joseph C. Buccilli, Ph.D.
Deacon Joseph C. Buccilli, Ph.D.
She has worked in the Pharmaceutical sector for over 25 years. She is currently Associate Director, Oncology for a major pharmaceutical company. She is also an adjunct professor at Camden County College, in New Jersey, and an aspiring author and motivational speaker. All her life, she has been passionate about healthcare, teaching, entre
She has worked in the Pharmaceutical sector for over 25 years. She is currently Associate Director, Oncology for a major pharmaceutical company. She is also an adjunct professor at Camden County College, in New Jersey, and an aspiring author and motivational speaker. All her life, she has been passionate about healthcare, teaching, entrepreneurship, and helping others to be self-sufficient and succeed. She is an ardent proponent of hard-work, education, and strong belief in God -qualities that can empower anyone to overcome, conquer struggles, combat fears, and achieve success. Augusta is an alumni of Rutgers University in New Jersey, and La Salle University in Philadelphia, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) respectively. She is also a certified Toastmaster.
Deacon Joseph C. Buccilli, Ph.D.
Deacon Joseph C. Buccilli, Ph.D.
Deacon Joseph C. Buccilli, Ph.D.
He has been serving the children of the Lord as a RC Permanent Deacon since 1999, and is a highly experienced Pastoral/Mental and Health/Substance Abuse professional. He has recently retired from Cumberland
County Guidance Center and South Woods State Prison but continues to
serve others as a DOC/ISP consultant. He has served in Social Acti
He has been serving the children of the Lord as a RC Permanent Deacon since 1999, and is a highly experienced Pastoral/Mental and Health/Substance Abuse professional. He has recently retired from Cumberland
County Guidance Center and South Woods State Prison but continues to
serve others as a DOC/ISP consultant. He has served in Social Actions USAF/Germany and PEACE Corps/Brazil, SA. Deacon Joseph continues serving as an instrument of God’s love by motivating others to empower themselves through spiritual direction and stress-reduction which is based upon prayer, self-disciple and ongoing emotional maturation.
Catherine Ard
Florence Norville-Cheek
Florence Norville-Cheek
She is profoundly honored to be a board member of the “Giving Hope
One Village At A Time” charity organization. She and her close friend Augusta met and bonded as colleagues at Merck, a pharmaceutical company. For the past 10 years, Catherine has been blessed with the opportunity to contribute to helping save the lives of millions of chil
She is profoundly honored to be a board member of the “Giving Hope
One Village At A Time” charity organization. She and her close friend Augusta met and bonded as colleagues at Merck, a pharmaceutical company. For the past 10 years, Catherine has been blessed with the opportunity to contribute to helping save the lives of millions of children worldwide through her work with Merck's Vaccines. Her rich and varied career has encompassed: marketing communications, medical education, project management, advertising, public relations, events coordination, writing and editing in the human and animal health care, technology, and publishing industries. She is also an impassioned actress, professional singer, church vocalist and songwriter who believes in the power to touch lives through music. She has jointly released two award-winning CDs with the Christian group Kingdom Come. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia.
Florence Norville-Cheek
Florence Norville-Cheek
Florence Norville-Cheek
She began her career as a Financial Services
Professional with New York Life Insurance Company in 2012. She is committed to providing her clients with the insurance and financial products and services that meet their specific needs. Her mission is to empower her clients to become financially secure and build multigenerational wealth. Prior
She began her career as a Financial Services
Professional with New York Life Insurance Company in 2012. She is committed to providing her clients with the insurance and financial products and services that meet their specific needs. Her mission is to empower her clients to become financially secure and build multigenerational wealth. Prior to New York Life, Florence was an
Education Program Manager for Consumer Credit Counseling, now Clarify. In this capacity, she was responsible for developing and presenting workshops on all aspects of personal finance to diverse audiences in both corporate and community settings. Florence distinguished herself as an attention-getting workshop presenter due to
her ability too easily connect with her audience. She also volunteers to present financial literacy workshops in her community. A self-proclaimed health fanatic, she enjoys preparing vegan recipes as well as exercising, entertaining, reading, writing and traveling. Florence has an MBA in Finance from La Salle University in Philadelphia.
Visit September 2021
Lunch September 2021
Our School
The Bathurst Village Rural Education Committee School was founded on February 25th 1818, by the Christian Missionary Society (CMS), under the auspices of the Anglican Church of England. The original name was Bathurst Infant School; which consisted of classes 1 and 2 (grades 1 to 2). Today, the school is run by 1 Headmaster, Mr. Carlton Aitkins, and 11 teachers. There is a total of 303 pupils – across the 6 grades.
School supplies for children in Sierra Leone
About Us
Headmaster and Teachers
From Left to Right: Mr. Carlton, Mrs. Aitikins, Mrs. Mansaray, Ms. Nicol, Ms. George, Mrs. Laundeh, Mrs. Morgan, Mr. Buck, Mr. Macaulay