Meet the Board
President — David Sharp
Dr. David Sharp earned his Ph.D. in Community Nutrition with minors in Psychology and Marketing from Cornell University in 2015. He is an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio where he lives with his wonderful wife Erin and their three children- Devlin, Emerson, and Lionelle. Dr. Sharp’s research focus is on behavioral and environmental nutrition with a focus on how small changes to your eating routines can have long-term impacts on your dietary choices. In addition to his normal course load, he also leads a class of Nutrition, Nursing, and Public Health students to Uganda every summer to improve their global perspective on food, nutrition, and health and better understand the greater needs and challenges of the world. When he is not in class or his research lab, Dr. Sharp can be found hiking through the beautiful national parks or cycling the Metropark Trails of Ohio.
Vice President – Dan Bedard
I was born and raised in Biddeford Maine and am married to Paula with 8 children between us. I have worn many hats in life, many of them running alongside each other. I was in the welding field holding over 60 certifications and a graduate apprentice at Bath Iron Works. I held nuclear welding certifications at General Electric.
During this time I was serving in the Maine National Guards attaining the rank of Sergeant. Focus on building skills including electrical, plumbing, masonry and carpentry.
I transitioned to working in the healthcare field due to an injury. For 8 years I worked in the field of developmental disabilities and head injuries. This is when my interest in organic farming took hold up to the present day.
After leaving the healthcare field I was given my life ambition at Praxair as a fabricator / engineer-designer of tooling used to heat treat engine hardware for companies like Pratt & Whitney.
In 2011 I finally walked away from punching the clock and followed my true passion as an organic farmer. With the passing of my wife Ursula in 2009, I met and married Paula. In this time with Paula, I rediscovered my faith.
This journey led me in joining the Knights of Columbus which I now am the Financial Secretary of the council. Meeting Fr. Dominic in 2016 we quickly discovered the same passion in food security. I asked Father to allow me to join him on his next home visit in 2018. I was given the unique experience in staying with Fr. Dominic’s Family and spending 2 1/2 weeks with the children of the Rubanda Solidarity School and another 1 1/2 weeks in other parts Uganda & Rwanda discovering its secrets of faith and society.
Sitting under the Mango Tree where it all started and participating in the current alumni gathering and graduation of this year class, it gave me a complete sense of their accomplishment of all the hard work that was put in since the Mango tree meeting. Then to be present as the new year started for the P1 – P7 (primary grades). The joy when the children settled in the new dormitories, constructed through the financial support of the donors from America, was a moment that could only be felt on the ground.
Secretary — Philip Busch
Phil is a Catholic born and raised in Grants Pass, Oregon. He has been married for over 40 years and has four wonderful children and four grandchildren. Phil works as a controller for a wood products manufacturer, and enjoys watching soccer, reading, and home brewing beer. He has recently moved charitable giving nearer to the top of his life’s priorities. Yamba Abaana was formed under the tutelage of Father Dominic as a community self-help organization—a perfect blend of community hard work with the opportunity for support from outside the Rubanda area to get everyone excited about participating in this endeavor. Phil strongly believes a difference in the betterment of the lives of others is what we are all called to do by God.
Treasurer – Theresa Hurtt
Board Member — Bruce Murray
“Dr. Bruce” Murray Is a retired internal medicine physician from Grants Pass Oregon. He has been doing volunteer medical work in refugee camps since 2009, primarily in Uganda. He met Father Dominic in 2013 shortly before he traveled to Southwest Uganda to work and was able to visit the Rubanda Solidarity Primary School and Father’s family for the first time. He fell in love with the kids as well as the entire mission of the program that Father Dominic had set up several years previously. He and the Father then established the Yamba Abaana-USA foundation which became a certified 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization in 2012. Dr. Bruce has traveled to the school on multiple occasions in the past 6 years and witnessed the christening of the first well in Rubanda in 2015 constructed with the generosity of our sponsors. He has been proud to be President of the Board of Yamba Abaana from 2012 through 2017.
Dr. Bruce, his wife, Carey, and his son, Ben, are all physicians and they sponsor 2 children in Rubanda at the Nursery and Primary Schools. The Murray family is proud to support the efforts to give the children of SW Uganda the opportunity for a life-changing education and a better life ahead.
Board Member — Father Dominic Tumusiime
Fr. Dominic Tumusiime is an ordained religious missionary Catholic priest belonging to the order of the Apostles of Jesus Missionaries. Fr. Tumusiime hails from Rubanda, Southwestern Uganda. He completed his primary education at St. Andrew’s Primary School in his home village and graduated from missionary minor seminary at Bukinda, Kabale, Southwestern Uganda in 1984. He holds bachelor degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies, a graduate degree in Theology, and a Masters in Human Development and Food Security from Rome Tre University, Rome. He served many years in the rural southern highlands of Ethiopia. With the support of the local community, he helped found the Rubanda Solidarity Development Association (RSDA) and the Rubanda Solidarity Nursery/Primary School (RSN/PS) in 2005. Both institutions are recognized and registered as private development entities with the government of Uganda in 2005, and with the Ministry of Education and Sports in 2012.
Fr. Tumusiime is so proud of being a vehicle of God to reach out to so many people, especially children, in Rubanda. He is so happy for initiating something that has become a source of opportunity for many in Uganda, the United States, and the world. For it is providing opportunities to know, to be, and to share with the poor who seem far away from home that we build one world of peace.
Meet Peace Uwimana, our wonderful friend and liaison at the Rubanda School
Peace Uwimana – School Liason
Peace Uwimana is from Uganda. Born second into a family of 7 girls, life has not been an easy road for Peace. After completing her Primary level (Grade 7), her uncle sacrificially supported her through Middle and Advanced School levels of education. The purpose of her studies was to get a job in the future to be able to raise a family during hard conditions. Today, Peace provides for her family, which includes her Mother and 6 sisters. “All my sisters are smiling today because I endured this hard life.”
Peace met Dr. Bruce while working at Nyakabande Transit Refugee Camp in Kisoro. She considers Dr. Bruce as a second father and a very close friend. In 2015 Peace was hired as the first salaried employee of Yamba Abaana USA becoming our on-site liaison and project facilitator.
“I am grateful to Yamba Abaana for giving me this opportunity to serve the school and the children. It helps me take care of my large family, it furthers my career goals, and it allows me to fulfill my passion to serve children and to give them the opportunity for a good education and a better future.”
Former board members of Yamba Abaana USA
Board Member — Stephen Voehl
Stephen Voehl is retired from Josephine County, Oregon, where he worked for many years as a Park Ranger at various county parks. He is also a United States Marine Corps veteran, having served two tours in Viet Nam. He and his wife, Faith, have four children and 15 grandchildren, so far. Gardening and hunting are two of his favorite past times. A few years ago he learned that his parish priest, Fr. Dominic Tumusiime, founded a school for underprivileged children in his hometown of Rubanda, Uganda and that he was in need of sponsors to help with the educational and physical needs of the children. He and Faith decided to sponsor two of the children, Arthur and Ruminate. In 2011, Stephen had the privilege of traveling to Rubanda with Fr. Dominic and met Arthur and Rominate in person! While there he witnessed the day-to-day operations of the school and was impressed with how much was accomplished with so little. But he also saw the great need for the even the most rudimentary daily needs. He believes in Fr. Dominic’s “project”—as he calls it—and has hope in its mission for a brighter future for the children of Rubanda Solidarity School.
Treasurer – Bob Busch
Retired from management positions in the plywood industry after apprenticing in public accounting. Educated in Canada and moved to Grants Pass on January 1, 1952. Married to Sodelbia in 1952; seven children, 25 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Very involved in church, youth, and education. Some services include: 10 years on local school board; committee member to establish Rogue Community College; incorporator and past board member of Rogue Community College Foundation; incorporator of Josephine County Educational Fund a local scholarship foundation, serving on the Board and Secretary-Treasurer for the past 36 years; incorporator of College Dreams, Inc, a non-profit which mentors at-risk students (currently over 700 students enrolled) and provides scholarships; Secretary-Treasurer of Rogue River Kay Cee, a non-profit providing scholarships to graduating seniors of St. Anne Catholic Church and financial aid to St. Anne Catholic School.