Rahinatu Sibri Nantogmah
Co-Founder and Headmistress

Sibri, a native of the Northern Region of Ghana, West Africa, holds a BA in Social Sciences (Economics) from the University of Cape Coast and an MA in Human Resource Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Cape Coast. She is the first woman from her very large, royal Nanumba family to learn to read and write—and to earn a university degree. Now retired as headmistress of a prestigious co-educational senior high school in Tamale, an extraordinary achievement for a woman in the north of Ghana, Sibri is active in many local volunteer organizations seeking to promote peace and development—especially education for girls in a region that has denied them schooling. Sibri is a co-founder and the headmistress/administrator of Hope for Children Academy.

Lyn Burr Brignoli
Co-founder and Board President

Lyn holds a BA in Biology from Barnard College and an MLS degree from Columbia University. After working as a medical writer, Lyn became a volunteer teacher for children with cognitive disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism and epilepsy. In 2000 Lyn received a Fulbright grant through Yale to travel with a small group of teachers to Ghana. In the north of Ghana, Abdullai Haroon, a translator for the American group, introduced his wife, Sibri, to Lyn and they began a correspondence that blossomed into a deep friendship. Lyn returned to Ghana three more times, most recently in October 2024. Lyn and Sibri’s enduring friendship became the basis of their partnership to co-found Hope for Children Academy, which opened in 2017 in Bimbilla, Sibri’s hometown in the Nanumba North.

Erin Fristad
Board Member, Advisor

Erin earned her BA in International Studies, which included study and teaching English in Mexico and Central America. After earning her Master of Fine Arts, Erin worked in higher education for 16 years, both as an administrator and faculty member. For three of those years, she worked in a dual-cultural teacher’s education program. One of Erin’s passions is working with horses and veterans in a therapeutic setting. Erin’s grateful to have returned to her International Studies background providing mental health support for clients from all over the world who work in US-based corporations. Erin values equitable access to education and is honored to serve on the Hope for Children Academy Foundation’s board.

Chris Brignoli
Board Member, Advisor

Chris Brignoli graduated with a BA in Philosophy at Ithaca College. He sailed to many countries from the East coast of the U.S. spending time in the African countries Tunisia, Morocco, and Cape Verde, as well as Europe and South America. He later became a boat builder in Seattle, and Port Townsend WA, and is now a partner in the Port Townsend Shipwrights Coop, a boatbuilding company. He is also a partner at Revision Marine that specializes in building electric powered boats and clean energy systems. His first trip to Ghana was in October 2024. He is amazed at the beautiful culture and the kindness of the Ghanaian people, and the close ties and relationships his mother, Lyn Brignoli, has with the people in Ghana’s Northern Region. It is a relationship of mutual love and respect.

Nadya Tkachenko
Board Member, Advisor

Nadya is a non-profit leader, life coach, and educator. She is the founder of a non-profit supporting internally displaced families in Ukraine. Her experience in Africa includes environmental research at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe and volunteer work in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. With background in teaching, curriculum development, fundraising, and program design for NGOs, including UNESCO, Nadya is passionate about empowering people through education and resilience-building. She holds MAs in Social Anthropology from SOAS, London, and a BA in International Relations from Middlebury College. In 2024, she was honored to visit Hope for Children Academy and witness its transformative impact, particularly on girls and women, inspiring her to support the school further.

Maya Tkachenko Coggeshall-Burr
Board Member, Website Designer

Maya is a high school senior in the U.S. who has been actively supporting Hope for Children Academy since spring 2024 through successful crowdfunding campaigns and community awareness efforts. In August, she visited Bimbilla, bringing art supplies and leading creative projects for each grade. Maya is also involved with a non-profit supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, aiding displaced families and children. She is passionate about using education and the arts to empower communities and create meaningful change.