Abdul & Alisha Damron-Seruyange
Kampala, Uganda
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Abdul & Alisha met in 2008 while working with an organization called Christopher House in Kampala. In 2011, they married and began making plans for a school where spiritual formation, academic excellence, and artistic development could collide.
Terra Nova Football Academy opened in 2010 followed by Terra Nova Academy in 2013 with two preschool classes and a total of 32 students. As of today, the Damron-Seruyange family now includes three daughters: Micaiah, Malina, and Charlie. The Football Academy now has 60 kids each holiday session and a competitive club team. The school has grown to two campuses and 175 students. |
Winnie Bagonza
Kampala, Uganda
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Winnie Bagonza is our Program Administrator. Winnie first worked with Terra Nova when we began our soccer program in 2011. After leaving us for a few years she found her way back when an administrative position opened up at our Kisugu primary campus in 2016. Last year Winnie returned to our Bunga campus to work more closely with Alisha in preparation for her current leadership role.
Winnie holds a diploma in Business Administration from Multitech Business School. She loves the color brown and enjoys making her own crafts. Winnie is a faithful member of the choir and finance committee of her church, St. Apollo Kivabulaya, Kansanga. |
Hafisah Nakayiwa
Kampala, Uganda
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Hafisah Nakayiwa is our Academic Administrator. She was the first teacher Terra Nova Academy hired in 2013. She has taught preschool, Pre-Top, Top Class and Grade 2. Her most recent adventure was being among the five teachers who traveled to Samford University this past January. She has already expressed excitement and energy about sharing ideas with our teaching team!
In addition to holding a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Kyambogo University, she recently completed her diploma in Early Childhood Development at the YMCA Comprehensive Institute, Wandageya. When she's not at Terra Nova, Hafisah loves exploring her creativity and spending time with close friends. She loves God, loves people, and recently learned that she loves cheesecake. This year she will teach Top Class and coordinate our academic programming as Terra Nova Academy's first Academic Administrator. |
Musisi Abdulnoor Haile Simon
Kampala, Uganda
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Simon serves as Terra Nova Academy P.E. Teacher and Terra Nova Football Club Assistant Coach. Simon began working with Terra Nova in 2018 as a soccer coach on a freelance basis and became a member of the Terra Nova staff in 2019. He has earned his basic coaching license from the Confederation of African Football and will be working on the next level this year.
The cooperative nature of teaching at Terra Nova is something Coach Simon enjoys, "I’m learning from them that teamwork strengthens us individually and collectively. He is excited about what Terra Nova is doing in his community, "Our commitment to teach, nurture, coach, and love the next generation not only teaches children and youth how to read and write but how to live." When Simon gets a break from coaching you can find him at home working on his chicken farm. |
Christine Orishaba
Kampala, Uganda
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Christine teaches the Pre-Top (Pre-K) class at Terra Nova Academy. She began work with Terra Nova as a volunteer in one of our preschool classrooms in 2013. Working to make her classroom a welcoming environment for her students is something Christine takes pride in, "Our classrooms are clean, organized, and supplied with everything needed to discover new ways for children to learn and grow. I can’t help but to smile!"
Building confidence in children is one way Christine see's Terra Nova making her community stronger, "Our students are able to express themselves clearly—even to adults in the community. We didn’t grow up with that kind of positive self-esteem." Christine also enjoys designing hair for people in the community. It's both a passion and a way to earn extra income. |
Board of Directors
Abdul Damron-Seruyange, Executive Director
Alisha Damron-Seruyange, Executive Director
Amanda DeGreen
Christian Hanna
Allison Hawley
Dr. Amy Hoaglund
Jamie Linsky
Alisha Damron-Seruyange, Executive Director
Amanda DeGreen
Christian Hanna
Allison Hawley
Dr. Amy Hoaglund
Jamie Linsky