About Educate Bwindi
Educate Bwindi is an all-volunteer, 501c3 non-profit dedicated to educating the most vulnerable children of Bwindi, Uganda. Together with our Ugandan partner, Educate Bwindi Uganda, we own and operate the Bwindi Watoto School, a private school serving the most vulnerable and the highest performing children in our community. Support for the school comes from sponsorships and donations. We provide fiscal oversight of all donations as well as strategic planning and problem solving.
All Board members are volunteers. We have no paid employees and, when working in Bwindi, pay our own costs. Donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
Karen Pampush – President
When she joined Educate Bwindi in 2019, she spent a month introducing teachers at Bwindi Watoto School the basics of critical thinking and has returned every year since then to help teachers improve and to suggest new ideas to the school. She has created classroom libraries that have helped to increase background knowledge on many topics and also sparked the love of books in so many students.
Erin Donahue – Vice President
Erin is a Marriage and Family Therapist, Guardian ad Litem for children in Vermont and an intrepid nature traveler. She and her husband Charlie sponsor four children from Bwindi and another 35 are sponsored by their family and friends. They are looking forward to their fifth trip to the school.
Kyasiimire Mercy- Vice President
We met Mercy when she was only six years old. At that time, there were no schools in Bwindi. A group of community leaders were trying to raise money for children who had lost parents, many of whom had AIDS, or had been abandoned or just had nowhere to go. Every day, the children danced for tourists, and Mercy was the star. Before leaving Bwindi, we sponsored several children, including Mercy. Today she has a university degree in education, is happily married with three children, lives close to Bwindi and is a crucial participant in our understanding of the community.
Lisa Razinger – Treasurer
Lisa is an experienced clinical research administrator with a deep commitment to healthcare and supporting global communities. Together with her husband, they sponsor two children from Bwindi and look forward to visiting the school and spending time with the children.
Sheila Sandford
Sheila had a long career as a senior director at a national nonprofit supporting the employment of people with disabilities. Now retired, she spends much of her time volunteering with local nonprofits. She has been supporting children at Bwindi Watoto School since 2015 and is currently sponsoring three girls. She was able to visit the school in 2018 and is eager to return.
Gina Norgard – Co-Founder
Gina first visited Uganda in December 2011 and quickly fell in love with the people of Bwindi. Her commitment led her to sponsor several students and co-found Educate Bwindi. In 2018, she built a home on the edge of the Impenetrable Forest and visits annually, deepening her connection and impact in the community. Her volunteer experience spans from working with children in New York City’s welfare hotels to teaching nutrition and life skills to formerly homeless mothers in Harlem. Currently, she runs a professional organizing business in New York City.
Lorna Gladstone – Co-Founder (deceased)
Lorna began working with the children of Bwindi in 2003. She was a founding member of Educate Bwindi and of Educate Bwindi Uganda. Her spirit of dedication and drive to help the children of Bwindi remains an inspiration to the organization and its donors. Lorna passed away in June 2025.