Board of Directors

 

Tim Connelly	[ - ]
Tim has been a board member since 2007 and contributing editor of the Tukul Voice since 2005.

 

Krishna LeFan

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Krishna Le Fan, has been on the board since 2003. Krishna received his Bachelor's degree from De Paul University's Theater School. Prior to that, Le Fan was a scholarship student at American Conservatory Theater and the Pickle Family Circus School in San Francisco. His California performing credits include Berkeley Repertory Theater, The Pasadena Playhouse, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Artaud, and The Victoria. He was Artistic Director for Theater Royale Youth in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization employing high-risk youth in theater. In Chicago he has performed at Steppenwolf, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, Theater Building and directed the critically acclaimed production of Fassbinder's Katzlemacher at Trap Door Theatre. In February, 2004, Krishna helped produced a documentary on the Awassa Children's Project which was shot on location in Ethiopia. In March, 2005, Krishna returned to Ethiopia on behalf of the United Nations to incorporate educational programs designed to assist Sudanese refugees in setting up their own theater troupes that will promote HIV/AIDS and landmine awareness.

 

Ronald O. Wietecha

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Ro Wietecha has been a board member since 2005. Ro is an attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Chicago and received his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law. During law school, he worked as an intern consultant at a school in Thailand teaching democracy, human rights, and environmental conservation to Thai and Burmese development students. Ro also conducted field research into the democratic and political system of Tanzania. Prior to attending law school, Ro served two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa and has served as a board member on HEITA-SA, the Friends of South Africa affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association.

 

Betsy Zajko

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Betsy Zajko is an actor with a background in radio and television production. She has combined her interests in yoga, counseling, healing touch and drama to volunteer for Hospice, Spouse Abuse Network, Our Whole Lives sex education for teens, and Up With People where she worked internationally with shut-in older persons, pregnant teens, and incarcerated youth. Betsy has worked in Chicago theater at Steppenwolf, Trap Door, Redmoon, The Theater Building, and Reverie. In Cleveland she performed at The Cleveland Playhouse, Porthouse, Magical, Dobama and Halle theaters. She has appeared in numerous feature and independent films, and was Chicago Screen Magazine's finalist for Talent of the Year in 2005. After earning her bachelor's degree in theater and dance at Columbia College, she went to work as a CBS affiliate reporter where she won an Associated Press award for feature reporting. Later she went onto host classical music, folk music and news programs for National Public Radio’s WKSU, named “best NPR station in the country” for eight consecutive years. While at NPR she co-produced and hosted the award winning holiday documentary, "A Change of Season” which ran nationally for three years. Betsy practices Sanskrit chanting, and is featured on the CD "namo namah" by Breathing Room Yoga Music.

 

John LeFan

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John LeFan is a choreographer, dancer and actor, currently living in San Francisco. He has won Bay Area Critics Circle, Hollywood Dramalogue and National Endowment for the Arts awards for both choreography and as a theatrical producer. He was a founding member of Theater Artaud, one of the premier venues for new performance on the West Coast. He is considered one of the pioneers of the dance form, Contact Improvisation.

AWASSA CHILDREN'S CENTER	AWASSA YOUTH CAMPUS
Ato Girma Melesse	John McKay
Ato Girma graduated from agricultural collage in general agriculture, recieving a BA Degree from the agricultural collage in plant science. Ato Girma also graduated from the Ethiopian Management Institute after which, he served in the Ministry of State Farm Bureau, as production head manager for 15 years. Ato Girma spent six years with the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) working on a refugee settlement project as agricultural section head and project coordinator. Prior to joining the Awassa Children's Project, Ato Girma served in the South Regional State Transport Owners Association - as Board Chairman for 4 years. Currently Ato Girma is the Awassa Children's Center Administrator and has been since its establishment 5 years ago.	John was born and raised in Massachusetts, U.S.A. After finishing his B.S. in Marine Affairs he joined the U.S. Peace Corps as a Rural Aquaculture Extension Agent in Zambia. Upon completion of his Peace Corps service he continued to travel and live in Africa off an on for two years. In 2005, John received a Masters Degree in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Management and Policy at Brandeis University. His Master’s paper entitled “Revisiting the Last Resort: Creative Approaches to Institutional-based Care for HIV/AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children” was based on his experience interning with the Awassa Children’s Project (ACP). In 2006, with the support of ACP John, along with Tesfaye Tekelu and Meshu Tamrat, started the Awassa Youth Campus (AYC). For almost three years John has lived and worked in Ethiopia and is fluent in Amharic. John is an avid musician.

Advisory Board

Dr. Donald Levine, Chairman of the Advisory Board

Dr. Levine has been a long supporter of the efforts of the Awassa Children's Project.

Awassa Children's Center - International Board of Directors

Mr. Krishna LeFan (United States)

Ms. Aster Dabels (Germany)

Ms. Pia Federer (Germany)

Dr. Hermann Hunzinger (Germany)

Mr. Edward J. Hussey Jr., Esq. (United States)

Ms. Kathrin Nutt (Germany)

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