Amanda has worked with domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors for the last 10 years, holds a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology, and has traveled to 20+ countries. She has always had an interest in providing assistance to enhance human welfare and most recently discovered additional happiness in taking it to a global level
USA Board of Directors
AMANDA FRANKEL, M.A.
Amanda Frankel has worked with domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors for the last 10 years, holds a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology, and has traveled to 20+ countries. She has always had an interest in providing assistance to enhance human welfare and most recently discovered additional happiness in taking it to a global level.
Executive Director/President
Vishal Patel is a Technologist, Investor, and Businessman holding a Director position at Virsec Systems, and Managing Director at Mash Capital and Mash Properties. Vishal lived in Zambia for 16 years before moving to the USA. He has over 10 years of experience in providing support to communities in places such as Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda.
VISHAL PATEL
Director
Gayel Sidaoui is a Principal Consultant at PA Consulting Group where he supports organizations to improve their business performance in terms of operations, profitability, management structure, and strategy. Gayel holds an MSC in Project Management, Finance and Risk and a BEng Mechanical Engineering. Gayel is also a member of BETA and The Strays where he volunteers and supports with animal rescue.
GAYEL SIDAOUI
Director
Iliza Novack is an established attorney located in South Florida. Iliza is extremely passionate about basic rights/needs for people around the world; especially when it comes to proper living conditions, clean water, and encouraging local employment. Iliza has an immense drive to help others and encourage people around the world to help spread Okodwela (happy).
ILIZA NOVACK
Director
Partners and Supporters
LINDA COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Located in a particularly disadvantaged area of Livingstone, Zambia, Linda area is home to Linda Community School that caters to 570 of its most vulnerable children. They are selected by the community on the basis of their vulnerability including orphaned children and others who have no means of support. Many of the children live in homes that are not weatherproof and lack running water and electricity and each day walk for over an hour to reach the school, weather permitting. Other than the headteacher’s salary, the school receives no government funding and is dependant on donors for support. The Linda Community School is delighted to partner with Okodwela in helping with the enhancement of the local community and the lives of the students and families in whom they each serve.
GRUNDSCHULE TRENKNERWEG
Located in Hamburg Othmarschen, Germany with 40 teachers and 450 students from preschool to Grade 4, together the Grundschule Trenknerweg School has been fundraising for the Okodwela Food Program at the Linda Community School for two years hosting a once a year donation run.
Some of the students raise money by playing music on the street or selling cupcakes. With their support, Okodwela is able to hire 3 local women
to be employed as the school Chef's and prepare lunch meals for the 570 students four days a week at the school. In providing a meal to the students, the school has seen an increased attendance rate, increased level of attention, and overall increase in health in the students.
TRUE THABO
True Thabo is an American-based non-profit organization that is devoted to fighting the Global Water Crisis. It was founded by two college students, Jaclyn and Marissa. True Thabo sells reusable, trendy water bottles to help provide various partner schools in Zambia with clean drinking water through the provision of water purification units. Partner schools are also provided with an educational unit that explains the importance of drinking water through math, science, reading and writing. True Thabo and Okodwela have partnered to provide a water purifier to each home built in the Okodwela Home Project. True Thabo is honored to help make a difference in the lives of families in whom Okodwela aims to support.
COASTAL LAND & DEVELOPMENT
Coastal Land & Development LLC was founded in 2019 by Charles Flynn &
Drew Flynn, a father and son team that have provided hundreds of lots to
builders along the North & South Carolina Coast. After Charles Flynn built his construction company in 1974, and successfully built over 1500 homes, his son
Drew has since created Coastal Land & Development, which focuses on
providing buildable lots to national and local builders in the Carolina's. The
Flynn's have found alliance in Okodwela's mission to support secure housing
and are honored to support them in continuing to build more homes.
Push The Button, LLC. is a full-service content creation company utilizing video and photography production to tell unique and inspiring stories. Utilizing his 11 years of experience in the tech industry, Ime Umoh of Push The Button, LLC uses a unique combination of technology and creative-visuals to capture authentic moments and emotions in nature's most beautiful environments; moments that touch, move and inspire consumers to travel. Push The Button is excited for the opportunity to capture Okodwela carry out it's mission and share it with the world.
Kacey Elizabeth of Kacey Elizabeth Photography has been a professional photographer for over 10 years. Capturing moments, memories, and smiles is what she does best. Kacey has donated over 1000+ hours of her time and talent in capturing multiple projects from Okodwela in Livingstone, Zambia, as well as marketing and fundraising events in the USA.
She is a proud partner and supporter of Okodwela's mission and we are honored to have her apart of our family.
Indema is a project and business management platform for interior designers that allows designers to maximize their profits by becoming more organized and managing their workflow better. As interior designers focus on designing homes so they work for their clients needs and wants, Indema felt it was part of their mission to partner with Okodwela to help their community just as they help ours. For every designer that signs up and uses the indema platform, they donate 10% every single month for every single designer account!
