Heather Croft 
Initiative Lead- Kobian Matoto Bountouraby Sylla School

Heather is a Co-operative Education Coordinator at the University of Victoria with a science background and recent experience in web and communications. She brings a love for the rich and amazing culture that the talented artists of Guinea joyfully give to the world. After many years of benefiting from the exchange of the rhythms, songs and dances that the legendary guinean Ballet Saamato shared with their Canadian friends, she got involved with the Bountounabry Sylla Community school in 2014.  Heather believes that every child has a right to experience the transformational power of education and is the co-intiative lead for this inspiring project.

 

Erin Houldsworth
Initiative Lead- Kobian Matoto Bountouraby Sylla School

Erin Houldsworth is an Elementary Teacher in Greater Victoria and has been a board member since the fall of 2015. Erin began her career with West African drumming and dancing in 2006 when she was invited to become part of the percussion for a live music dance class. She soon fell in love with the dancing and began practicing dance as well. In 2008 she travelled to Guinea on an educational trip to study West African dancing and drumming and had the opportunity to visit the village of Kubian to see the site of the new school and meet the community there. Erin is proud to be a board member and looks forward to continuing to support the school and all the joy it brings to her and others.

 

Gigla Alya Sylla 
Field Lead- Kobian Matoto Bountouraby Sylla School

“We need a school,” he said. And so it began. Gigla is one of the key originators of this project. Born in the small village of Kobian, in Guinea, he knows firsthand the barriers the villagers face as they try to improve their lives. As founder of Ballet Saamato, a progressive dance company in Guinea, he also understands the importance of persistence and long-term vision. A multi-lingual and cross-cultural interpreter, Gigla is our project manager and key problem solver for the school and community development work. A leader of thoughtful creativity, deep understanding and grand vision, Gigla is our eyes, ears and hearts from 10,000 km away.

 

Aly Badara Sylla
Field Lead- Kobian Matoto Bountouraby Sylla School

Aly Badara Sylla is married and the father of two children. He lives in Guinea Conakry, but is originally from a very small village called Kobian in the prefecture of Dubreka. He is the accountant at the Bountouraby Sylla Kobian community school and has been working with Matoto since the opening of the school in 2012. He loves spending time with the children of the village but also with the orphans. His main goal is to put all his energy into the success of the school and to expand the school. Matoto is represented by his father Alya Gigla Sylla, in Guinea Conakry. He has been there with his dad to see the success of the school and for him, Matoto is his family. What he likes best about the school is seeing the orphans, the children and the education because school is a temple of knowledge.