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The smiles and enthusiasm you hear when a child points to his half built home is so inspiring and uplifting.
”Biographies
Meet the Board of Directors
Longitude’s board of directors has been working together since the summer of 2007. This small but dedicated group meets four times a year to strategize and promote Longitude’s work both locally and internationally.
KWAKU AFFUL grew up in Accra and moved to the U.S. 6 years ago after meeting his wife Lizzy. He is a member of the Fante and Ga tribes of Ghana. In his spare time he enjoys rebuilding cars and playing with his newborn daughter, Ada. Also known as Prof, he enjoys helping family back in Ghana and visiting whenever possible.
CRISTINA MAVRELIS is a first grade teacher in Providence, RI. Cristina has analyzed and worked with cultural diversity since childhood and continues to explore different cultures and customs in the classroom with her students. Cristina started a non-profit at the age of 13 with the help of her family. She lives with her husband Stephen and her dog Zion in West Hartford, CT.
JAYASHREE NIMMAGGADDA lives in North Smithfield, RI with her husband and two sons. She is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Rhode Island College, where she teaches primarily in the MSW Program. Her teaching focuses on social work practice and human behavior, and she specializes in qualitative research.
LAURA WESTBERG co-founded Longitude in 2005. She splits her time between raising her son and woodworking. Laura enjoys traveling and volunteering both at home and internationally. Among other projects she has taught kindergarten in Ghana and helped with tsunami relief work in India.
DANA BORRELLI is an applied anthropologist currently working as the Director of Expanded Learning Time at Highlander Charter School in Providence RI. A native Rhode Islander, Dana's interests lie in the intersections of race, class, gender and education policy. She holds Master's Degrees in Anthropology and Urban Education Policy.
MARY COPP lives in Providence RI with her husband Allyn; they have 2 sons and a daughter. Mary is currently producing a documentary, Leh Wi Tok, on the power of community-based radio in Sierra Leone. She has extensive experience in non-profit organizations and is director of a small foundation.
Meet the Longitude Staff
MESHACH BONDZIE started the PROFESA Secretarial Academy in 2000 by purchasing 6 hh typewriters and teaching classes out of his dad’s church. Meshach is a highly dedicated member of his community. He also serves as secretary of his town’s city council.
RAVI KUMAR leads the Association of Relief Volunteers and specializes in human rights awareness, advocacy, and intervention. As a member of the Dalit community (formerly known as the Untouchables caste) he has faced oppression and discrimination throughout his life and is committed to improving rights for others.
SHAWN RUBIN has been a teacher in Providence, RI since 2000. Shawn is a co-founder of Longitude and runs the organization between moments of entertaining his son and writing lesson plans for second graders. Shawn currently serves as President of Longitude.
JOHN P MORGAN is a world traveller, entrepreneur and Non-Profit Marketer who met Shawn through a friend in 2007 and has been hooked on helping Longitude ever since. John serves as Longitude's Fundraising & Marketing Strategist from his current home in London, UK.
EMMA PARFEY has volunteered in India three times, two of these times leading the trip. These experiences have profoundly changed her forever, and through her work at Longitude Emma hopes to continue to change the lives of her friends in India by successfully bringing volunteers to where they are most needed.
ANNIE FALCH first volunteered with Ravi in December 2007. Since that trip her life was forever changed and she began supporting, empowering and helping the Dalits of India wholeheartedly. She hopes to help Ravi achieve his vision of Dalit empowerment and serves as Longitude's Director of Advocacy and Outreach from her home in Gunma, Japan.
EMILY HAYDOCK has been a Longitude volunteer since 2006, when she first traveled to Kothasatram/Indiranagar. Inspired by the work she saw Ravi accomplishing, she decided to lead a volunteer group and has been helping Longitude ever since. She currently serves as Longitude's Director of Development.
BRITTANY NICOLAIDES lives in Providence and is a Master of Social Work student at Rhode Island College. Her work is focused on international human-rights policy and social program development. She enjoys international travel and experiencing new cultures as a hobby. Past projects have included volunteering in South Africa and Hawaii.
KASEY HAAS is originally from Charlotte, NC and is currently a student at Brown University in Providence. She is majoring in political science and enjoys gymnastics and traveling. She has been working with Longitude since 2009.
