Alice speaks to students at Heritage Hall Middle School
Dressed in her traditional Ghanaian attire, Alice Iddi-Gubbels enters the lecture room at Oklahoma City University Law School and hands her flash drive to the technical support person. He will get her Power Point up on the big screen so that Alice can tell the PAMBE Ghana story to a new audience.
“It’s important to broaden our support base,” says Alice, who spends a large chunk of her annual fall visits to OKC drumming up support for La’Angum Learning Center, which today has 266 students from pre-K through grade 6. “It’s an intense time. We have new challenges as the program has gotten bigger and more complex, and expanding funding sources is extremely important.”
Alice spends roughly 4-6 weeks in Oklahoma City each year, usually from November through early December. Her visits coincide with the seasonal opening of the Global Market, where she is a regular visitor with volunteers and shoppers. That is, when she’s not otherwise engaged in the scores of visits, appointments, meetings and presentations on her calendar. There is no typical day. Or week.
“I visit with many old friends who have been committed supporters over the years. It’s a chance to have one-to-one conversations,” says Alice. Other days she might be preparing to speak to first graders at Heritage Hall, whose art show proceeds have been a regular contribution for several years. Or engaging with a local church congregation at coffee hour alongside a mini-Global Market sales table. Or participating in a radio interview.
A big component of her visits is in-person time with the board, to provide briefings, examine resources and discuss program priorities. She is the bridge between the OKC-based nonprofit headquarters, and the Ghana-based school. She is a cultural bridge as well, ensuring understanding and appreciation on both sides of the Atlantic.
What about the nuts and bolts of life? During her visits, Alice is a guest in the homes of supporters. This year she’ll spend the first half of her visit near downtown, and the last part of her visit on the Northeast side. She drives a borrowed vehicle while in town (and has to readjust to driving automatic vs. stick). She uses a temporary pay-as-you-go phone, which requires her to get a new number each year. And she comes prepared to cover her traditional, tropical African attire with serious cold weather gear for Oklahoma’s winter, which, like Alice, arrives each November.
.png){kind=icon}
