In Honor of Staff, Board and Colleagues
Exceptional people have crossed World Education's
path, starting in Lucknow, India in the early
1950s. Their extraordinary talents, passions,
and energies have helped tens of thousand
of people improve their lives and change
conditions in their communities in more than
50 countries around the world. These pages
celebrate the lives of some of World Education
staff, board, or colleagues who have died. Through the generous donations
of several board members and friends, a fund
has been established in memory of staff to
support and perpetuate the work of World
Education.
David Bale
(1941 – 2003)
David Bale, a member of World Education's
Board from 2002-2003, was an activist, entrepreneur,
and former commercial airline pilot with
a history of involvement in human rights,
especially the rights of women and people
in the Global South. David was born in South
Africa, but moved to the United States after
being exiled because of his anti-apartheid
activities. He met his wife, Gloria Steinem,
in Los Angeles. They were married at a ceremony
in the Cherokee Nation in 2000.
David is survived by his wife, Gloria Steinem;
son Christian Bale; three daughters, Louise
Bale, Sharon Bale, and Erin Kreunen, and
four grandchildren.
Gloria Bumanlag
(1953 – 2004)
From 2000-2004, Dr. Gloria Bumanlag was the
Country Director for World Education/Philippines.
Gloria was a social scientist with a keen
interest in integrated pest management (IPM)
and its use with farmer field schools. "Glo" as
she affectionately called, was a talented
trainer, excellent facilitator, and mentor
to many young agricultural extension workers
through her work on IPM in the Philippines
and elsewhere in Asia. Glo, who died in 2004,
left her husband and three sons, who live
in Los Banos, Luzon, Philippines.
Vincent Coulibaly
(1952 – 2003)
Vincent Coulibaly was born in 1952 at Sikasso
in Mali. After he studied finance and management
in Mali, he worked for the "Contrôle
Genneral d'Etat" where he obtained the
title of Inspector of Finance. He obtained
his MBA in the United States in 1988. Vincent
joined World Education/Mali in 1996 as Adminstrative
and Financial Manager, where he was a tremendous
asset to the program team. Vincent leaves
behind his wife and five children.
Welthy Honsinger Fisher
(1879 – 1980)
Welthy Fisher began the enterprise that would
become World Education at the age of 73.
She ran the organization until she was 93,
and died in 1980 at 101.
Welthy was extraordinarily passionate and
energetic. She campaigned for women's literacy
and women's independence in India in the
1950s and in 1953, began Literacy House,
a small, nonformal school in Allaabad, India,
that combined literacy with agricultural
training. In 1951, Welthy founded World Literacy,
Inc, an organization dedicated to providing
literacy training to those who needed it
most throughout the world. In 1957, World
Literacy became World Education.
Welthy was deeply involved with World Education
either as president or advisor from 1951
until 1972, when she gave up all official
duties. In 1973 she visited China for the
first time in years, and returned to Peking
in 1978 as the oldest foreign guest of the
government. She made two "farewell" trips
to India in 1973 and 1977, but returned one
last time in 1980, just prior to her death
at the age of 101 in Southbury, Connecticut.
Teresa Eva Frydryk
(Died 2003)
Teresa Frydryk, World Education's first head
librarian, established a full-service library
for use by World Education. She was instrumental
in disseminating environmental health information
to other Massachusetts librarians. Teresa
was deeply devoted to her family and her
profession. She was a tireless social justice
advocate for disadvantaged people, working
passionately on literacy, health care, and
education issues.
Jill Harmsworth
(1949 – 2006)
Jill Harmsworth was Vice President of Africa
programs for World Education from 1987 to
2006. She was a champion for girls' and women's
education, and passionately believed in the
value of community-driven development and
African leadership.
Jill leaves her husband Steve Morrissey; daughters
Kate and Amy; brother, Peter; and thousands
of people whose lives were changed by her
work and dedication both in the U.S. and
throughout Africa.
Lucas Hendrata
(Dates Unknown)
Lucas Hendrata, was a member of World Education's
Board of Trustees from the early to mid-1980s,
during his studies at Harvard Graduate School
of Education and after completing his degree.
Lucas was on the staff of the Directorate
of Nonformal Education, Indonesian Ministry
of Education. Lucas died in the late 1980s.
Carman St. John Hunter
(1923 – 2000)
Carman Hunter began her work with as a consultant
for World Education and later served on World
Education's board from 1975-1979. Carman
was a close friend of the famous Brazilian
educator Paulo Freire, whose Pedagogy of
the Oppressed was a primer for nonformal
educators the world over. In 1978, she translated
another of Freire's books, Pedagogy in Process:
The Letters to Guinea-Bissou, from Portuguese
to English and in the mid 1970's, Carman
co-authored a book entitled: Adult Illiteracy
in the United States: A Report to the Ford
Foundation. At World Education she co-authored
the paper: From the field: tested participatory
activities for trainers in 1990. Carman was
a passionate educator and strongly believed
in the power of education to transform lives.
Martha Keehn
(1923 – 1996)
Martha Keehn served as a member of the Board
of Trustees and then as Director of Publications
for World Education from 1969 to 1982. She
initiated World Education Reports, a periodic
magazine which focused on key program activities.
In 1952, Tom and Martha traveled to India
where they lived until 1961. When Welthy
H. Fisher (World Education's President at
the time) requested Martha and Tom to help
her expand World Education's work, they readily
agreed.
Martha died in April 1996. She is survived
by her six children, thirteen grandchildren,
and her sister, Margaret Seder. Throughout
her life Martha was a prolific letter writer.
In 2000, her husband Tom,
who was president of World Education from
1972-1980, published a book INDIA INK—a tribute
to Martha and their India years. The book
included letters Martha wrote from India
and reproductions of the Keehn family collection
of modern Indian art.
Tom Keehn
(1915 – 2009)
Tom Keehn's relationship with World Education
began in 1952 when he was working for Nelson
Rockefeller's American Association for Economic
and Social Development in India. World Education
was not yet established when Tom met Welthy
Fisher, the woman who went on to found the
organization. The two formed a friendship
based on optimism, generosity, and dedication
to bettering the lives of people who were
born into poverty and oppression.
Following the eight years in India, Tom
took up two short assignments with the
U.S. Agency for International Development
in what was then Northern and Southern
Rhodesia, but Tom found governmental
work limiting, and so he and the family
returned to the United States in 1964.
In New York he worked with Welthy Fisher,
whom he had met in India and who had
established World Education, Inc. In
1969, Tom became executive vice president
of World Education. He went on to serve
as president of from 1972-1980. Thereafter,
until his death at age 93, he was a member
of the board of trustees.
Martha, Tom's wife of 50 years, also
devoted many years to World Education.
Tom's legacy includes six children and
thirteen grandchildren.
Dr. T.A. Koshy
(Dates Unknown)
Dr. T. A. "Ted" Koshy, a brilliant
young Indian educator with a doctorate in
plant pathology from Ohio State University,
shared an office with Welthy Fisher, World
Education's founder, in Allahabad, India.
Drawn to her vision, he shifted his career
toward literacy and never looked back; later,
he would serve as a Literacy House director
and as the coordinator of literacy efforts
for the national government.
Elizabeth Morrish
(1952 – 2003)
Elizabeth Morrish was an adult educator committed
to women's health issues and the issues of
violence affecting women. Elizabeth worked
for World Education from 1995 to 2003. Her
roles included Director of the Women, Violence,
and Adult Education Project, Literacy Specialist
for the Health Education and Literacy (HEAL)
Project, Director of the Statewide Technical
Assistance Program, and Project Coordinator
for the Channing L. Bete Company Evaluation
Project.
Elizabeth was an exceptional facilitator,
a fine potter, reveled in social connection
and the creation of beauty. She was committed
to creating educational settings filled with
creativity and beauty, to support all people
who had survived all forms of violence.
Amos Otieno Odenyo
(1935 – 2007)
Amos Otieno Odenyo served on World Education's
Board of Trustees for over 30 years. Born
in 1935 in pre-independence Kenya, Amos was
among the first in his generation to travel
outside East Africa, attending Augustana
College in South Dakota, where he received
a B.A. in Political Science in 1965. From
1972 until his death, Amos was a Professor
of Sociology at York College (CUNY) in Queens,
New York, serving as Chairman of the Social
Sciences Department from 1972-1994.
Throughout his life, Amos provided support
to the local schools of Regea village, which
he frequently returned to. He leaves behind
his wife, Mayone Odenyo, three children,
and six grandchildren.
I join with his family in remembering
Amos as a calm, gentle, and compassionate
man. He and I served on the board
of World Education together for thirty
years, and I found that when Amos
spoke, I really listened. Among us
all he knew intimately as part of
his experience the nature of lives
of those World Education was trying
to help, and he used this experience
with wisdom.
He also could challenge us. I remember
in one board meeting years ago, Amos
asked which country received the
most help from AID. The answer was
the USA. Certainly for World Education
this is less true now than when Amos
asked the question because we use
ever more local people.
I was chair of the board when World
Education went through some very
challenging times and I appreciate
greatly the quiet, steady support
Amos gave us all.
Dick Mayo-Smith
September 2007
Julie Okeyo
(1966 – 1994)
Julie Okeyo worked as a Program Officer to
Mali in the Boston office from 1992-1994.
Prior to joining World Education, Julie received
her Master's degree in International Development
at Clark University. Educated in the United
States and Kenya, she spoke French fluently
and had a remarkable gift for building bridges
between different cultures and countries—between
East and West Africa, and between Africa
and the United States.
Julie believed passionately in the power of
formal and nonformal education to transform
people's lives. She put this vision into
practice in her daily work, strengthening
the capacity of those organizations in Mali
and Kenya that continually strive to empower
women in their efforts to earn a greater
income for their families.
Lou Setti
(1940 – 1997)
Lou Setti joined World Education in 1973.
That year, a large grant had been awarded
to the Government of Thailand to implement
a nationwide nonformal education initiative.
The person in charge managing the project,
Dr. Kowit Vorapapitina, was very interested
in working with World Education, but only
if Lou Setti was involved.
Lou was an exceptional educator and communicator,
unique in his personal gifts and relationships.
Russ Dilts, Lou's old friend and colleague,
said of him, "No one else cared so much
for so many very different people… We
all learned to share his belief in Everyman."
Charles H. Trout
(1926 – 2006)
Charles Trout joined World Education's Board
in 1998 and served as Board Chair until his
death in 2006. He was passionately committed
to the mission of the organization. Prior
to joining World Education's Board, Chuck,
at age 60, and his wife, Katherine, spent
a year in Kenya through the Teachers for
Africa program. In their time abroad, Katherine
built the first freestanding primary school
library in the Western Highlands, and Chuck
oversaw the largest school fundraiser in
the history of West Kenya, raising enough
to bring running water and electricity into
the boarding school, build a new academic
wing with two large classrooms and a library,
construct a new cookhouse and erect the school's
first permanent dormitory.
"He was full-steam ahead with everything
he did," said his wife of 22 years, Katherine.
He enjoyed gardening and golf and was passionate
about Italian cooking. In addition to Katherine,
Dr. Trout is survived by sons Nicholas and
Benjamin and a daughter, Katherine Griffiths.
Dr. Kowit Vorapipatana
(Dates Unknown)
Dr. Kowit Vorapipatana was the director of
the Adult Education Department of the Thai
Ministry of Education at a time when World
Education worked closely with the department
on nonformal education. Dr. Kowit was well
known for his work on the concept of the "khit
pen" (enlightened) man which stresses the
importance of literacy in providing new meaning
to the lives of the rural poor. To promote
a culture of reading, Dr. Kowit's created
village reading rooms, small bamboo kiosks
where villagers who had learned to read through
Ministry literacy programs read newspapers
and discussed what they had read with each
other.
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