The Gareth Gawaine Forbes Foundation for Underserved Youths

Educating Today’s Youths for A Brighter Tomorrow

WHO WE ARE

The Gareth Gawaine Forbes Foundation for Underserved Youths Inc (The GGFF) is a registered nonprofit that focuses on reducing global learning poverty by increasing the access to quality education and reducing absenteeism amongst underserved youths. The organization operates in Africa, Asia, The Caribbean and parts of The USA and establishes contact at the community and national levels to help youths climb the social ladder through educational channels.

The GGFF Team

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Compassion & Expertise

Our Vision

To improve the lives of underserved youths by increasing their access to quality education.

Our Mission

The GGFF encourages, promotes and supports educational advancement of underserved youths worldwide. It is committed to:

Reducing absenteeism amongst underserved youths

Sourcing and providing quality educational resources to underserved youths

Increasing academic performance (numeracy and literacy) of underserved youths

Helping underserved youths navigate from one tier of the educational ladder to the next

Encouraging and supporting educators who serve in underserved communities

Lighting lights of hope to guide underserved youths and their communities to upwards social mobility

Our Values

Compassion: We are committed to operating from a place of love, kindness, respect and empathy towards others within the world and our organization.

Collaboration: We believe that working in community allows us to accomplish a more meaningful impact than can be achieved alone.

Commitment to quality: We challenge ourselves to be excellent and to hone the discipline that leads to perpetual improvement.

Clarity: We are committed to open, honest, responsible actions and decisions.

Diversity: We know that embracing and utilizing the benefits of differences and similarities will help us build and enhance sustainable relationships.

Integrity: We are dedicated to deliberate actions and practices that are conceived and executed in good faith to further the organization’s goals and priorities.

Purposefulness: The organization’s goals and priorities motivates us.

What We Do

Between 2015-2017, the UN reported that “Globally, an estimated 617 million children and adolescents of primary and lower secondary school age —more than 55 per cent of the global total—lacked minimum proficiency in reading and mathematics in 2015. One third of those children and adolescents were out of school and urgently needed access to education.” Following the COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO reported that the number of out of school students soared to 94 percent of the world’s student population. As the world struggles to recover from the COVID pandemic, the education crisis continues to wreak havoc on the poorest amongst the world. Even in first world nations, underserved youths are most likely to miss school due to economic and other factors. In 2023 a report by AP said that “Millions of kids are missing weeks of school as attendance tanks across the US. The situation is not better for underserved youths in other nations. All around the globe, underserved youths are crying out for help.

The GGFF is On A Mission To Help Underserved Youths:

Reduce Absenteeism

The statistics show that increased attendance in school correlates with increase academic performance, increased intellect, confidence and increased opportunity for employment. The more and longer our youths stay in the education system, the better their chances at upward social mobility. This is particularly true for youths from underserved communities whose options diminish greatly without an education. These youths end up on the streets, in child labor or enter cycles of criminality. The GGFF is determined to help keep underserved youths in school by providing them with the necessities to attend. These necessities include transportation costs, food, uniforms, tuitions etc…

Increase Their Access to Quality Education

Attendance is a large piece of the puzzle. The other piece is access to quality resources. The UN reported that “About two thirds of them (students) attended school but did not become proficient, either because they dropped out or because they did not learn basic skills. Despite years of steady growth in enrollment rates, non-proficiency rates remain disturbingly high.” The GGFF is working to ensure that underserved youths stay in school and also have access to the right resources to help them succeed. Children with access to books, digital resources, food, proper plumbing and light facilities are more likely to learn than children who attend malnourished, ill-equiped and unprepared.

Transform Communities

The GGFF realizes that in most societies the task of keeping youths in school and providing them with access to quality education, involves more than just a few individuals. National and local institutions, community leaders and the youths themselves play a big part in this process. The input of all these stakeholders makes the GGGF’s efforts to help in the education of underserved youths more impactful. That is why The GGFF partners with local institutions and community leaders to help keep underserved youths off the streets, out of danger and in academic institutions where they can obtain the education that they need to climb the social ladder through socially acceptable channels.

Watch the Video to See How The GGFF Fights Educational Inequities & Help Underserved Youths

Lights of Hope: Transforming Lives One Community At A Time

Youths in Crisis Need Your Help!

Every day, millions of underserved youths struggle to climb the education ladder and escape poverty. Your gift can help them stay in school, attain educational success and achieve their dreams. Your gift will provide underserved youths with access to quality educational resources and will help them escape poverty, a life of crime and social stagnation. All around the globe, The GGFF is there to help. Join us and give today!
All donations are used for the express furtherance of The Gareth Gawaine Forbes Foundation’s mission and The Gareth Gawaine Forbes Foundation has ultimate authority to use such contributions to further its mission.

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1) Give a Gift

Underserved youths are suffering because they cannot attend school and gain the education that they need to achieve upward social mobility. Help them navigate their way to success.

DONATE TODAY

2) Speak Out! Advocate for The GGFF

Speak out on behalf of the millions of underserved youths who struggle to climb the education and social ladder because of educational inequities.

LEARN HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE

3) Become a Monthly Donor

As a monthly donor you fight against poverty, abuse, and the various challenges that undeserved youths face. You help them to feel secure and to create a path to a better life through educational success.

DONATE MONTHLY

Meet The GGFF TEAM

President & Exec Director

Natasha Forbes Matheis

Natasha resides in Georgia, USA and oversees long term planning, daily activities and risk management. She is an attorney and theologian by training.

Vice President

Natasha Coley

Natasha resides in Ontario, Canada . She has over 20 years experience in executive administration, sales and real estate.

Secretary

Melanie Bailey Treiber

Melanie resides in Baden Wurttemberg, Germany. She was trained as a Chemical and Process Engineer with an MBA in Banking and Finance and has over 25 years of leadership experience in multinational environments spanning the Caribbean, the USA and Europe.

Treasurer

Alexander Matheis

Alexander lives in Georgia, USA. He has over 20 years experience in the automotive industry and has pioneered business ventures in Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Director

Simone Williams

Simone lives in Jamaica. She holds a M.A. in Higher Education, a BSc. In Chemistry, a Dip. in Psychology, a Dip. in Inclusive & Intercultural Education and a PG Diploma in Teaching. She is a Student Success Strategists who works at both the secondary and tertiary levels. She specializes in STEM, higher education, & intercultural and inclusive education.

Director

Sheila-Marie Supelana

Sheila lives between Germany and The Netherlands. She is a Neuro-Psychologist who enjoys traveling the world whenever she gets away from work in the hospitals.

Director

Meryl Zaiser

Meryl resides between Germany and The Philippines. She holds a BA in Psychology with an emphasis on Adult Psychology from The Arellano University, The Philippines. She has years of experience in Business Management, Human Resources Management and the Administration of Behavioral Therapy.

Director

Shantel Gray

Shantel lives in the BVI. She holds a Bachelor of Law with Business from the University of Essex and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is the Legal Assistant at the BVI International Arbitration Centre, where she actively contributes to the administration of international commercial arbitration disputes.

Director

Dr Suzanne Robinson-Davis

Suzanne is currently located in Canada. She has more than two decades of excellence in public health and has earned distinction as a program director in New York. Among her many accolades is her doctorate in Health and Behavior Studies from Columbia University.

Director

Tina Nartey

Tina grew up in Gambia and currently lives in the UK. She is a Certified Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience. She has served on the board of many charitable organizations in the United Kingdom and is adept in financial management on a local and international level. Tina believes that her call in life is to use all her gifts and skills to build God’s kingdom and to uplift the down-trodden wherever and whenever she comes in contact with them.

Support Committee

Hermine Edwards

Hermine lives in Jamaica. She is a retired teacher and seamstress. She has over 20 years experience leading youth and women in various capacities. Hermine’s heart is to help those in need and those who are hurting. She is a stalwart and continues to be an inspirational leader and tower of strength to those in her community.

Support Committee

Sonia Wilson

Sonia lives in Canada. She is a retired Registered Nurse. She has more than ten years work experience in Jamaica and is very knowledgeable about Jamaica’s government and social systems. With over 30 years experience in Canada, she is intimately acquainted with Canada’s Maternal/Child Healthcare. People are Sonia’s passion and her greatest joy is to help others thrive and fulfill their highest potentials.

The Gareth Gawaine Forbes Foundation for Underserved Youths

WHO WE ARE

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Values

What We Do

Reduce Absenteeism

Increase Their Access to Quality Education

Transform Communities

Lights of Hope: Transforming Lives One Community At A Time

Youths in Crisis Need Your Help!

1) Give a Gift

2) Speak Out! Advocate for The GGFF

3) Become a Monthly Donor

WHERE WE WORK