About Us

Ann Marie and Abbey with the teachers at PAID

History

Giving Back to Africa (GBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was incorporated in Indiana in September of 2003. Ann Marie Thomson, GBA co-founder, was born to missionary parents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and lived there until she was 18. Upon returning to the DRC in 2005 she was struck by the staggering lack of access to education and was determined to do what she could to make a difference in the country that had given her so much.

To that end, she and her husband, former GBA president Dr. Louis J. Calli, Jr., founded GBA with the primary aim of expanding educational opportunities for students in the DRC. The “giving back” ethos is central to the work of GBA, which aims to create and support programs with strong service learning components that encourage students in the DRC to reach their full potential and, in turn, contribute to positive change in their country.

GBA's unique approach to addressing the needs of the Congolese people through fostering education and community service is the result of our extensive research and experience in the DRC. GBA has deep roots in the country has developed relationships with trusted partners. GBA board members spent three years gathering information in the DRC before launching any programs. This research included discussions with numerous focus groups of representatives from various nonprofit organizations and schools; their input on the real needs of the communities in the DRC was invaluable when designing the Scholars Program. We believe that only by partnering with established Congolese institutions can we really hope to effect long-term positive change.

About Our Name

Giving Back to Africa came into existence because the founders, many of whom had grown up in the DRC, wanted to give back to a country and a continent that had already given them so much. At the same time, GBA's purpose is to promote an intrinsically African concept of giving back within Congolese communities. GBA is committed to the power of service learning and the importance of developing an ethic of giving back through community service. The goal of the GBA Scholars Program's is to empower Congolese youth to use their education to give back to their own communities.

Ann Marie and Ruth at PAID

 

Board Members

GBA is governed by a Board of Directors, meeting monthly. The board gathers annually for a face to face meeting. A Steering Committee, consisting of board members living in Bloomington, IN, meets on a weekly basis. The GBA board is composed of a diverse group of individuals, from the US. Though they have various professional backgrounds, our board of directors shares a belief in education, community service, and a commitment to giving back to the Congolese people.

 

 

  • Louis J. Calli, Jr. MD - President

    • Jim is a founding member of GBA and he served as the board president for five and a half years. He is a cardiologist in Bloomington, IN.

  • Garth Pollock - Vice President

    • Garth is the founder of Inshindo Foundation, a Zambian NGO focused on non-formal education for community development with youth aged 15-25 in a three year curriculum embedded in the community. He has 12 years of experience in Africa developing human resources and partnering with communities and local organizations.

  • Daniel Tritch - Treasurer

    • Dan graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Finance and Accounting. He is an Audit Senior in the Nonprofit and Government division of Larson Allen, LLP in Boston, MA. He has spent time volunteering at an orphanage in Uganda.

  • Ann Marie Thomson, PhD - Secretary

    • Born and raised in the DRC, Ann Marie is a founding member of GBA and served as the vice-president for five and a half years. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.

  • Martin Moore

    • A former high school teacher, Marty Moore is executive director of the Benevolent Friends of African Charities, which supports orphanages, school and community center construction, anti-AIDS programs, food programs and more. He was instrumental in founding, and continues to advise, the Indiana University-Kenya Partnership.

  • Linnea Stifler

    • Advisory Committee

    • Andrea Lewis Affeltranger

      • Andrea is associate director for programs at Independent Sector, a national leadership forum for charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs, in Washington D.C. She graduated from Indiana University with an MPA in Nonprofit Management and Comparative and International Affairs.

    • Osita Afoaku, Ph.D.

      • Osita is currently the director of outreach in the African Studies Program and a professor of public policy at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, IN.

    • Eyamba G. Bokamba, Ph.D.

      • Eyamba is from the Equateur Province in the DRC. He is currently a linguistics professor and the director of Program of African Languages at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

    • Mrim Boutla, PhD

      • Half-Swiss and half-Moroccan, Mrim was born and raised in Lausanne (Switzerland).  Mrim earned her Bsc in Psychology from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), and her MA and PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Rochester.  Mrim is the founder of PurposeU, LLC, a social enterprise that aims at helping professionals articulate their career purpose and build careers that successfully blend financial return with social impact and environmental responsibility.

    • Matthew S. Carr, Esq.

      • Matt is a partner with Krieg DeVault law firm in Indianapolis, IN

    • Robert C. Peterson

      • Bob is a retired missionary who worked as an educator in the DRC for 38 years.

    • Arthur-Kalala Katalayi, M.A.

      • Born and raised in France, educated in the U.K, and the U.S., Arthur-Kalala is originally from the Kasai-Orientale province of the DRC. He holds a Master's Degree from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. He serves as senior advisor & global ambassador for GBA.

    GBA Staff

    • Michael Valliant - Administrative Director

    Michael has worked internationally in various capacities and countries since 1994 when he joined the Peace Brigades in Sri Lanka. He has monitored elections in Sri Lanka, researched conservation and tourism in Nicaragua and co-founded Art Across the Americas, an art exchange between US and Maya Guatemalans in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala.

    • Dr. Jerry Kindomba - Project Manager

    Dr. Kindomba is a Congolese medical doctor with extensive experience in community development from his years working in the AXxes Project, a USAID funded health project forming a large part of the Congo health care system. He leads the curriculum development which forms the foundation of our youth empowerment program at PAID in the Mpasa II community.

    • Danielle Anderson - Country Manager

    Danielle is an American living in Kinshasa. She manages in-country operations and partnership development, networking with domestic and international non-profits and agencies working in DRC. Danielle has an MA in Management.

    Financial Information

    Giving Back to Africa, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All donations to GBA are tax-deductible. Click here to see our IRS letter of determination.

    The majority of GBA's funding comes from dedicated individual supporters. In addition to individual donations, we also receive support from foundation grants. The vast majority of our funds go directly to supporting our programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, though of course a small percentage of our budget pays for administrative and fundraising costs.

    For additional financial information please see our IRS Form 990s below.

    990 September 1, 2009 - August 31, 2010

    990-EZ September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009

    990-EZ July 1, 2008 - August 31, 2008

    990-EZ July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008

    You can also access information about GBA on the GuideStar website.