The team implementing the work of Batonga is led by a very hands-on Board of Directors. The members of the Board are assisted in their work by Batonga’s executive director, Stephanie Cate.

Stephanie Cate
Executive Director, Batonga

Stephanie is the first full-time employee and managing director of the Batonga Foundation.  Stephanie has been working for the Foundation since early 2008 and is in direct contact with Batonga’s program partners working in Benin, Mali, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone as well as various organizations, groups, and embassies in the U.S. in order to develop and discuss best practice strategies and initiatives involving girls’ secondary education in Africa.  She has also participated in events and conferences in the US and abroad in order to help Batonga highlight the need for advocacy for the importance of girls’ secondary school education.

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Laurie Ducca
Intern, Batonga

Laurie Ducca is a summer intern with the Batonga Foundation. She has extensive long-term work experience on the African continent, specifically in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda, with targeted experience in education and public health. Laurie is in her last year at American University working towards a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on Africa and International Development.

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Nancy Torres
Summer Intern, Batonga

Nancy Torres is a summer intern with the Batonga Foundation. She has a background in foreign languages and publicity, working to advance Batonga’s mission through different media. She is a rising junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Business Administration, with a focus on International Business and Marketing.