Staff
Mary Ratna
Mary Ratna works with the Girls Education Program as an Education Coordinator, helping to manage our College GEP which in 2020 has 123 young women at 36 different colleges and educational institutions. She is in her 3rd year of service with the GEP, and received her BA and MSC in Botany at BL College in Khulna, Bangladesh. She lives with her Mother in Khulna and especially loves dancing, empowering girls, and Argentina World Cup football.
Shamoli
Shamoli is in her 3rd year as the Dorm Mother for our GEP dormitory in Khulna, an energetic home to 87 young women from the 8th grade through university. She received her BA in Commerce from Fakerhat College, and has received additional training in physio-therapy. She lives with her husband and teenage daughter in our dorm building to be on call 24-7 for needs in the dormitory. She particularly loves poetry and cooking, and loves cooking for our entire team.
Dave Palmer
Dave is the Director of Development for Speak Up for the Poor. Prior to joining Speak Up, he graduated from UCLA and from Fuller Theological Seminary, and worked for Servant Partners. Dave previously lived for seven years in India and Bangladesh, learned the Bengali language, and grew to love and appreciate the Bengali people and culture. He is delighted to continue his connection to the Bengali people through his present work with Speak Up. Dave lives in Long Beach, CA, with his wife Mini, and his two daughters, Lily and Emily.
Indro
Indro is in his 6th year of service with the GEP, and today serves as our Finance and Administration Manager. He received his MBS in Accounting from Azam Khan Commerce College in Khulna, and has served the GEP in a variety of finance and admin roles in the previous 5 years. Indro enjoys living with friends in Khulna, and is especially passionate about travel and adventures around Bangladesh and India.
Shibupada
Shibupada is an Advocacy Team Coordinator and is in his 8th year working with the GEP, one of two local staff with the longest tenure with the GEP. He graduated with his BA from Dumuria College, and also received his MA from BL College in Khulna. Shibu lives with his wife and his extended family in Tipna village, one of the 30 villages in our GEP, and he is known as “The Professor” for his extensive memory of every girl’s name and every family detail from the over 1500 girls and families involved in our GEP. He loves cricket and learning English.
Francis
Francis is an Advocacy Team Coordinator and is in his 3rd year working with the GEP. He graduated with his BA from Day-Night College in Daulatpur, and received his MA from BL College in Khulna. He lives in Khulna with his wife and daughter. Francis loves watching Hindi films, and also learning about nature by watching the Discovery Channel and other nature shows on TV.
Kakoly
Kakoly works as an Area Coordinator overseeing the GEP in 6 villages, and 2020 is her 8th year with the GEP. She is married and lives in Baduria, one of the 30 villages where we work. She received her Simple Degree, and is now working towards her Masters. She loves being independent as one of the rare women in Bangladesh driving her own scooter motorcycle, and she loves gardening.
Runa
Runa works as an Area Coordinator overseeing the GEP in 6 villages, and 2020 is her 3rd year with the GEP. She lives with her family in the Khulna area, and received her MBS in Business. She loves serving the girls in our GEP and enjoys traveling.
Rinku
Rinku works as an Area Coordinator overseeing the GEP in 6 villages, and 2020 is her 3rd year with the GEP. She lives with her parents in the Rogunathpur area near one of the villages where our GEP works. She received her BA in Political Science, and has ambitions of going to law school one day to become a lawyer. She is an energetic, positive presence on our team and loves traveling and spending time with friends.
Mathew
Mathew works as an Area Coordinator overseeing the GEP in 6 villages, and 2020 is her 2nd year with the GEP. He is married and has one son and one daughter, his family all living in the Khulna area. He received his Simple Degree. He loves playing with his children and spending time with his family, and is known to enthusiastically dance at GEP parties.
Lipi
Lipi works as an Area Coordinator overseeing the GEP in 6 villages, and 2020 is her 2nd year with the GEP. She lives with her husband and son in rural Bangladesh near to one of our GEP villages, and has worked with other NGOs in the past. She received her Simple Degree, and particularly loves traveling. Like Kakoly she is one of the rare women in rural Bangladesh traveling around on her GEP motorcycle-scooter.
Dipon
Dipon is in his 4th year with the GEP and works as the GEP Finance Officer for our GEP Field Team. He received his BBA and MBA in Business Management from Shatkhira City College. He lives with his wife and son in Ataroy village, one of the villages in our GEP. He especially loves cricket and the Bangladesh National Cricket Team, and enjoys World Cup football, especially the Brazil team.