Phillip is a proud husband, father of four children, active member of his church, and an avid traveler. He’s visited 51 countries on five continents and lived in four of those countries for over five years. His experiences abroad give him a greater desire to further the work of Yuda Bands.

Nearly 20 years ago Daniel and his wife Karina opened the first private school in San Martin, Guatemala. After 10 years of running the school, helping 100’s of youth graduate, they handed off the leadership of the school and Daniel dedicated himself to working with Yuda Bands full time.

Rangarirai is a newly retired soldier. Precious is a qualified school teacher. They are very involved in their community and are faithful members of their church. As the very first local directors in Zimbabwe, they have been instrumental in meshing the Yuda Bands program to African culture and customs.

Gricelda was once a Yuda Bands sponsored student herself which is why she is so passionate about seeing the youth succeed. Her smiley and organized personality is essential to the success of Yuda Bands in Guatemala. She is a local director and also assists as translator for video calls.

Brent and Laurie founded Yuda Bands in 2009. Laurie’s vision of the project and Brent’s international business experience catapulted Yuda Bands into the organization it is today. They have seven children and currently live in Zambia as part of a three year assignment from their church. Read their story.f

Tendayi and his wife, Tendai (yes! Same name but spelled differently) are the local directors of our newest youth groups in Zimbabwe. Electricity has not yet made it to their village and water is scarce but they hold firm to the idea that education will improve everybody’s situation.

Carlos is a family man and a “dad” to all of the Yuda Bands sponsored students in Guatemala. He is loving and compassionate and has the trust of those he works with. He helps coordinate and conduct monthly interviews with each student and their parents to follow up on their goals and needs.

As a nationally recognized public relations thought leader and strategist he is currently Utah Valley University’s Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications. His expertise ranges from top-tier TV and print media to counseling CEOs in strategic communication activities to cultivating relationships with Members of Congress.

Currently working for the United Nations in their Evaluation and Oversight Unit. She graduated with a MSc in International Development & Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics, she’s worked for five non-profit organizations based in Asia, Central America, and the U.S.

Sharon earned her B.A. from BYU and her J.D. from J. Reuben Clark law school. She is the managing attorney of the Provo office of Utah Legal Services, a non-profit organization. She has served on the boards of many organizations, including the Central Utah Bar Association and Timpanogos Legal Center.