The Institute for the African Child at Ohio University advocates for a marginalized population that is in danger of becoming faceless among poverty and the continent's other challenges.
But Andria Sherrow, the new assistant director for the IAC, has not forgotten the faces of the children whom she first met in Uganda in 2004. She continues to visit them every summer through her work with the emPOWER Campaign, a nonprofit organization that helps send Ugandan orphans to school.
This year, the IAC celebrates its tenth anniversary, which it will commemorate with a conference in April, said Stephen Howard, director of the institute.
The institute, part of the African Studies program, was founded to encourage faculty interested in Africa to collaborate on a more focused theme, he said.
Our mission is to demonstrate that children experience history and development and the economy and war and social change in a manner different than adults
and that we need to pay attention to that. G? Howard said.
The IAC focuses on Africa's children by creating new classes, hosting conferences and developing reports. OU faculty members involved in the IAC investigate topics ranging from public health to African sports.
The IAC builds relationships with non-governmental organizations and researchers in the field,- she said.
In its first 10 years, the IAC has brought together people from all over the world to discuss how to include the voices of African children in the policies made in their countries, and how to help them maintain their cultural integrity and grow into citizens who will help develop their country, Sherrow said.
Sherrow's combination of knowledge about the difficulties faced by the African child and her organizational ability will bring the same success to the IAC that it brought to the emPOWER Campaign, said Sjanneke Pence, a graduate student and emPOWER volunteer.
In addition to formulating exceptional ideas, Sherrow is always able to develop and build on other people's input. More importantly, she acts quickly and brings ideas to fruition, Pence said.
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Andrea Sherrow takes over as the assistant director of the Institute for the African Child, which was founded 10 years ago.
