Board Members
Adonis Agha
President of the Board and Special Advocacy for Lebanon
Adonis was born in Lebanon and came to the United States as an asylum seeker after the Lebanese civil war in the 90s. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a master’s degree in Human Rights and National Security from Regent University. He has a special passion for poetry, minority inclusion, and the Levant region. He works in media production and translation. The president of our board, Adonis and his wife Lacy, raise their children in Virginia.
Akram Shakeri
Near East Director
Born in Iran, Akram has a heart for health. She has worked as a nurse in hospitals in Iran and the US. She has a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Grand Canyon University. She has a special interest in advocating for disadvantaged women and for the Farsi speaking world.
Vanessa Sparkman
Children´s Advocacy and General Administration
Born in Florida, Vanessa is an early education specialist working in the Virginia public school system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Services Counseling and a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Cambridge College. She has a special passion for children, early development, refugee resettlement, and food security. Vanessa serves as a special advocate for children´s programming.
Christina B Morton
Christina is a Suzuki violin teacher. She has a bachelors of Music Education from Northwestern University and a Masters of Science in Education from Old Dominion University. She now works with a wide range of students and educators in the Wake County public school system. A violinist with the Virginia Symphony for 30 years, she has also conducted the Bay Youth Orchestra. She has led a variety of music camps and international tours. She keeps fit through her passion for biking adventures and playing with her granddaughter.
Andrew Basta and Christin Andrew
Field Director and Project Manager, HR Director Volunteer Opportunities
They are the co-founders of Asociación Sawa in Malaga, Spain and Sawa Foundation in the US. Andrew is a polyglot and an information systems engineer. He holds a master’s degree in Near Eastern Languages from the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Andrew was born in Egypt. He is the field director for Sawa Foundation, most closely in touch with project implementers across Africa and the Arab World.
Christin was born and home educated in Virginia and specializes in adult education. She has taught English and Environmental Science at Old Dominion University, American University in Cairo and AMIDEAST. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics and a Doctorate in Humane Letters. She is interested in how the environment impacts quality of life and how storytelling builds bridges across ethnic and gender barriers. Christin and Andrew have both traveled to over 30 nations. Married since 2013 they are raising two TCKs (third culture kids).
Georgina Alba
Georgina Alba is a licensed clinical psychologist with a counseling practice in Santa Fe, Argentina where she practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has a Masters from Universidad Nacional Rosarino in Argentina and her credentials are validated by the University of Málaga in Spain. She serves with Asociación Sawa in Spain and Sawa Foundation and visits our projects and partners in the Arab World and East Africa. She loves working with both adults and children, with a keen eye for holistic wellbeing.