Augusto Gomes – Trustee, chairman and project co-ordinator
Gus for many years has been passionate about helping those in need within his local communities. As project coordinator, he spends a lot of time assessing the needs and ensuring help is getting to the right people. This often means going off the beaten track to villages not necessarily accessible by 4x4s.
Over the years Gus has seen many positive changes to the island. Unfortunately, one thing that remains is the level of poverty. Poverty has affected more people and been made worse by the pandemic. As tourism returns we would hope for some things to improve, however the underlying problems remain for so many living in appalling conditions.
As a qualified football coach he is able to combine his coaching skills with his charitable work to provide support and activities to youngsters within these communities. He divides his time between the islands of Sal and São Vicente where he owns and runs a local tour company.
Lisa Cooper – Trustee and charity secretary
Lisa first went to Sal as a tourist with her family in 1994 and has since returned regularly after forming friendships with some of the locals.
Lisa had previously raised money for animal charities, so when Covid caused financial hardship for the islands, Lisa started fundraising. She began selling donated items online and collecting clothes, etc for the locals.
In her spare time, she has her own pet care company and has a house full of pets herself. She also loves travelling and enjoys practising yoga.
Amanda Robey – Trustee and charity treasurer
Amanda has a real passion for Cape Verde, in particular Sal. She and her family have spent many years visiting Sal and have built up some strong friendships and beautiful memories.
Amanda has experience in the charitable sector working for many years for a large international charity. She is committed to raising awareness of the day to day struggles faced by far too many people.
Carole Townsend – Trustee
Carole took early retirement from a lifelong career in social housing, where helping people with complex needs and vulnerabilities was part of her daily working life.
She visited Sal for the first time after retiring and luckily booked a tour with Gus, because she was interested in his charity work and wanted to help too. She fell in love with Cape Verde and the beautiful people and has since made some special friends.
Carole is committed to helping Cape Verde in Need and helping with fundraising and sport donations.
Volunteers
We are very fortunate to have the support of a small team of volunteers on the ground in Cape Verde, who offer their time and experience freely, whilst being as passionate about the work we do as we are.
