ANDY Wilkinson is a professional civil/petroleum engineer experienced in financial administration, human resources, geology, and drilling. Andy and Gay, his wife of 50 years, traveled to Africa in 1995. That trip led to the formation of Hand in Hand in Africa and beginning of a culture changing network of African partners. Andy and Gay have a married daughter and four grandchildren who live in Texas and are strong supporters of HIHIA.

DEBra Lowery and her husband Dan, both former business owners, became involved with HIHIA after learning of the work started in Africa by Andy and Gay Wilkinson. Since 2005 Deb has made yearly trips to South Africa and/or Kenya putting to use her skills in education, mentoring, training, and consulting to oversee the work of HIHIA’s programs and partners. For her it is truly a labor of love.

For CHRIS LOTT and his wife, Joan, one trip to meet and exchange ideas with HIHIA’s incredible African partners brought an entirely new perspective, even after many years of supporting the work. The owner of a consulting LLC, Chris has been active for over 40 years in construction and real estate. With degrees in business and finance, he has held positions in both the public and private sector and has gained extensive experience in budgeting and asset/project management.

LAURIE INGRAM along with her husband, Clif has lived many years in both Europe and South Africa and has seen firsthand the effects of HIV/AIDS. This has led to her great interest in and passion for the work that is done through Hand in Hand in Africa. She is a mother of 5 children and a former schoolteacher. She has fostered children in her home and for years has worked professionally in the area of developing foster care families and children's homes for children who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected.

DAN LOWERY says of his logistical role in Hand in Hand in Africa’s development that he carries luggage, does most of the driving, and understands what is needed to successfully build anything that needs building. Above all though, he strives to foster confidence and self-esteem in African children. Whether instructing or playing, through his efforts they learn they have value and can do far more than they ever thought possible.

DIANA KELLY is a retired educator of 28 years’ experience in the areas of Family and Consumer Science and Health Education. She has served on numerous committees and conducted educator workshops at the local, district, and state levels assisting other educators to develop skills and knowledge transferable to the classroom. Her knowledge is now resourcefully transferred through HIHA by designing and implementing new products and classes created especially for the women and children of South Africa. Diana also enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

CLIF moved to South Africa in 1999. He quickly understood the need to provide care for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. In early 2001, he identified a way to help the people of a rural village by starting an all-inclusive care facility, the Mmametlhake Family Care Centre. After five years of working with the center, he returned to the U.S. in 2006. Being acquainted with multiple cultures and understanding the importance of reaching people at their point of need, Clif continues to be passionate about his work in this field.

REGINA DUNCAN received her RN degree in 1969 and worked in the field of nursing until 2019. After arriving in South Africa in 2004, she trained and worked with home-based care workers to provide care and support to HIV/AIDS patients and their families. Two of those years were spent working directly with the Mmamethlake Family Care Centre (MFCC), providing on-sight training as well as daily supervision of the care workers. Regina returned to the U.S. in 2007 and travels regularly with HIHIA to South Africa and now Kenya to provide health care education.

After retirement, Cecil INGRAM recruited and led a team to work alongside his son, Clif, on a short-term project in South Africa. While there, he observed the work of the Mmametlhake Family Care Centre (MFCC) firsthand. He was a major encourager during the development of the vision for this HIV/AIDS center and has served on the MFCC Board since its inception. Cecil’s career spanned jobs from roustabout to supervising a regional office for a large international oil and gas company. In Lybia he spent several years working along-side Libyans in a production field. Later, he worked as part of a team that pioneered oil production in the Norwegian North Sea. There, he supervised people from several nations.