About Us
Tamu Orphans Support Fund (TOSF) was formed in 2009 when a small group of friends and colleagues decided to help the small village in Tamu, Kenya ensure they were able to sustain themselves for future generations. In Kenya, nearly an entire generation of families has been wiped out by HIV/AIDS. This tragic situation has left young children orphaned and, if lucky, supervised only by older siblings or aging grandparents. Seven years ago TOSF set out to change the course of events in Tamu one child at a time.

Board of Directors

Selpha Odero
President
Growing up in Nairobi, Kenya our home was constantly filled with extended family members or village folk that my father supported financially for their education or job search efforts. I remember my father telling me that by teaching one child from each family you uplift the entire community. In keeping with that tradition, I founded Tamu Orphans Support Fund (TOSF) with a few close friends to support orphaned and vulnerable children in Tamu, Kenya. Tamu is a small farming community located in western Kenya, not far from Lake Victoria. Our vision is to expand our support of sponsored children beyond Tamu into other communities in need.
Katie Peña
Treasurer
Katie joined our Advisory Board in 2017 and brings with her over 30 years of non-profit experience in management and fundraising.  Her primary work has been in the support of education and children's services.  As a member of numerous agencies and boards her understanding of non-profit management and fundraising strategies help boost  our fundraising efforts and provide our Board of Directors with experienced management advice.
Ariadne (Vida) Prater
Senior ViCE President
​I was intrigued by the idea of working with TOSF because I saw an opportunity to really make a difference. Sans the bureaucracy of large assistance organizations, I felt TOSF was a way that every effort could be channeled into bringing stability, good health, and education to children who deserved a chance to develop into successful adults. The model of placing orphaned children with local families rather than in an orphanage/institutional setting strongly appealed to me. As a life-long supporter of education and advocate for children, I saw this as a way of demonstrating how small scale alternative methods of orphan support can be as successful, if not a better means of insuring their needs are met.
Jeanette Robinson
VP, Communications
Embracing the opportunity to support such a worthy cause has always been an aspiration that I have held close to my heart. A very close colleague and dear friend first introduced me to TOSF. Since joining TOSF in 2014, I
continue to advocate for TOSF’s mission to support the children that we sponsor by providing a chance to change their lives through education and opportunity. 
Carol Robinson
SECRETARY
Carol has been a special education teacher for 33 years, teaching preschool to adults. She also has 11 years of experience as a small business owner.  Carol's interest in Kenya began with meeting the Odero sisters and hearing about the great need to educate orphaned children in the village of Tamu. In February 2014, it was her pleasure to travel to Kenya on a medical mission for Prevention International No Cervical Cancer (PINCC) and to screen women in Nyabondo's Hospital-Medical School and in Muhoroni's St. Vincent Hospital, not far from Tamu. Monica introduced Carol to the Odero family in Nairobi, Kisumu and Tamu. They visited two TOSF-supported students at their boarding schools and an employed former student.
Sue Neumark-Morgan
VP, fundraising & events
I was asked to join TAMU during the initial stages of putting together this wonderful nonprofit organization in 2009.  I am totally committed to helping the children in Tamu and building a model that sustains community and kinship while nurturing individual success. It is extremely inspirational to hear success stories directly from the children we are helping in Tamu and I  continue to believe strongly in our  mission of continuing to help many more children in the future.

Advisory Board Members

Pat Hull
Advisory Board Member
 Pat worked for about 8 years in community-based programs serving the disabled. Her work centered on general administration, program development and resource development. In 1982 she moved from the non-profit sector to higher education (University of California)  At UC, she worked as Business Manager in several departments including Office of the President Political Science  and Anthropology.   Pat officially joined TOSF as an advisor to the Board in 2012. Her creative work is a centerpiece of our fundraising efforts.  She is retired and lives in Hayward, California. 
Laura Nathan
Advisory Board Member
Laura Nathan is a medical sociologist. She is a faculty member in the Department of Sociology and the International and Area Studies program at UC Berkeley, and teaches courses on policy, global health, and social justice. Addressing the global AIDS epidemic by providing opportunities for AIDS orphans motivates her work with Tamu Orphans Support Fund.

Emeriti Board Members

Bruce Winegar
Emeritus Board Member
Tamu Orphans Support Fund has been an important lifeline for needy children in Tamu, Kenya. I have visited Kenya several times and it has been instructive and inspiring to see how TOSF has made it possible for a number of orphaned children to enter a supportive family environment. As an Emeritus Board Member I continue to support TOSF as much as possible.
Pat Orr
Emerita board member
After retiring from UC, I went to work at San Francisco State University as an Administrator for the Whirlwind Wheelchair Program. During my work, I had the fortunate chance to meet Selpha Odero. When she told me of the Tamu Orphans Support Fund and her desire to help children I was not only interested, but ready. For most of my adult life I have been in the not-for-profit business arena. As such, I would like to see that whatever I do, I would like to do it well and to leave a legacy of a better place. 
Monica Odero-Winegar
Emerita board member
During my medical mission trips with the Tiba Foundation, I encountered many orphans whose parents died from AIDs and were left to fend for themselves. Without a support system, these children would likely have a bleak future. The mission of Tamu Orphans Support Fund is to provide a family environment for these children and to provide for tuition and other school costs. The idea is to provide a less institutional alternative to orphanages and to promote self-reliance through education.
Myrna Flores
Emerita Board Member
I felt very honored when Selpha Odero asked me to be a member of the Board of Directors for the TAMU Orphan Support Fund (TOSF) and it is a pleasure working with the board members and the TOSF advisory group, all of whom are dedicated to helping the orphaned children. I feel we've made some beautiful progress in helping children be successful in their schooling and I believe we've made a positive difference in their lives.
Toni Whittle-Ciprazo
In memoria
I’ve always had a deep passion and desire to help those who have had less opportunity to be successful in life. When I was asked by the President of Tamu Orphan Support Fund to be a member of the board, I was very excited about the grass-root approach  and jumped at the opportunity to contribute to its success. I take my commitment to TOSF very seriously. I deeply believe the TOSF mission and efforts will make an incredible and meaningful difference for the orphaned children in Tamu, Kenya