The Time has Arrived!

Novella Ferreri and Charles Laliberte

In the life of any organization, there comes a time when change is needed.    For ChildrenUP, the board has realized that the time is now!    Having started in 2007 we have gone through many changes.  If ChildrenUP is to continue into the future and make a difference in the lives of young people, we need to know that we can assure these young people that we are here to stay.   As we age, we need to plan.   It is with this realization that I will be stepping down as the Director of ChildrenUP as of September 1, 2022.   I will remain as Chairman of the Board. The day-to-day activities will be handled by our new director, Novella Ferreri.  I wish her and ChildrenUP a bright future.

                      Charles Laliberte 

My name is Novella Ferreri and I am thrilled to succeed Charles Laliberte as director, starting September 1, 2022. Being part of the ChildrenUP board this past year has given me an insight into the impact we have on students.

I was born and raised in Naples, Italy by my Eritrean parents who left their country in the mid 1970s to help support their families back home.

My parents’ hard work and sacrifices allowed me to get the education they were not able to access and for that, I will be forever thankful.

I earned a Bachelor Degree in International and Diplomatic Science from the University of Naples with a final dissertation paper on the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea entitled “The conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea (1998-2000) and the Eritrean community of Naples”.

After university graduation, I participated in a post graduate course on non-profit/NGO  focused on development projects. I was able to travel to my own country, Eritrea, for a summer internship with the Italian NGO Mani Tese. During this time, I worked in the country on several projects aimed to create income opportunities. This included the refugee camps as well as other communities along the Eritrean-Ethiopian border.

My parents believed in the power of education to ensure my sister and I had better opportunities in life.

I truly believe that education is the way to empower every human being in pursuing their goals.

This is way I am excited to being part of the ChildrenUP team to continue supporting education for the youth of Northern Uganda.

Novella Ferreri