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ABOUT US
In 2010 Laura and Mark Belk traveled to Ghana to adopt their youngest daughter, the first child with Down Syndrome to be adopted from the country. The persecution experienced by their own daughter because of her disability, and the poverty and desperate need they saw in the lives of the other children weighed heavily on their hearts. Together they decided that they wanted to do something to help these children. Because of their experiences following the birth of their third child, a son with Down Syndrome, Mark and Laura knew how much every child's life mattered, and they felt strongly that education would be the key to breaking the poverty cycle, and dispelling prejudice towards children with disabilities.
From the beginning, Nurturing Nations has been a small charity doing big things. We are an organization of volunteers, so every penny of your donation goes directly towards aiding and supporting those in need, bypassing any administrative or overhead costs. Our attainment of 501(c)(3) status in 2014 ensures tax-deductibility for donations in the United States, while our accreditation as an approved N.G.O. by the Department of Social Welfare in Ghana underscores our commitment to transparency and credibility.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to empower children through education, dispel prejudices against people with disabilities, and protect and provide for those in need.
At times the world can feel like a dark place, filled with war, poverty, prejudice, corruption, and despair. But there is also great beauty and love when someone selflessly reaches out to help another and touch their lives for good. Nurturing Nations is our way of spreading this power for good across miles, over mountains, and across oceans to lift the burdens of our fellow human beings and make our future bright.
OUR TEAM
Laura Belk, President and Founder
Laura is Nurturing Nations founder and president. She provides the primary guidance and direction for all of Nurturing Nations activities, manages the organization’s day-to-day operations, and coordinates outreach and fundraising. She served on the Utah Governors counsel for People with Disabilities. She and her husband have nine children, four of whom are adopted from three different countries (Korea, China, and Ghana). Four of their children have special needs. Laura is a full-time Mom and she loves learning with her family and working through the challenges of everyday life. It is through the experiences of adoption, caring for children with special needs, and being a mother that she developed a passion for advocating for individuals with special needs, those in poverty, and vulnerable children. Her experiences in Ghana as part of the adoption of her youngest child provided the motivation and the direction for the founding of Nurturing Nations. In addition to coordinating and overseeing all aspects of Nurturing Nations, she regularly delivers presentations about the value of every human life and the need to serve beyond ourselves.
Mark Belk, Vice President
Mark C. Belk is a professor of Biology at Brigham Young University and father of nine. He enjoys taking in the beauties of the natural world, hunting, fishing, and reading. Along with his wife, he founded Nurturing Nations and currently serves as Vice President. Mark assists in coordinating and overseeing all aspects of Nurturing Nations. Just as tiny, seemingly insignificant cryptobenthic fishes can impact the health of a massive coral reef, Mark believes that the tiny acts of kindness we do have the power to ripple outward and impact generations. As an educator himself, he sees the power of education in changing lives for the better and opening up worlds of opportunity.
Rachel Moyar, Secretary
Having grown up with siblings with disabilities, Rachel is a supporter of Nurturing Nations mission to dispel prejudice and help children of all abilities to thrive. Rachel graduated from Brigham Young University in 2011, and is now the mother of five children. At Nurturing Nations, Rachel often works behind the scenes on the website, newsletters, and other media.
Percy Amoah Gogoe, Ghana Director
Percy Amoah Gogoe is the Nurturing Nations Ghana Director. He is a strong advocate for child welfare in Ghana. Percy grew up in poverty and he understands firsthand the struggle and hardship experienced by many to survive and find opportunities for education. In consequence of these difficult experiences while growing up he developed a passion for helping vulnerable and less-privileged children. Through hard work and persistence Percy graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon. For over twenty years he has worked with non-governmental agencies to help many children with special needs, orphans, vulnerable and exploited children, victims of child slavery, unwed teenage mothers, and individuals in poverty. Percy is happily married, and he and his wife Miriam have six beautiful children.
Miriam Gogoe, Ghana Assistant Director
Miriam Anobina Tetteh is an experienced professional with expertise in both group and individual instructional strategies. Her comprehensive knowledge of record-keeping and safety policies, enables her to effectively support educational environments. At Nurturing Nation Ghana, where she has been working since 2013, she manages people, directs operations, makes critical decisions, and supervises trade programs. Miriam is the lead manager of nutrition at the Nurturing Nations campus, ensuring that students receive healthy and well-balanced meals. Previously Miriam worked at Twifo Praso Senior High School, assisting teachers and supervising the cooks. She holds a degree in Hospitality and Institutional Management from Cape Coast Technical University, Ghana, which she obtained between 2019 and 2021. Prior to that, she earned an HND in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management from the same university, completed in 2018. Her educational background is further strengthened by a certification in Cookery for the Catering Industry from St. Mary’s Girls Vocational Centre, where she studied from 1996 to 1999. With her extensive experience and educational qualifications, Miriam is well-equipped to contribute effectively to Nurturing Nation Ghana in terms of advocating and coordinating effectively to ensure the well-being of vulnerable children.
Sekou Dembele, Mali Director
Sekou is passionate about health and well-being of others. He began his studies at the National Institute of Health Sciences in Mali, where he got a bachelor's degree. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in medicine. In 2016, Sekou founded the Vision Malienne de Solidarité association to help vulnerable people. Alongside his studies, he volunteers in various health programs with several NGOs in Mali. Married to Dina Mufa and father of one child, Sekou coordinates educational support activities for orphaned children and support for vulnerable women in villages, by setting up income-generating activities for Nurturing Nations in Mali.
Dina Dembele, Mali Assistant Director
Dina's life has been marked by difficult circumstances since birth. When she was only three months old, her family had to leave Congo due to war. She grew up in a refugee camp in Tanzania before her family migrated to Benin and then to Ghana, where she tragically lost her father. These trials have shaped her into a compassionate woman with a deep understanding of the needs of people in distress. Driven by a strong desire to help vulnerable people, Dina joins her husband Sekou in various humanitarian actions within the Nurturing Nations organization. Today, her life experience and compassion fuel her commitment to improving the lives of people in difficulty, demonstrating exemplary resilience and devotion.
Advisory Board
Ian McCracken
Ian McCracken owns several companies including PRI (www.prorecruitingint.com – started in 2004), Dollie’s Soup and Salad (www.dolliessoupandsalad.com – started in 2022), Jordan West Family Counseling (www.jwfc.info – acquired in 2024), and others. He is also the Founder and Executive Director for 501c3 global children’s foundation called Building Youth Around the World (www.buildyouth.org), which he and his family started in 2009. He spends much of his free time volunteering and raising funds for building schools and medical clinics, supporting surgeries, and taking children out of difficult situations which, including food insecurity, abandonment, abuse, homelessness, lack of education and medical care, etc. Ian earned a Masters of Business Administration in 1998 with an emphasis in management and IT from Utah State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a Minor in French from the University of Utah in 1996. He also received his PHR (Professional Human Resources) certification in 2000. Ian is fully involved in all of his companies and is happy to serve and make a difference in the lives of people around him. His interest in helping others in different areas of the world may have begun as a baby when he was born on Clark Air Force Base in Manila, Philippines. In his lifetime he has lived, worked in, or visited 40+ countries and has specifically conducted humanitarian work in the United States, Puerto Rico, Samoa, the Philippines, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Kenya, India, Mexico, Fiji, Ukraine, Venezuela, the Marshall Islands, the Navajo Nation, the Goshute Nation, and elsewhere throughout the world. Occasionally he is asked to speak and present in varied venues on a broad array of topics pertaining to his professional and voluntary work experiences and background.
Luke McPherson
After graduating law school in 2009, Luke spent a few years in the private sector working for a large firm and public corporation in Dallas, Texas. Then in 2013, Luke joined the USAF JAG Corps as a commissioned officer. Luke spent a few years on active duty before separating and joining the Air Force reserves, where he is still currently an active reservist. In his civilian capacity, Luke has continued to work within the DoD as a civilian attorney, first with the Air Force, and now with the Navy Office of General Counsel. Luke and his family have supported Nurturing Nations for several years. He says he appreciates its focus on helping the poor and the needy, and protecting and educating all children regardless of their natural capabilities. He also values that as a nonprofit, Nurturing Nations has little to no overhead, which makes it so every dollar donated helps its mission.
Aaron and Shannon Brown
Aaron was born in Utah and Shannon is from Southern California. They met over 30 years ago on a double date, Shannon happened to be his friend’s date. They love spending time with their family- which consists of 5 of their own kids, 3 more who married into the family, and their favorite humans, 3 grandchildren. They enjoy motorcycling, skiing, snowboarding, and boating together at Lake Powell. Aaron and Shannon are entrepreneurs and love the reward of working hard and making a difference in the lives of others. They are co-owners of Canopy Mortgage which has become a national company with 500+ employees. In 2022, they were privileged to travel to Ghana with two of their children, and were able to witness firsthand the good that Nurturing Nations is doing. They are happy to serve on the advisory board and help to support this great work.
Dr. Brent N. Wall
I am a Chiropractor with Advanced Spinal Care. I am married to my beautiful wife Lindy and have 5 amazing kids. I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in El Salvador. Upon returning home I received my bachelor’s degree in exercise science from BYU. I went to Oregon to attend Western States Chiropractic College where I was able to graduate Cum Laude. After graduating I returned home and opened my practice in Spanish Fork, and I have been in practice for almost 20 years. In my spare time I enjoy cycling, triathlons and being with my family. I am so grateful to be a part of Nurturing Nations because of their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children and families in Ghana. I love how they focus on the one. Nurturing Nations is truly an amazing organization. Thank you for everything you are doing to make this world a better place, one child at a time.
Chris and Tara Wall
Chris and Tara Wall are a farmer husband and wife raising apples, peaches, and tart cherries on their family farms located in beautiful South Utah County. Together with their children they enjoy cultivating the land for the community and have loved living a sustainable life of growing fruits and vegetables for others to enjoy. Everyone must be fed and needs to know where their food comes from. Farming makes you appreciate the importance of hard work, good nutrition and the privilege it is to be nourished. Chris and Tara love supporting Nurturing Nations and are honored to be associated with this community.
Marsha Adams
I live in East Garland UT and I’ve been married to my favorite guy for 56 years, I have 3 children and 14 grandchildren. I’ve been retired for 8 years having previously worked in the investment field for 23 years as a licensed securities executive assistant. I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my grandchildren who give me much joy. I love to be outdoors hiking and walking and gardening and working with mixed media art. I felt a deep connection with the children in Africa on my first trip there in 2020. And I learned much about what truly matters in life spending time among the people there.Joy doesn’t come from possessions, it come from within and from what you do to serve others . There is so much need in Ghana and if I can play even a small part to help them get the help they so desperately need then, I am honored to be a part of the Nurturing Nations Organization.
Volunteer Team
Gwendolyn and Jim Moulton
Gwendolyn and Jim became part of the Nurturing Nations life saving team in 2013 and remain active to this day. Gwendolyn is greatly involved working behind the scenes assisting in data input each month. She feels immense joy in being a part of the sponsorship program. Seeing the growth in the first child they sponsored from being a timid, young boy 11 years ago who has now grown into a productive young adult. Every small donation Counts! And it is changing the lives of these sweet children for generations to come. Gwendolyn and her husband were foster parents for many years and have a tremendous love for "OUR earthly angels".(Two girls with Down Syndrome) They are the parents of 4 children and 18 grandchildren.
Pattie Stoddard
Pattie has always been drawn to people of African descent, particularly the people of Ghana. She also loves kids. She was very excited and grateful to be able to help Nurturing Nations begin their Kofi Kwei campus and build the school and children’s home. She has loved visiting and watching the growth and excitement of the children. Pattie has been involved in other activities in Africa. She was a part of starting the FamilySearch Africa Oral Genealogies program. It was organized to interview chiefs and kings and heads of families in villages in 15 countries in Africa (where written records were not kept) to get the names of family members as far back as possible to publish online. Pattie also loves education and learning. She is currently involved in the BYU Pathway Worldwide program in the West Africa area. This is a university certificate to degree educational opportunity offered around the world. It is changing the lives of tens of thousands! According to Pattie: “Africa, kids, and education… nothing better!”
Amy Hunter
I am from Utah, a mother of 5 and a manager of a pottery studio. My favorite things to do are spending time with my family and volunteering to help with different causes and events with Nurturing Nations being one of my favorites. Some of my friends have described me as a chronic volunteer. I have been volunteering at Nurturing Nations events since 2013. The work that Nurturing Nations does, is a cause that I feel strongly about and help as much as possible. I have been to Ghana several times and I have personally met many of the children that Nurturing Nations is helping. My time with Nurturing Nations is time well spent. I know that I am helping to save lives!
Megan Rockwell
I have always loved helping other people, and have my Bachelors and Masters Degree in Social Work. I am married to my husband Ted, and we have four amazing children together and one granddaughter. All of our kids play soccer and we coach several different youth soccer teams. We love to go camping, hiking, and paddle boarding. I currently work at a school as a Teachers Assistant in the first grade and absolutely love working with children! I became a part of the sponsorship program several years ago and was a part of a group of moms that were sponsoring several children. Then one day I saw a picture of a girl with major medical needs and we knew immediately we wanted to increase our donations and support this amazing child. I love being able to see pictures of these amazing, wonderful, courageous, and determined children. Their smiles radiate joy and brighten your day. My hope is to one day be able to go to Ghana and meet them all in person. I am honored to be able to help organize the sponsorship program and help give these kids a brighter future.