Helping children rediscover their Why

Aghogho Pedro

Founder & CEO

Aghogho Pedro is a passionate and determined advocate for children, and firmly believes that every child deserves the opportunity to discover their spark. As founder and CEO, he brings that passion and commitment to children and communities served by His Hands on Earth. Aghogho has done numerous volunteer work with children in several organizations. Some highlights of his work will be advocating for children in foster care through CASA of Douglas County; mentoring your boys through the HOPE center for kids; and teaching ESL classes to refugee children through Embrace the nation. Aghogho believes that early childhood education and development is the foundational piece needed in developing countries like Africa that is why he is committed to making it his life work to giving children the ability to reach their potential. Aghogho enjoys spending time with his wife and children. During his spare time, he can be found playing tennis, basketball & golf. Aghogho is a graduate of Manhattan College, NY.

Hope Dogbevia

Board Member

Hope has over ten years of accounting experience working with small businesses, startup companies, and individuals/families. He is skilled in small business accounting, payroll, valuation, and budgeting. He is focused on helping clients achieve financial freedom and is passionate about helping small businesses and entrepreneurs with their bookkeeping needs. He received his MBA with a concentration in finance from Creighton University and his bachelor's degree in professional accounting and agribusiness management from Hastings College. In his free time, Hope likes to spend time with his wife and two children. He is active in his community by serving as a member of the advisory board of Jubilee Church, Omaha, and a member of the board of ‘HIS HANDS on EARTH', a non-profit organization focused on helping kids meet their education goals.

Julia Burchell

Board Member

Julia has had multiple different experiences working with children through the years whether it being Vacation Bible School, coaching, or just playing with her nieces and loves to see the things that delight them. Helping children have access to achieving their full potential through education while also having the opportunity to hear about the Bible is a goal she is excited to help reach through His Hands on Earth. Julia enjoys various activities in her spare time, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, and pickleball to name a few. She currently resides in North Carolina with her two rabbits, Kiki and Bingley.

Katie Smethers

Board Member

Katie Smethers is passionate about taking those small actions in life to make a better world. She studied Engineering at Purdue University and is now an R&D Process Engineer at a Fortune 500 company. She met Aghogho the founder at her first job with their shared interest in being a light to the world. In college she started to volunteer in her church’s Sunday school program and has continued volunteering at her local churchs’ Sunday school programs for the past 8 years. In addition to teaching Sunday school, Katie was involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters while she lived in Omaha, NE. Katie is also involved in her local church community and is excited to learn from the board members from His Hands on Earth and their ministry work.

Teri Lynn Schrag

Board Member

Dr. Teri Lynn Schrag has worked in education for over thirty years both in the classroom setting and administration. She is currently the superintendent of Cornerstone Christian School in Bellevue, Nebraska, and has traveled to open overseas schools in Blantyre, Malawi, San Luis, Guatemala, and Apopa, El Salvador with schools in India and Benin planned. She volunteers at an orphanage in Taiwan and Haiti and leads her high school students on annual missions’ trips through Cornerstone. Being born in the Côte d’Ivoire and growing up in Mali as the child of missionaries, her childhood which was marked by the commitment and generosity of her parents, also played a role in her perspective on teaching and even learning. Growing up in one of the poorest nations of the world, a nation where only males were eligible for a government education in the villages, a nation where half of children did not live to their fifth birthday, greatly impacted her view of people and their value and promise. Teri Lynn is committed to the belief that each individual has immeasurable worth in the eyes of their Creator and that each has a remarkable plan and purpose, for His glory. Teri Lynn is the mother of four children and the grandmother of one.

Travis Sholin

Board Member

Dr. Travis Sholin, CFP® is a Private Wealth Advisor and Co-Owner of Keystone Financial Services. He completed his undergraduate degree in Finance at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, MBA at Creighton University, and Ph.D. at Kansas State University. He is an adjunct professor at Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Omaha for graduate level MBA and Finance courses. He is a researcher focused on intergenerational wealth planning, cross-cultural wealth planning, and financial psychology. He has published papers to multiple academic and practitioner journals. He speaks on various financial topics to organizations around the world. He is an avid participant in his community serving on several local and national boards, committees, and foundations. He enjoys outdoor sports and spending time with his wife and three children.

Peter Gafa

Board Member

Peter and his wife Rejoice are passionate and committed to supporting educational needs of children in deprived and remote communities in Ghana, West Africa. Their vision was born out of the practical observations and experience they witness while visiting some remote communities in Ketu North Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. As part of their initial intervention, Peter and his wife donated one hundred and twenty-five (125) backpacks, one hundred and thirty (130) exercise books, five hundred packs of crayons, clothes, pair of shoes, and dozen packs of pens and pencil between 2020-2021 academic year. Their second trench of donation was in collaboration with the staff of 7 South, Acute Care for Elders (7 ACE) of Methodist Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska between December 2021-January 2022. Their donations included two hundred and fifty backpacks, two hundred and seventy-five (275) exercise books, over five thousand (5000) pack of crayons, twenty-five packs of whiteboard markers, clothes, pair of shoes, three hundred and seventy-five packs of pens and pencil and many other school supplies that could help enhance effective teaching and learning. Peter is an RN in Methodist Hospital and his wife, a Team-Lead at Walmart Stores Inc. Peter and Rejoice are involved in community outreach programs winning souls for God, and other community engagement programs.