M.A.R.T.H.A.
Making African children Realise Their Hopes and Aspirations
Meet the team who works to realise the dream
In England...
Mercy Oluchi Statter-Okoro
Co-Founder
Co-Founder and Trustee of Martha's Dream. At the age of 19 she left Nigeria and lived in Japan for 9 years. Returned briefly to Nigeria before getting married and moving to UK in 2000. She is the youngest daughter of the late Martha Okoro, the inspiration for Martha's Dream. Mercy currently run her own catering business, which she helps to support the work of the Charity.
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Mike Statter
Co-Founder
Co-founder and Trustee of Martha's Dream. After serving 5 years in the Royal Engineers, founded a career as a Carpenter & Joiner for the next 21 years. The last 5 years has seen a career change and now supports adults with a variety of needs. He graduated in 2020 with a BA degree in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN).
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Luca Canal
Trustee
Luca originally comes from Italy, and moved to the UK in 2015 to study a Chemical Engineering degree at Lancaster University. During his time there he met Mercy and Mike, and committed deeply to che cause, becoming a trustee in 2016. After graduating from his BEng he completed an MPhil in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, Darwin College. He is now working in the as a Healthcare Consultant to make life-saving drugs accessible to those in need.
...and Nigeria
Emmanuel Ikechi Okoro
On-site project coordinator
"Before starting my role at Martha's Dream Academy I had been teaching at Primary and Secondary schools allover the World since I finished school. Around 10 years ago I moved back to Nigeria where I married my wife, had two children and worked managing my business. Being the son of Martha and a native of this village gives me the strengths to work every day harder to achieve my mother's dream and give a bright future to our students".
In memoriam
David Taylor
Co-Founder
David founded Martha's Dream with Mercy and Mike. With extreme sadness of all trustees and supporters of Martha's Dream, David passed away in December 2018. Due to the incommensurable contribution that he made to Martha's Dream, the committee decided to declare David a honorary trustee.