The Team

Bea Furtado – President & Founder

Beatriz Furtado, better known as Bea, received her Bachelor’s of Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She is a Full-time School Nurse in Fall River, Ma, and has experience in Pediatric Oncology and Medical Missionary Nursing.

Bea is an active parishioner of Santo Christo Catholic Church in Fall River, where she strives to teach children of all ages about God’s infinite love. She is also the Youth Minister at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in South Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

Bea’s love for missionary work sparked when she took her first mission trip to Haiti.  Her devotion and infinite care to help others and her endless love for God is what prompted her to start Rise Rwanda, an organization that would bring light, love, and care to the community of Rwanda in many capacities.

Christine Catarino – Marketing Director 

Christine Catarino received her bachelor’s in international business from Hofstra University and has spent almost two decades in Marketing and PR. She is also a Community Habilitation aid for a young lady with special needs.

Christine is an active parishioner of Santo Christo Parish in Fall River, where she has been teaching faith formation for over twenty years. She leads adult oriented retreats for both the Portuguese and English communities. She started the Santo Christo J-Walker’s youth group in hopes that the youth of Santo Christo will continue their faith journey beyond their time in catechism.

In 2022, she along with 2 other board members kicked-off the annual mission trips by visiting the Sister’s of Kabgayi in Rwanda. Christine became a board member driven by her desire to extend her help beyond her immediate community, reaching children who require care and guidance.

Joana Mateus – Finance Director

Joana is the proud mother of two children and a vavó to a granddaughter. Born in Venezuela to Portuguese parents, she moved to the United States at 16 and built a diverse career, starting in manufacturing and working her way up to management roles all while pursuing her education.

In her later years, she worked at Roger Williams University, where she also earned her master’s in public administration. She concluded her 50+-year career as Director of Planning at the Bristol Workforce Investment Board in Fall River’s Government Center. She has been a Tax Consultant for 40+ years, using her trilingual skills to help Fall River’s immigrant communities navigate their taxes.

Joana has always been deeply involved in her faith community at Santo Christo Church, where she has served in various ministries. She is currently the President of the Saint Vincent de Paul/Santo Christo Conference and Vice President of the Saint Vincent de Paul Fall River District – roles that reflect her dedication to serving others.

Joining Rise Rwanda’s board fulfills her lifelong dream of doing missionary work in Africa. She believes that while we can’t choose the lives we’re born into, we can show gratitude for our blessings by helping those in need. Joana feels honored to be part of this mission and is committed to making a difference in the lives of Rwanda’s children.

.

Becky Couet – Board Member

Becky Couet is involved in PK-7 education. She has taught in the classroom, been a principal and now coordinates curriculum and Title I programs for Taunton Public Schools.

She grew up in East Freetown and is actively involved in her parish, St. John Neumann Catholic Church. She is on the Youth Ministry Board and has been a cantor there since 2000.

Becky’s devotion to this project stems from her everyday work. She firmly believes that education is the gateway to a better life and every child deserves a chance to learn.

Zelia Reis- Board Member

Zelia Reis received a Bachelor’s of Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a Master’s in Education from Cambridge College. After a career in surgical inpatient nursing, she took on a different role and has been working as a school nurse for the New Bedford Public Schools.

Zelia has been married for 26 years and is a proud mother to 3 beautiful boys. She is a Parishioner of Santo Christo Catholic Church and is involved in various ministries there.

Although Zelia has given back to her community both professionally and personally, she has often felt that God has a bigger plan for her. After receiving a call from Bea, Zelia knew that this was God’s message for her, to join the Rise Rwanda team in order to serve the children of Rwanda that are in need of our support.

Osvaldo Pacheco – Board Member 

Osvaldo Pacheco, a.k.a. Ozzie, is a Customer Service Engineer with SICK Inc. He is married to his wife Susan for 36 years and they have two children and two grandchildren.

Ozzie has been active in ministry at Santo Christo Parish in Fall River, MA since his teenage years, and is now the Faith Formation Director, Youth Minister and Choir Director. Ozzie also teaches religion part time, at Holy Trinity School in Fall River.

Although Ozzie has understood his call to ministry he’s always wondered if God is calling him to minister to others outside the walls of his parish. With RISE Rwanda that call became clear. He considers himself blessed to be a part of this ministry and serving the children of Rwanda.

Jill Fernandes – Board Member

Jill Fernandes is very active in her local community. She is currently working in a Catholic Education School for grades Preschool to 8th, teaching a variety of subjects, but her favorite is Theatre. She is also the Theatre Director Assistant at Bristol Community College.

Jill grew up as a parishioner at Saint Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford. She has participated and planned many Diocesan Retreat Events including traveling to World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. She traveled to Rwanda as a board member in August of 2024 and cannot wait to go back in the future.

She has always had a passion for teaching children, especially when it comes to learning about their faith. Her role models are people who have shown her how important faith is and everything that God can do while working through you.

Rev. Leonard Kayondo- Spiritual Advisor

Rev. Leonard Kayondo is an alumni of Boston College in Boston, Ma, who now serves as a Catholic priest. He actively performs duties as the Chaplain for St. Anne’s Hospital in the Diocese of Fall River, Ma.

He is a native of Rwanda and is the Mission Representative for his home Kabgayi Diocese. The Diocese of Kabgayi, Rwanda is not only Rev. Leonard’s diocese but it is also home to the Franciscan sisters who have partnered with Rise Rwanda.

Among all of Rev. Leonard’s responsibilities, he humbly serves as the Spiritual Director for the Rise Rwanda Organization.