Speakers

Host: Kathy Picard

Shared Action Africa is a nonprofit that works to build resilient livelihoods, enhance health, and advance environmental and climate justice for rural and refugee women in Uganda. We achieve our mission by using an integrated program delivery approach that leverages savings and lending groups and community-based organizations to create synergy and address the interconnected and complex community needs. Accordingly, we leverage women and girl led savings groups and community based organizations to support rural and refugee women access financial services to achieve economic self-sufficiency, promote access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and adolescents, while helping them restore degraded land and adapt to a changing climate.

Since our inauguration in 2014, we have helped over 22,000 rural and refugee women, adolescents and young adults  access financial services, contraceptives and cervical cancer screening, training, technical skills, and energy efficient cookstoves. 

Ahmad Thomas is the new CEO of SVLG. We've invited him to give us an update on SVLGs directions, accomplishments, fundraising in time of pandemic, etc.

Sylvia Witlock and her son Eugene will be speaking on the topic of "how to talk about race".

Brief Bio on Sylvia:
In 1982, while an Elementary School Principal in Duarte, CA., Dr. Whitlock was invited to join the history-making "Ex-Rotary Club of Duarte". She became President of that club in 1987, the year the United States Supreme Court ruled that the club be reinstated, thus making her the first woman in the Rotary International organization to head a club as President.

Dr. Whitlock's ‘Rotary resume’ is extensive, both in scope and the long list of awards she has received. The same goes for her activities and achievements outside of Rotary, including being named an NAACP Woman of the Year and receiving the Global Citizen Award from the United Nations Association (Oct. 2013)