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Speaker 1: Personally with Nan Duelsman.

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Speaker 2: There are times I just want to do episodes with

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Speaker 2: awesome people without a series of mine, but knowing I

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Speaker 2: want to tell their stories. So last week I had

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Speaker 2: on Nate and Holly sharing.

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Speaker 3: Their amazing mother and son duo.

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Speaker 2: This week, I have Sarah Nininger joining me to share

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Speaker 2: why she founded Action in Africa when she was just

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Speaker 2: in her teens. Anne continues to do the work over

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Speaker 2: a decade later. If you're someone who has ever wanted

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Speaker 2: to do nonprofit work or curious to how it all happens,

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Speaker 2: this is the episode that's gonna get you. She reached

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Speaker 2: out after listening to the podcast, and I'm so glad

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Speaker 2: she did, so let's get into it.

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Speaker 3: Joining me this week is Sarah Nininger.

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Speaker 2: She is the found or an executive director of Action

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Speaker 2: in Africa.

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Speaker 3: Sarah, how are you?

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Speaker 1: I'm awesome. Thank you so much for having me today.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it was so cool you reach out to me

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Speaker 2: on an email and I was like, wow, I love

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Speaker 2: what she's doing.

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Speaker 3: This is so new to me.

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Speaker 2: I was learning about it through your email and the

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Speaker 2: stuff that you had sent over and you guys this

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Speaker 2: Instagram page. But I'm so curious you've started this when

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Speaker 2: you were a sophomore in high school.

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Speaker 3: Tell me how why? What does that look like when

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Speaker 3: it happens?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I will preface this by saying this was never

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Speaker 1: a part of the plan. So it's been a really

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Speaker 1: wonderful organic journey over the last eighteen years. But Action

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Speaker 1: in Africa started simply as just a school project with

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Speaker 1: a group of other students. My high school history teacher

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Speaker 1: had showed us a film about kids in Africa, and

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Speaker 1: fastward eighteen years.

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Speaker 2: Here we are, but out of all of the students

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Speaker 2: and you guys start this. So you start this in

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Speaker 2: high schoo school, but you're sixteen seventeen years old at

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Speaker 2: the time, and you're like, yeah, I should do something

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Speaker 2: with this, or does it pause? You start this in

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Speaker 2: high school, it pauses, and then you get to your

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Speaker 2: adult life and kind of visit it again. What is

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Speaker 2: the transition that happens there?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it has been a part of my life since

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Speaker 1: I was fifteen. So we started as a group of

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Speaker 1: kids just raising money for already existing organizations doing really

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Speaker 1: interesting different things throughout the continent, and one happened to

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Speaker 1: be based in Uganda, so we had helped them build

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Speaker 1: I think then it was a widow shelter or a

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Speaker 1: library or something. And my senior year, they invited us

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Speaker 1: to Uganda to see the project we had helped fund.

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Speaker 1: So that would have been two thousand and eight and

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Speaker 1: we are still working in that very community today. The

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Speaker 1: more time we spent there and the more work that

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Speaker 1: we were doing, the more clear we got about our

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Speaker 1: mission and our purpose. And we've sent transitions from funding

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Speaker 1: and soup other organizations to building our own model of

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Speaker 1: what we think is really impactful, important, meaningful work in

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Speaker 1: a country like Uganda. But it's been many years of

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Speaker 1: refining our model and who we are and what we do.

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Speaker 1: We're really proud that we're celebrating our ten year anniversary

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Speaker 1: of our current community center right now. So that's been

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Speaker 1: an exciting year in celebration for us, and it's really

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Speaker 1: setting the stage for what's to come. But it very

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Speaker 1: much was a school project and raising money for other

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Speaker 1: organizations and learned so much through that process to build

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Speaker 1: what we have today.

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Speaker 2: And you say, this wasn't the plan, This was not

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Speaker 2: a part of your what you envisioned your life looking like.

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Speaker 3: So what made that change? What about all of this

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Speaker 3: in that video that you had in that class that

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Speaker 3: changed the course of your forever.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll personally share I was a student athlete, but

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Speaker 1: I was also a trouble maker and having the time

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Speaker 1: of my life in high school. My parents were also

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Speaker 1: going through a divorce and my older brother has special needs,

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Speaker 1: and I think at that pivotal moment in my life,

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Speaker 1: I was looking for some purpose, and I was looking

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Speaker 1: for something to really sink my teeth into and feel

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Speaker 1: like I could have control over when the rest of

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Speaker 1: the world and when you're a fifteen year old girl

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Speaker 1: feels very chaotic, this felt like something I kind of

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Speaker 1: wrapped my hands around. And then that trip to Wanda was,

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Speaker 1: as you can imagine, really life changing. When you can

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Speaker 1: see and feel the impact that you're making and build

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Speaker 1: it based off of community and building relationships. That really

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Speaker 1: was when the rest became history, when we met the

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Speaker 1: kids and the families and the schools and fell in

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Speaker 1: love with the work that we were doing. So being

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Speaker 1: a teenager that was a little angsty, this gave me

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Speaker 1: a tremendous amount of purpose and helped me recalibrate my life,

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Speaker 1: which was pretty important at that point in time.

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Speaker 2: I love to hear that it's always cool to see

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Speaker 2: that somebody's passion started from a place of personal That's

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Speaker 2: often the case, whether it be intentional or not. And

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Speaker 2: it's cool that you an outlet for things that were

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Speaker 2: going on in your life that allowed you to do

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Speaker 2: something to help others. You could have gotten a lot

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Speaker 2: of different routes. I've been reminded of that by therapists

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Speaker 2: when I talk about things. They say, you could have

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Speaker 2: chose something different. And I don't know if you've ever

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Speaker 2: heard that based on what you just told me that

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Speaker 2: little excerpt about your life, you could have chose vastly

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Speaker 2: different directions in different paths.

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Speaker 3: What do you feel like kept you.

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Speaker 2: On this path to continue helping and then not just

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Speaker 2: taking it from the school project in this school community

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Speaker 2: that you created, but then to a full blown position

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Speaker 2: where you now have thirty plus employees. That is a

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Speaker 2: drastic change and a huge shift in what your responsibilities

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Speaker 2: and role looked like from this starting.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. I will preface this by saying I you might

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Speaker 1: feel the same way too, But I feel like I

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Speaker 1: have the best job in the world, and I work

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Speaker 1: with the most thoughtful, hardworking individuals and we all really

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Speaker 1: enjoy each other and we laugh a lot, and that's

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Speaker 1: just like the icing on the cake is that we

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Speaker 1: get to actually make a difference every single day and

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Speaker 1: that we're having a little bit of fun while doing it.

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Speaker 1: It's the dream I could have never orchestrated this life myself.

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Speaker 1: And a phrase that I love to share with people

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Speaker 1: is when people are like, what's your plan, or when

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Speaker 1: I was finishing college and deciding about going to grad

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Speaker 1: school or moving to Ganda, I always just said, my

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Speaker 1: only plans are to be surprised. And I think that

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Speaker 1: is the theme of my life. It's been nothing but

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Speaker 1: one big surprise. But it doesn't mean that it's not

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Speaker 1: a lot of work and that the days are long

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Speaker 1: and hard, and the circumstances with which we work in

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Speaker 1: are oftentimes very devastating and heartbreaking. But I think what

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Speaker 1: keeps me going and doing the work that I do

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Speaker 1: for now eighteen years, which is crazy, is the individual

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Speaker 1: impact in the day to day stories that we see

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Speaker 1: of lives being changed, from kids who have your special

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Speaker 1: needs who are now walking in school every single day,

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Speaker 1: to moms that are able to put food on the

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Speaker 1: table and educate their own children, to our first group

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Speaker 1: of kids that I met on that trip in two

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Speaker 1: thousand and eight who are in primary school are now

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Speaker 1: graduates of our university scholarship program, and three of them

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Speaker 1: are working for us full time. And this is like

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Speaker 1: the good stuff. Now, we're really seeing the fruits of

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Speaker 1: our labor come to fruition, and that's really what keeps

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Speaker 1: this thing going.

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Speaker 2: You mentioned the heartbreaking and the devastating parts of this.

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Speaker 2: So much of nonprofit work, you are seeing things that

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Speaker 2: a lot of people like to turn away from because

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Speaker 2: it's uncomfortable, it's hard, it's sad. What are some things

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Speaker 2: that maybe you've learned in this process of why you

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Speaker 2: can continue putting yourself through this? And I asked this

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Speaker 2: from a place of someone who constantly, on a completely

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Speaker 2: different nonprofit side is working with animals, and it's always.

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Speaker 3: How can you do that?

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Speaker 2: I could never give them away, I could never foster.

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Speaker 2: That's a constant theme in general with nonprofits.

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Speaker 3: How do you do it?

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Speaker 2: And how do you deal with the sadness and the

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Speaker 2: experiences that you're going through while you're witnessing, honestly, some

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Speaker 2: of the harder parts of humanity. Maybe you can speak

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Speaker 2: to that on just different levels. I don't know. Where

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Speaker 2: it takes you. But I would just love your perspective

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Speaker 2: on that.

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Speaker 1: We I love that you asked that I'll share on

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Speaker 1: a personal level something that I've been doing recently as

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Speaker 1: I have a folder on the desktop of my monitor

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Speaker 1: that I call caffeine, and I have screenshots and pictures,

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Speaker 1: and when we got our first million dollar donation, I

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Speaker 1: took a picture of it and put it in there.

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Speaker 1: When we redid our board of directors, there's a screenshot

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Speaker 1: of that in there. Or the first university student that

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Speaker 1: we hired from our scholarship program sent me an email

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Speaker 1: when he signed his contract and reminders of the good

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Speaker 1: stuff as just like a daily dosage of caffeine to

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Speaker 1: fight the good fight. I would like turn out of

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Speaker 1: time recommend for everyone. I look at it regularly. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think it goes back to the endivid stories again.

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Speaker 1: And also, listen, I'm biased in the work that we do,

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Speaker 1: but I think we're remarkably good at what we do.

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Speaker 1: We spend a really long time refining our model and

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Speaker 1: then you see the impact of it. So our entire

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Speaker 1: team in UGLANDA for example, is Ugandan and led by

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Speaker 1: the community, and they're the representation of the work, and

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Speaker 1: they're the ones that bring the proposed ideas of programs

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Speaker 1: and projects and services and then they deliver on them.

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Speaker 1: So when I go to Uganda, which is a couple

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Speaker 1: of times a year, I get to witness the great

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Speaker 1: work that's being happened, that's happening on a day to

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Speaker 1: day basis, despite sometimes the challenges, and I think you

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Speaker 1: can probably imagine some of the challenges when it comes

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Speaker 1: to a country like Uganda where there's an immense amount

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Speaker 1: of poverty and suffering, and for better for worse, people

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Speaker 1: experience temptation and make poor choices that can be so

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Speaker 1: devastating on a personal level also an organizational level, and

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Speaker 1: you just have to continue to meet people where they're

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Speaker 1: at and stay the course and fight the good fight.

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Speaker 1: But there's been a number of moments where we probably

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Speaker 1: should have just thrown in the towel, and we would

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Speaker 1: have had every reason to do, and I'm so glad

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Speaker 1: that we didn't. But yeah, there were some pretty painful

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Speaker 1: chapters in our organization. But I will say, and I

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Speaker 1: think in everyone's organization, by the way, but coming out

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Speaker 1: the other side of it, we're so much better for

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Speaker 1: those challenges and have learned how to pivot and how

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Speaker 1: to be thinking outside the box and really just committed

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Speaker 1: to the mission. But yeah, there's probably a number of

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Speaker 1: circumstances where we should not be here and doing the

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Speaker 1: work that we're doing now. But I'm so glad we are.

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Speaker 2: And there's a reason you are. There's a reason that

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Speaker 2: it happened the way that it was supposed to. And

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Speaker 2: I'm a firm believer in that everything pans out in

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Speaker 2: the way that it's supposed to happen, for better or

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Speaker 2: for worse. And I love that you have a caffeine fuller.

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Speaker 2: I think that's a cool serotonin boost when you need

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Speaker 2: it pick me up.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, absolutely, And I love that you mentioned this

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Speaker 1: side of things.

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Speaker 2: There were moments where you should have potentially thrown in

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Speaker 2: the towel and you didn't. Is there misconceptions or things

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Speaker 2: over the course of time that you've learned.

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Speaker 3: That you've experienced.

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Speaker 2: Maybe it's about the things that are happening in Africa,

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Speaker 2: maybe it's about nonprofits.

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Speaker 3: But is there just.

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Speaker 2: Things that you learned along the way where you wish

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Speaker 2: people could also learn the things that you've learned.

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Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, Morgan, how much time do you have today.

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Speaker 3: You can walk me down any path you want to

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Speaker 3: go here.

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Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, how to even approach that question. I

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Speaker 1: would like to think that for us at Action ACA,

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Speaker 1: we like to do things differently and rather unconventionally, and

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Speaker 1: sometimes that's unfamiliar and uncomfortable for people. So I've got

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Speaker 1: a couple hills that I would like to die on

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Speaker 1: as far as how I believe my belief systems around

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Speaker 1: nonprofit work and international development. There's a lot of layers

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Speaker 1: to being a white woman from Assmen, Colorado working in

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Speaker 1: a country like East Africa and making sure that we

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Speaker 1: have representation of our work. And we talk a lot

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Speaker 1: about what my role is in this organization, what it's not,

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Speaker 1: and how do we make sure it's community led, And

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Speaker 1: there's a lot of pressure around those narratives and conversations,

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Speaker 1: and I find that sometimes I get very insecure about

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Speaker 1: that or in my head about it, and then I'm

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Speaker 1: humbled and reminded that, like, I'm here to do the

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Speaker 1: good work and we have impact to prove it and

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Speaker 1: show it. So just not getting caught up in the

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Speaker 1: noise of things. And I think with nonprofits it's so

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Speaker 1: easy to do that there's a lot of conversations around

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Speaker 1: overhead and what you pay your employees and what your

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Speaker 1: work looks like, and there's just a lot of noise.

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Speaker 1: And so we try really hard as an organization to

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Speaker 1: stick to what we believe in and do things unconventionally

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Speaker 1: and a little bit differently. I am reminded by my

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Speaker 1: team often to what extent and at what expense or

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Speaker 1: we having these hills that we die on? And how

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Speaker 1: can it be an opportunity for conversation and a learning

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Speaker 1: opportunity for people, but not at the expense of donations

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Speaker 1: and the great work that we're doing. But I would

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Speaker 1: say in this season of my leadership, in this exciting chapter,

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Speaker 1: I'm learning a lot about just how to speak my

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Speaker 1: truth and how I feel about things and not wavering

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Speaker 1: in that. And so going on podcasts and talking about

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Speaker 1: our work is being a little bit vulnerable in who

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Speaker 1: I am as the leader of this organization.

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Speaker 2: Okay, of course I'm now curious, and you took me

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Speaker 2: a few different paths and we will go down the mall.

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Speaker 2: But what are these hills that you will die on?

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Speaker 2: Because I think it's a beautiful thing when people have

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Speaker 2: their convictions, because when you have seen an experienced and

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Speaker 2: been in a field long enough, you have the right

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Speaker 2: to die on a hill. There's good in having the

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Speaker 2: passion of certain things. So I see dying on a

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Speaker 2: hill as.

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Speaker 3: A good thing.

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Speaker 2: And that's why I would love to know more about

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Speaker 2: the one that are very close to your heart and

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Speaker 2: what you are very passionate about in this work.

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Speaker 1: Ooh, vie, I love sticky stuff. Although my team is

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Speaker 1: probably gonna listen to this and make you're never going

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Speaker 1: on a podcast again.

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Speaker 2: Hey, but this is how we change the narrative, right,

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Speaker 2: This is how we do things differently and how we

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Speaker 2: rewrite stories, and how we do better is sometimes talking

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Speaker 2: about the hard stuff.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, And I will say I do think in

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Speaker 1: the nonprofit industry and the work that I do in particular,

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Speaker 1: there are great meaningful conversations and shifts and narratives and

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Speaker 1: we love to see that. But to answer your question,

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Speaker 1: I'd say one of the most controversial things is the

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Speaker 1: overhead and salaries of employees. And I can tell you

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Speaker 1: two very specific examples. One of our major donors years ago,

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Speaker 1: I didn't take a salary for probably the first gosh.

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Speaker 1: I want to say, like thirteen years of this. I

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Speaker 1: had expected its cover and went on and made this possible.

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Speaker 1: But I had a donor say that they were going

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Speaker 1: to stop giving to us until we paid our employees

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Speaker 1: a livable wage because they view their gifts to us

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Speaker 1: as an investment and if there's no return on this

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Speaker 1: or guarantee that we're going to be around for years

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Speaker 1: to come, they're just wasting their money. And that was

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Speaker 1: pretty eye opening and revolutionary for us as an organization

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Speaker 1: and caused us to really think through our budget and

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Speaker 1: our fundraising strategy and making sure that people can be

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Speaker 1: compensated here. And I will say that really shifted how

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Speaker 1: we then do our work in Uganda. And being able

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Speaker 1: to hire employees here in the United States to help

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Speaker 1: with fundraising and creating some sort of financial stability for

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Speaker 1: our work. It's allowed us to grow our programs and

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Speaker 1: you want a tenfold so you see a direct correlation

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Speaker 1: by an increase in our overhead, by the great work

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Speaker 1: and the longevity of our work and meaningful work in

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Speaker 1: a place like Uganda. Being able to fairly compensate employees

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Speaker 1: is definitely one of those hills that I want to

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Speaker 1: die on. And I will say all of this with

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Speaker 1: a caveat of within reason, we still have an obligation

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Speaker 1: to make sure that we are good stewards of donors.

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Speaker 1: But that does not mean that we should not have

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Speaker 1: the best of the best employees and being able to

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Speaker 1: pay them a livable wage so that they can live

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Speaker 1: a wonderful life, just like all of our friends who

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Speaker 1: work in tech or entertainment or for profit spaces.

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Speaker 2: No, it's so important, and I do having worked with

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Speaker 2: several nonprofits in my life. It finances is such a

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Speaker 2: tricky subject because nonprofits do they get donor dollars, and

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Speaker 2: that's the purpose, but there is such a huge conversation

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Speaker 2: around it, so much so that oftentimes I've said it myself,

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Speaker 2: where I can't work nonprofit. I can't have a living

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Speaker 2: in nonprofit. Do I want to do it? Absolutely, I

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Speaker 2: can't make a livable wage in there, because most of

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Speaker 2: them don't because they feel an obligation to support the

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Speaker 2: causes that they're going after. But I think there's such

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Speaker 2: a huge loss in that because to your point, these

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Speaker 2: programs that are already doing really good things could do

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Speaker 2: even better things if they have people who don't feel

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Speaker 2: so exhausted so financially strained that they could spend their

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Speaker 2: time and effort into really investing into something.

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Speaker 3: So I think that's a great hill to die on.

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Speaker 3: I agree with you.

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Speaker 2: And that's coming from someone who's had not even in

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Speaker 2: the side of nonprofit that you guys are in, but

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Speaker 2: just in working with several different ones over the years.

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Speaker 2: That's a common conversation. It's common controversial, and it's also

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Speaker 2: really hard to watch when you see really good hearted

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Speaker 2: people doing incredible things, not able to care for themselves,

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Speaker 2: not just emotionally and mentally because of what they're doing,

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Speaker 2: but financially, And that is so so common.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think the statistic is and I actually

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Speaker 1: have it screenshotted in my caffeine and folder as a reminder.

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Speaker 1: I think it's something along the lines of ninety three

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Speaker 1: percent of organizations don't make it to the ten year

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Speaker 1: mark or or less than a million dollars. And to me,

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Speaker 1: that's a direct correlation and indicator of being able to

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Speaker 1: hire employees and sustain the work that you do. And

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Speaker 1: by the way, this is a comparable conversation you Ganta too.

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Speaker 1: I'm not just talking about us, but in really committing

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Speaker 1: to our employees globally, we take great care and hire

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Speaker 1: the best of the best in Uganda as well. And

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Speaker 1: you I'm biased in all this, so take out the

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Speaker 1: grave salt. But that's why you see us at a

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Speaker 1: two million dollar level organization around for eighteen years, and

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Speaker 1: that's because we're investing in our people to do the

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Speaker 1: good work and fight the good fight at a meaningful

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Speaker 1: and long term level.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, Hey, I like all your hills, but this is

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Speaker 2: the one that we fu's not in that moment. You

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Speaker 2: also mentioned how it's been a white woman from the

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Speaker 2: States and you're working in Africa with primarily a lot

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Speaker 2: of the black community.

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Speaker 3: So what has that experience been.

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Speaker 1: Like a learning experience. I'm viscerally aware of where I'm from,

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Speaker 1: what my look like, and I try to be cognizant

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Speaker 1: of that and the work that I do, but also

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Speaker 1: stick to my truth and that it's allowed me to

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Speaker 1: do the work that I do and be of service

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Speaker 1: to another community. It's funny. I have so much to

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Speaker 1: learn and grow in this space and the first to

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Speaker 1: admit that. But I will also say I, from my experience,

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Speaker 1: have observed this as a very strong Western conversation, and

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Speaker 1: that does not mean that these themes are not deeply

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Speaker 1: rooted in colonialistic roots. I acknowledge that, but these are

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Speaker 1: not conversations that our team in Uganda are having, for example,

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Speaker 1: and that to me is very eye opening and interesting

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Speaker 1: and by the way, would carry a whole other weight

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Speaker 1: if our leadership, staff and Ugonda were like, hey, you're

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Speaker 1: the white girl, what are you doing here? And there's

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Speaker 1: none of that. I think they're tremendously grateful for my

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Speaker 1: leadership and the resources I bring, irrelevant of where I'm

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Speaker 1: from and what that looks like. So I think that's

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Speaker 1: another perfect example of where I have an obligation and

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Speaker 1: a duty to be educated about this and I'm responsible

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Speaker 1: to this narrative, but also I'm not to be distracted

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Speaker 1: by it and let it deter me from just day

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Speaker 1: to day doing some really good work.

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Speaker 3: Mm hmm.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a really important lesson and one that you

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Speaker 2: wouldn't have gotten had you done a nonprofit that's just here.

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Speaker 2: It's a different experience, I also imagine because Africa, a

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Speaker 2: lot of those countries within it are considered third world,

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Speaker 2: so you're experiencing also just a different overall experience in

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Speaker 2: another country, different economic standards.

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Speaker 3: You have a different level of culture.

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Speaker 2: You just there's so many bases of which you are different,

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Speaker 2: And I think those are some beautiful lessons that not

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Speaker 2: a lot of people get to learn.

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Speaker 1: And I think I've had great grace and like time

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Speaker 1: to learn some of these lessons and acknowledge like the

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Speaker 1: ongoing learning in this right. I started going to Ulanda

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Speaker 1: when I was a teenager, and I go multiple times

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Speaker 1: a year. I lived there full time for a little

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Speaker 1: over three years. Like I'm like really putting in the

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Speaker 1: work and really a part of the work that we

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Speaker 1: do here. But I've had the opportunity to slowly learn

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Speaker 1: those lessons. Which is that helpful?

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Speaker 2: What was that experience like when you lived over there

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Speaker 2: and you're seeing all of this and you're trying to

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Speaker 2: figure out, Okay, how do we do this and how

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Speaker 2: do we do it in the best way possible? What

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Speaker 2: was that part like of this story?

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Speaker 1: So I at that point, gosh, okay, So I was

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Speaker 1: in college. I went so I was running action Afrin

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Speaker 1: high school and college, going back and forth during holidays,

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Speaker 1: and when I graduated university, there was a moment of

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Speaker 1: are we really doing this? And what does this look like?

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Speaker 2: Like?

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Speaker 1: It feels like we're halfway in and halfway out and

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Speaker 1: decided to move to Ganda and like really figure this

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Speaker 1: out and assess, Okay, we're going to fully commit or

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Speaker 1: we did a good thing and now this isn't working.

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Speaker 1: And I'll tell you I my family has never had

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Speaker 1: never really been out of the US, So this like

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Speaker 1: Africa thing my whole life since ide the kid was

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Speaker 1: like what is Thearah doing? Like what is happening here?

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Speaker 1: And so I would be going back and forth. And

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Speaker 1: I graduated college and I got into grad school at

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Speaker 1: USC to get my master's in social work, and my

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Speaker 1: whole family was like, yes, she'll be stateside, she'll be

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Speaker 1: home based, like we're recalibrating her life. I got in,

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Speaker 1: I went to like orientation, dropped out, moved to Blonda.

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Speaker 1: So it was a fun little plot twist for the family.

442
00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,399
Speaker 1: But I was like, I'll go to Blonda and like

443
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,480
Speaker 1: really give us a noble attempt and see if this

444
00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,400
Speaker 1: is going to be the thing. I'll go for six

445
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,040
Speaker 1: months naive me. Like that's a bit of this like

446
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,560
Speaker 1: white girl thing, Like I keep thinking that I know

447
00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,800
Speaker 1: how to fix things or that I've got a solution here,

448
00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,680
Speaker 1: and thought I'd go for six months, hire our staff,

449
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,200
Speaker 1: make a plan, and then come home. And three years

450
00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,480
Speaker 1: later I was like, I'm still here. I need to

451
00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,359
Speaker 1: make a plan. But I will say to answer your question,

452
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,399
Speaker 1: those three years were some of the most magical years

453
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,080
Speaker 1: of my life. I think that rate there is even

454
00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,399
Speaker 1: something that makes us a little bit different that as

455
00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,879
Speaker 1: the founder and executive director, I went there and I

456
00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,440
Speaker 1: fully bought in. And I lived in our community center,

457
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:10,000
Speaker 1: which was really fun, very chaotic, soccer balls breaking glass

458
00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,680
Speaker 1: into my bedroom window and always hearing the kids start

459
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,000
Speaker 1: their pe classes at six o'clock in the morning in

460
00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,840
Speaker 1: the front yard. But it was filled with so much

461
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:22,399
Speaker 1: joy and creativity and building and hiring. It was just

462
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 1: a blast. But I think like really helped shape perspective

463
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,320
Speaker 1: and how we do things and what things look like

464
00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:29,760
Speaker 1: here to action in Africa. I think it also carried

465
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,359
Speaker 1: so much weight for our team in Uganda, like really

466
00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:34,360
Speaker 1: showed that I was bought in and that we were

467
00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:36,840
Speaker 1: in this together and like boots on the ground, not

468
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:38,720
Speaker 1: just like I'm on the US side, they're on the

469
00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:42,240
Speaker 1: Uganda side. But the collaboration was so fun.

470
00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,800
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, And that's just so hands on and so

471
00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,879
Speaker 2: important of a role when it does come to nonprofit

472
00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 2: that can make the difference between someone who's just a

473
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,639
Speaker 2: donor and somebody who's actually a volunteer that's where the

474
00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,600
Speaker 2: work is. So it's cool that you had that experience

475
00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:02,280
Speaker 2: and of hearing that, I do want to hear a

476
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,360
Speaker 2: little bit more about your parents and how you mentioned

477
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:06,840
Speaker 2: that they were like what.

478
00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:08,840
Speaker 3: Is she doing? What is happening?

479
00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 2: Because I think it's incredible that you chose and most

480
00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,240
Speaker 2: capacities of the sense that it's a more non traditional

481
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,040
Speaker 2: way of living and being done.

482
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,840
Speaker 3: With college and being like, yeah, no, I'm going to

483
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:23,280
Speaker 3: go here.

484
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,359
Speaker 2: So what were your parents like in that experience for

485
00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,679
Speaker 2: you and was that just hard for you as you

486
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,680
Speaker 2: were doing something that.

487
00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:33,879
Speaker 3: You were paving a new path.

488
00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:39,399
Speaker 1: So I will preface this by saying I have an

489
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,359
Speaker 1: older brother who has special needs. He was born with

490
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,119
Speaker 1: cerebral palsy, is very independent and very high functioning, but

491
00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,520
Speaker 1: definitely has his own challenges. And I spent most of

492
00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,240
Speaker 1: my childhood growing up going to physical therapy and speech

493
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,160
Speaker 1: therapy and all these different programs with and focused on him.

494
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,240
Speaker 1: And that really that experience, it's opened my eyes to

495
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,879
Speaker 1: the other populations that are otherwise sometimes disenfranchised and have

496
00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,520
Speaker 1: a different way of living and need different avenues of support.

497
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,800
Speaker 1: And I think that really set the foundation for my

498
00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:16,040
Speaker 1: heart to do the work that I'm doing now. We've

499
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,880
Speaker 1: got a couple beloved kids in our special needs program

500
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,480
Speaker 1: that are outside of our wheelhouse of work, but I'm like,

501
00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,080
Speaker 1: I love them, and that I really attribute to my

502
00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:27,639
Speaker 1: brother and growing up in that kind of household. But

503
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,000
Speaker 1: I think in having an older brother with special needs,

504
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,200
Speaker 1: it really forced me at a younger age to become

505
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,760
Speaker 1: independent and marked to my own drum and live my

506
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: life in the different way. Well, I think my parents

507
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:40,520
Speaker 1: are like, wow, Africa's really far, what are you doing.

508
00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,520
Speaker 1: I also don't think they were entirely unsurprised by it.

509
00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,280
Speaker 1: I do think that for a number of years everyone

510
00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,159
Speaker 1: was waiting for me to outgrow this phase, and perhaps

511
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,520
Speaker 1: there's still a bit of them waiting for that. And

512
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:54,480
Speaker 1: I'm like, all right, maybe at the twenty year mark,

513
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,960
Speaker 1: you'll believe me that this is the thing. But I

514
00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,480
Speaker 1: think like, regardless of how unfamiliar it felt to them,

515
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,520
Speaker 1: I do know that they've just been so proud of

516
00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,399
Speaker 1: this journey and have watched it grow from the ground

517
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,040
Speaker 1: up and my dad has been to Gonda now twice

518
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:13,080
Speaker 1: with us, and my brother actually came. In January. We

519
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,000
Speaker 1: did a big donor trip celebrating the ground the ten

520
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,879
Speaker 1: year anniversary of our current community center, breaking ground on

521
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,200
Speaker 1: a brand new campus that I'll tell you about later.

522
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:26,000
Speaker 1: But having my dad and brother there and seeing it

523
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,600
Speaker 1: and feeling it was just beyond special. And even the

524
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,800
Speaker 1: flip side of that, our staff and our kids have

525
00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,320
Speaker 1: heard me talk about my brother for fifteen years and

526
00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,840
Speaker 1: for them to meet him and receive him and love

527
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:41,000
Speaker 1: on him was just like it gives me chills and

528
00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,159
Speaker 1: again like I have the best job in the world,

529
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,240
Speaker 1: but for my dad. We had kids back when I

530
00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:48,560
Speaker 1: was in high school that didn't understand the time difference,

531
00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,040
Speaker 1: so they'd call at three o'clock in the morning be like,

532
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,240
Speaker 1: where's Aunt Sarah, Where's Aunt Sarah? And my dadd she's

533
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,680
Speaker 1: sleepings for him to then connect the faces to those

534
00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,520
Speaker 1: kids in Uganda, they're teenagers now well I think many

535
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,240
Speaker 1: years later they're really starting to get it and understand it.

536
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 1: But now they too have experienced it.

537
00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,119
Speaker 2: Oh. I love that so much that your whole family

538
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,760
Speaker 2: has gotten to now see and witness the things that

539
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:18,400
Speaker 2: you created and have building all this time, to especially

540
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,199
Speaker 2: your brother getting to go over there and witness that.

541
00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,880
Speaker 2: I can only imagine that experience. You probably just wanted

542
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,399
Speaker 2: to bottle it up and be like, I'm going to

543
00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,919
Speaker 2: keep this feeling forever in this moment and I'm just

544
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,280
Speaker 2: going to keep replaying it. That would be like eighty

545
00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:32,480
Speaker 2: caffeine folders.

546
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,320
Speaker 1: I would think, yeah, yeah, I don't even know how

547
00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:38,280
Speaker 1: it'll contain that into my folder. But you're exactly right.

548
00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,679
Speaker 1: There are no words to describe that.

549
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,879
Speaker 2: Oh, that's so special, and I think it's so beautiful

550
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,479
Speaker 2: to look at your life, and it is when somebody

551
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:52,000
Speaker 2: often takes a different path, there's always questions, there's always doubt,

552
00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:56,359
Speaker 2: there's uncertainty and a lot of insecurity.

553
00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,480
Speaker 3: That gets part of that whole experience.

554
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:02,359
Speaker 2: So, now that we've heard from the outsider perspective for you,

555
00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,360
Speaker 2: what were those emotions and experiences like as you're going

556
00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,760
Speaker 2: through this, as this whole thing is getting built in

557
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,600
Speaker 2: those moments you mentioned where we probably should have thrown

558
00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,520
Speaker 2: in the tab but we didn't, what were your emotions, like,

559
00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:18,280
Speaker 2: what were the things that you were going through that

560
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,680
Speaker 2: were really difficult and how did you handle them.

561
00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:28,600
Speaker 1: Ooh. I think I would say in this chapter of

562
00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,960
Speaker 1: life that I've been now has probably been where I've

563
00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,520
Speaker 1: felt the most feelings because I'm in that season of

564
00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,280
Speaker 1: life where all my friends are married, They're all having babies.

565
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,600
Speaker 1: I have a number of friends that have started cool

566
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,320
Speaker 1: tech startup companies and some have failed, some have flourished.

567
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:48,200
Speaker 1: And while I'm so proud of the work that we're

568
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,560
Speaker 1: doing in Action Afria, there is a bit of it's

569
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,840
Speaker 1: the same all Like I go back home for Christmas

570
00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,280
Speaker 1: and everyone's oh, back from Africa, and I'm like, no,

571
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,000
Speaker 1: I live in Denver, but yes, I am still doing

572
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,840
Speaker 1: the Africa thing. So there is a bit insecurity of

573
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,520
Speaker 1: do people perceive this as it's the same thing that

574
00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,600
Speaker 1: I did when I was fifteen years old? And my

575
00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:09,280
Speaker 1: team does a great job of helping talk me off

576
00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:13,200
Speaker 1: that ledge a little bit, in reminding and educating people

577
00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,160
Speaker 1: that this is more or less a much bigger deal

578
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:18,080
Speaker 1: than it was when I was fifteen years old, and

579
00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,440
Speaker 1: that there's a lot to be proud of. And if

580
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 1: people still look at it as the cute high school

581
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,560
Speaker 1: club that Sarah started when she was fifteen, that's on them,

582
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,720
Speaker 1: and that's their loss, but that what we're doing is

583
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,600
Speaker 1: remarkable and is something I need to lean into. But

584
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,160
Speaker 1: I'd be lying if I didn't say that there are

585
00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,040
Speaker 1: things that are easy to compare to being in this

586
00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,160
Speaker 1: season of life that I have missed out on because

587
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,840
Speaker 1: I've made a choice to commit to my life up

588
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,040
Speaker 1: until this point in time to the work that we're

589
00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,880
Speaker 1: doing in Uganda. And I would imagine people probably look

590
00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,320
Speaker 1: at my life too when compare it in certain ways

591
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,000
Speaker 1: and think parts of it are cool or they wish

592
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,520
Speaker 1: they were a part of it. I think that's just

593
00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,720
Speaker 1: human nature. So those are moments, and I've had to

594
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,000
Speaker 1: miss a lot of things. I'm missing a friend's wedding

595
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,800
Speaker 1: because I'm in You've gone to next month and baby showers,

596
00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:04,400
Speaker 1: and I feel like I'm having to make a lot

597
00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,200
Speaker 1: of sacrifices to do the work that we do. But

598
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:09,640
Speaker 1: I have a good job.

599
00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:13,640
Speaker 2: I think that's a very real answer, and I think

600
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:16,440
Speaker 2: I'm lucky that you shared that with me, because there

601
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:21,080
Speaker 2: are we really love to make everything look like younicorns

602
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:22,520
Speaker 2: and rainbows.

603
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:23,040
Speaker 3: And it is.

604
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,520
Speaker 2: There's this whole part of it that's so beautiful and

605
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:30,600
Speaker 2: so significant and important. But to diminish the fact that

606
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,840
Speaker 2: you're still human and you still experience real life emotions

607
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,800
Speaker 2: just because you have a really awesome, cool job, and

608
00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,239
Speaker 2: might I say really awesome that it started for you

609
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,760
Speaker 2: at fifteen, because not a lot of people can say

610
00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:45,200
Speaker 2: that they've had any version of that kind of consistency

611
00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:45,840
Speaker 2: in their life.

612
00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,840
Speaker 3: I think that's a beautiful thing. So it's special.

613
00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,760
Speaker 2: And important that you were willing to share that because

614
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:57,120
Speaker 2: I do think it gets lost in translation a lot.

615
00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,480
Speaker 2: And to sit here and be like, well, she has

616
00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:01,800
Speaker 2: this mass of companies, she gets to go to Africa

617
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,680
Speaker 2: all the time, and she loves what she's doing doesn't

618
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,320
Speaker 2: mean that there aren't parts that you also wish you

619
00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:11,880
Speaker 2: could have, because also human nature is to one everything

620
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,960
Speaker 2: and to have accomplished everything that you thought you should

621
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 2: accomplish by this point in your life.

622
00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,160
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I think I have an obligation to lead

623
00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,880
Speaker 1: from a place of showing that I'm human and that

624
00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,280
Speaker 1: creates space and allow of space for our team on

625
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,640
Speaker 1: the USID and our team in Uganda to do the same.

626
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,400
Speaker 3: Yes, so I totally get it.

627
00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,240
Speaker 2: I also totally relate that's also part of this phase

628
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,200
Speaker 2: of our life. You get to a point where everybody

629
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,160
Speaker 2: gets married or they're doing they're like, wait, okay, I feel.

630
00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:46,200
Speaker 3: Like I'm getting left behind.

631
00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,960
Speaker 2: But then you're also super successful in something else and

632
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,360
Speaker 2: you're like, does that mean they get left behind there?

633
00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,080
Speaker 3: Like what's the trade off here?

634
00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,320
Speaker 2: And you have a lot of those real human moments

635
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,480
Speaker 2: where you just kind of look at your life you're like, Okay,

636
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,280
Speaker 2: I guess this was part of the plan.

637
00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I'm sure you can relate to this, But

638
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:06,800
Speaker 1: I think at this stage of life just goes so

639
00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,920
Speaker 1: fast too. Like we have a lot of conversations around

640
00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,800
Speaker 1: succession planning and how do we set the organization up

641
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:16,360
Speaker 1: for success outside of me, and we keep talking about it,

642
00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,600
Speaker 1: but I'm like, oh my gosh, we're still here, and

643
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,600
Speaker 1: I'm to blame for that, right because I'm energized and

644
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,200
Speaker 1: excited about our work and what we're doing and what

645
00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,920
Speaker 1: more we could do that I'm like, oh my gosh,

646
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:28,840
Speaker 1: I'm going to be eighty five years old here.

647
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,040
Speaker 2: I appreciate you really sharing the personal side, because I

648
00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:35,440
Speaker 2: know it's hard. You come on here and you're talking

649
00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:39,200
Speaker 2: about the professional side of your life, and but personal

650
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,080
Speaker 2: play such a significant role, especially on the nonprofit side.

651
00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,960
Speaker 3: So thank you for sharing all of that.

652
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:47,760
Speaker 2: Is there anything else in that capacity in the personal space,

653
00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,600
Speaker 2: where again, you were fifteen when this all started and

654
00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:55,200
Speaker 2: now you're in your thirties that you learned along the

655
00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:58,440
Speaker 2: way that you wish you could pass on to younger you.

656
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:02,840
Speaker 1: I could just remind myself. We have a saying, and

657
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:05,240
Speaker 1: this is I'm embarrassed I'm even sharing this with you,

658
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,760
Speaker 1: but as a family, but now also as a team,

659
00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:13,360
Speaker 1: that everything works out for Sarah and I have multiple

660
00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:16,640
Speaker 1: feelings about that statement, but I will say it's a

661
00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,680
Speaker 1: good reminder that things do work out. And I am

662
00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,400
Speaker 1: a firm believer that what you put out into the

663
00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:26,440
Speaker 1: universe you also attract back to you. A word that

664
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:29,920
Speaker 1: I'm really leaning into this year is being magnetic and

665
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,120
Speaker 1: trying to create that type of magnetic energy. So I

666
00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,080
Speaker 1: think as a teenager and even honestly in the formative

667
00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,080
Speaker 1: early years of Action Africa, I just was so worried

668
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:42,720
Speaker 1: all the time. And that does not mean I'm not

669
00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:45,440
Speaker 1: worried now or anxious about what the future holds or

670
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,680
Speaker 1: navigating this personal versus professional chapter of my life. But

671
00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,720
Speaker 1: it all works out, and I'm just such a firm

672
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:55,560
Speaker 1: believer in that, and I think I can look back

673
00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,280
Speaker 1: on what we've accomplished and what I've accomplished personally within

674
00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:01,400
Speaker 1: the organization or outside it. That is a testament to that.

675
00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:04,120
Speaker 1: So I would remind myself to just relax and not

676
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:07,760
Speaker 1: be ocd about things and so manic and stressed and

677
00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,520
Speaker 1: just trust that, like it's all going to work out.

678
00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,279
Speaker 2: So is that also a lesson that adult you is

679
00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:15,919
Speaker 2: trying to learn, especially on the personal side of things

680
00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:16,319
Speaker 2: as well.

681
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,439
Speaker 1: I love that you're throwing that back at me, because yes,

682
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,560
Speaker 1: I need to remind myself of that, and I do

683
00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:27,120
Speaker 1: need to remember that because and I also I love

684
00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:30,040
Speaker 1: this but also slightly terrifies me. I find that in

685
00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:32,720
Speaker 1: chapters of my life, I always reflect back on wanting

686
00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,600
Speaker 1: to be into in previous chapters, and in doing that,

687
00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,920
Speaker 1: you're missing out and being in the present. So trying

688
00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,759
Speaker 1: to recognize that. I'm sure at some point I will

689
00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:45,879
Speaker 1: figure out my personal life. But once I do that,

690
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,560
Speaker 1: I do know that I will look back on this

691
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:50,600
Speaker 1: chapter that I'm in now being like those were the

692
00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,880
Speaker 1: glory days. I wish I wasn't fixated on what's to come.

693
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,080
Speaker 1: So I think like a lesson in all this too,

694
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,880
Speaker 1: is also just being really present. I try to ground

695
00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,440
Speaker 1: myself in gratitude on a regular and consistent, multiple times

696
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,279
Speaker 1: a day practice because I think that also like really

697
00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:08,520
Speaker 1: just sets the stage for how you show up and

698
00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:11,240
Speaker 1: how things come into your life. But yeah, that's definitely

699
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,879
Speaker 1: something I should pay more attention to because it will

700
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:14,560
Speaker 1: all work out.

701
00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:16,960
Speaker 3: I do believe that it's hard.

702
00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,200
Speaker 2: One of the hardest lessons I think that I still

703
00:35:20,239 --> 00:35:23,560
Speaker 2: am trying to learn every single day is being present

704
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,600
Speaker 2: for every single day versus living in the past or

705
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:32,239
Speaker 2: thinking to the future. Present living is not an easy accomplishment.

706
00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,440
Speaker 3: It's one that's difficult.

707
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,600
Speaker 2: For nearly every human on this planet. So I don't

708
00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,160
Speaker 2: think you're alone in that, And I know, just sitting

709
00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:41,719
Speaker 2: here with me, you're not alone because I do the

710
00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:44,720
Speaker 2: same thing. I can look back at so many Hindsight

711
00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:47,080
Speaker 2: is always twenty twenty. That's my favorite thing to remind

712
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,759
Speaker 2: myself of, especially when I'm in a moment where I'm contemplating,

713
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:52,759
Speaker 2: or i feel out of control, or I don't think

714
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:55,719
Speaker 2: I know what's going to happen next, and like, remember,

715
00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:58,279
Speaker 2: every time you get past a moment, you're always like

716
00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,879
Speaker 2: hindsight was twenty twenty, So try and have your hindsight now.

717
00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:05,800
Speaker 3: Yep, So that's really special.

718
00:36:06,040 --> 00:36:10,120
Speaker 2: Speaking of to personally, what is it being a leadership

719
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,800
Speaker 2: role now, being in charge of thirty plus employees, you're

720
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:20,120
Speaker 2: the founder of this company, like you're an incredibly successful woman.

721
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,960
Speaker 2: What is that experience like for you? Because I know,

722
00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,439
Speaker 2: in a lot of the work that I've done, being

723
00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:31,040
Speaker 2: a woman in these positions of success is not always

724
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:31,719
Speaker 2: the easiest thing.

725
00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:37,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, I have two answers for that because I think

726
00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,480
Speaker 1: often about so A big part of my job now

727
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,360
Speaker 1: is our fundraising and making sure we have the resources

728
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:44,480
Speaker 1: to do the work we do. And I think regularly

729
00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,160
Speaker 1: about if I was a male, if my approach and

730
00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:51,520
Speaker 1: aggressiveness for better or for worse around fundraising would look

731
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,120
Speaker 1: differently and I'd be more successful. I think about that

732
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,600
Speaker 1: a lot because I think men show up a little

733
00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:00,080
Speaker 1: bit more assertive and a little bit more confident, a

734
00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:02,359
Speaker 1: little bit more bold with they're ass and by the way,

735
00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:04,319
Speaker 1: maybe that's not the best approach, but I do think

736
00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:06,840
Speaker 1: about that regularly if I was a man, how I

737
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,839
Speaker 1: would show up in the fundraising space. But I think

738
00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,720
Speaker 1: as a leader for our team, both on the US

739
00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:15,560
Speaker 1: and on the Yuganda side. I love being a female

740
00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,080
Speaker 1: founder and a female leader, and I think I lean

741
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:22,920
Speaker 1: into being full of patients and grace but also joy

742
00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:27,319
Speaker 1: And I've had to learn a lot about professionalizing my leadership,

743
00:37:27,640 --> 00:37:30,800
Speaker 1: especially a number of our staff that I've known for

744
00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:34,000
Speaker 1: twelve years, ten years when I was a kid, and

745
00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,680
Speaker 1: my leadership then versus my leadership now as we professionalize

746
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,640
Speaker 1: as an organization has had to change a little bit.

747
00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:44,400
Speaker 1: And how do I still keep that joyful, youthful Sarah

748
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,120
Speaker 1: self that showed up many years ago, but also, oh gosh,

749
00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:51,640
Speaker 1: We're a multimillion dollar organization and I probably should carry

750
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:54,600
Speaker 1: myself in a different way sometimes perfect example, like we

751
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,080
Speaker 1: used to do midday office dance parties or push up

752
00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:00,840
Speaker 1: contests in the front office, like now we can't do

753
00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,279
Speaker 1: that because we have politicians like show up or like

754
00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,040
Speaker 1: parents who need to be taking our work seriously. So

755
00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,840
Speaker 1: things like that where I've just had to learn and

756
00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,680
Speaker 1: grow a little bit, but also navigating what my non

757
00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,879
Speaker 1: negotiables are as as far as leadership and making sure

758
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:19,320
Speaker 1: I can still be joyful and make sure that people

759
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,600
Speaker 1: at work are doing a great job, but also enjoying

760
00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,719
Speaker 1: the work that they're doing and having fun while at it.

761
00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,520
Speaker 2: I've always imagined being in a leadership role and being

762
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:32,320
Speaker 2: able to do things that you wish other people were doing.

763
00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,160
Speaker 2: Like you look at other companies in leadership and you go,

764
00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,400
Speaker 2: I don't feel like that's the right way of doing it.

765
00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:40,880
Speaker 2: Have you gotten to have this cool experience where you

766
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,759
Speaker 2: get to implement a lot of things in the leadership

767
00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:49,359
Speaker 2: role to make this company be something that you're proud of.

768
00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,880
Speaker 1: Ooh love that, Yes, But I would say that's not

769
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:59,000
Speaker 1: isolated to me. I think it's been such a gift

770
00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:03,239
Speaker 1: to grow this organization alongside the team that I have,

771
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:08,080
Speaker 1: and it'd be a real collaborative, not so hierarchical though

772
00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,319
Speaker 1: I'm the founder or executive director, but that we're all

773
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:14,360
Speaker 1: in this leadership responsibility together. So that has been such

774
00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,520
Speaker 1: a gift and so fun. Something I've been thinking about

775
00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:20,560
Speaker 1: a lot lately, as everyone has a perspective on how

776
00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:23,040
Speaker 1: you should be doing things, and like the self help

777
00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:26,960
Speaker 1: space and the leadership space and the coaching space is

778
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,960
Speaker 1: just so noisy right now, and I find myself falling

779
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,120
Speaker 1: trapped to that. Like you come across a TikTok video

780
00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,200
Speaker 1: that's here's the best way to lead a board meeting,

781
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:36,719
Speaker 1: or then here's the best way to show up and

782
00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:38,960
Speaker 1: be a good boss, And you're like trying to aggressively

783
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,080
Speaker 1: take all these notes and apply it, and it's just

784
00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,759
Speaker 1: too much. And I think even going back to like

785
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:46,600
Speaker 1: earlier parts of this conversation of just trusting how you

786
00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:49,240
Speaker 1: show up and how you lead, and like that sometimes

787
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:52,800
Speaker 1: being enough and not feeling so overwhelmed by the noise

788
00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,920
Speaker 1: and constant improvement and adaptation to the world that we

789
00:39:56,000 --> 00:40:00,000
Speaker 1: live in, because it can be to digest. But yeah,

790
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,759
Speaker 1: I would say, like, it's been fun to build this

791
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 1: and build my leadership style alongside the rest of our

792
00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:07,640
Speaker 1: leadership team.

793
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,520
Speaker 2: There's so much noise in social media and so many capacities,

794
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:15,440
Speaker 2: so I don'tally get it. You definitely have to just

795
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:18,040
Speaker 2: find your approach that works for you and what you

796
00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:19,040
Speaker 2: feel is best.

797
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:21,600
Speaker 3: And we're all human and learning along the way.

798
00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,520
Speaker 2: So it's cool that you've gotten to experience and kind

799
00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:27,400
Speaker 2: of form your own leadership style over the course of

800
00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:28,759
Speaker 2: the entire organization.

801
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:31,480
Speaker 3: It's also a very unique experience.

802
00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:33,880
Speaker 2: You are on social media a lot, and people do

803
00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:35,520
Speaker 2: things You're like, dang, I really have not had a

804
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 2: unique life in any capacity.

805
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:42,640
Speaker 1: But the noise would tell you otherwise. Though this is true,

806
00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:43,840
Speaker 1: that you're getting it all wrong.

807
00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,080
Speaker 2: This is so action in Africa. Where does it stand

808
00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:52,200
Speaker 2: right now? As an organization? How can people help or

809
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:54,319
Speaker 2: help you guys continue the work that you're doing.

810
00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:55,759
Speaker 3: What does that look like?

811
00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,759
Speaker 1: Yeah, So, as I loosely tea, we celebrated our ten

812
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,920
Speaker 1: year anniversary and you've gone in January, so celebrating our

813
00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:07,759
Speaker 1: current community center and ten years of impact. We feel

814
00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,319
Speaker 1: like we've spent most of those last ten years really

815
00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:13,040
Speaker 1: refining our model and our work and paving a way

816
00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,920
Speaker 1: forward to scale our impact and make sure that other

817
00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:20,000
Speaker 1: communities can have access to the programs and services that

818
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,480
Speaker 1: we offer. So we recently purchased eight and a half

819
00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,279
Speaker 1: acres of land. We're building an additional campus over the

820
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:30,600
Speaker 1: next three ish years. To put it in perspective for you,

821
00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:33,879
Speaker 1: our current campus serves about five hundred kids a day,

822
00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:36,840
Speaker 1: similar to HAWAIMCA or a boys and girls club, a

823
00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,560
Speaker 1: community center model, so after school programs, music, dance, drama, arts,

824
00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:47,000
Speaker 1: access to food, medical nutrition, public libraries, play, et cetera.

825
00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:51,240
Speaker 1: And that's on half an acre. And so by buying

826
00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,239
Speaker 1: eight and a half acres. It just helps you put

827
00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:56,680
Speaker 1: in perspective the scale that's about to come. And the

828
00:41:56,719 --> 00:42:00,480
Speaker 1: way this model will work is our new campus will

829
00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,040
Speaker 1: be our headquarters, and then our current campus we will

830
00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:06,640
Speaker 1: keep and it's more or less our satellite campus. So

831
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,240
Speaker 1: creating this blueprint that is replicable and able to scale

832
00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:13,879
Speaker 1: and impact multiple communities for years to come is our

833
00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:16,719
Speaker 1: north star and where we're headed. So we're about to

834
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:20,440
Speaker 1: launch a massive capital campaign, so wish me luck as

835
00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:24,560
Speaker 1: a female fundraiser, but really looking forward to that and

836
00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,200
Speaker 1: being able to take this model and grow it has

837
00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:29,920
Speaker 1: been a big vision for us. We definitely have a

838
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:32,920
Speaker 1: philosophy of this inch wide but a mile deep, and

839
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,759
Speaker 1: we've spent years refining the work that we do and

840
00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:38,000
Speaker 1: now we feel confident and in a place to do

841
00:42:38,040 --> 00:42:42,280
Speaker 1: that responsibly and ethically. So it's a very exciting chapter

842
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:44,880
Speaker 1: for us. I will tell you we really struggled with

843
00:42:45,600 --> 00:42:48,239
Speaker 1: the notion of scaling and it took us ten years

844
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:50,920
Speaker 1: to build our team and our model, and I think

845
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,520
Speaker 1: any good development work takes that level of time and patience,

846
00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,840
Speaker 1: And unfortunately it's not super sexy because people want to

847
00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:59,319
Speaker 1: know how many schools can you build and how many

848
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,520
Speaker 1: kids can you feed overnight and they don't want to

849
00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:05,040
Speaker 1: see the long haul. But so for us, we were

850
00:43:05,080 --> 00:43:07,200
Speaker 1: really worried about So we build this campus, but who's

851
00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:09,600
Speaker 1: going to run this? And now that our kids are

852
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:14,399
Speaker 1: graduating from university? From my humble founder's perspective, who better

853
00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:17,239
Speaker 1: to higher than the accountants and the social workers and

854
00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:19,640
Speaker 1: the teachers and the doctors and the lawyers that we've

855
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:22,239
Speaker 1: educated and have worked with and have built a loyalty

856
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:26,239
Speaker 1: too and with for the last fifteen years. So it's

857
00:43:26,239 --> 00:43:29,520
Speaker 1: a really exciting season. I'm like giddy about it and

858
00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:31,720
Speaker 1: I just want to build it. So stay tuned.

859
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:34,560
Speaker 2: I'm so excited for you guys, because that does sound

860
00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:38,120
Speaker 2: like a very exciting chapter and an all new one, right,

861
00:43:38,239 --> 00:43:41,200
Speaker 2: this is an entirely new experience, even in the course

862
00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:43,520
Speaker 2: of something that's for you been a part of your

863
00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:45,680
Speaker 2: life for so long. But this is all new and

864
00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:48,960
Speaker 2: new comes with a lot of fun things. So that

865
00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:51,759
Speaker 2: sounds so exciting and you guys can check all that

866
00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:54,719
Speaker 2: out just search up Action in Africa. But what I

867
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,640
Speaker 2: do like to end these episodes on is it can

868
00:43:57,680 --> 00:43:58,760
Speaker 2: be a piece of advice.

869
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:01,200
Speaker 3: It can be motivation, inspiration.

870
00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:03,440
Speaker 2: Or touching on something that maybe we didn't.

871
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:03,759
Speaker 3: Even get to.

872
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:06,359
Speaker 2: I give the floor over to you, and you end

873
00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:08,200
Speaker 2: us on something of your choosing.

874
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:14,399
Speaker 1: Ooh, I'd love to end just with a story, if

875
00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:17,880
Speaker 1: that's okay, I would love that. I think it just

876
00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:19,920
Speaker 1: speaks to the work that we do and how we

877
00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:22,800
Speaker 1: do it. So when we moved into our community center

878
00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:26,000
Speaker 1: ten years ago, there was a beloved kid named Shaki,

879
00:44:26,239 --> 00:44:28,960
Speaker 1: who I think at the time was about three years old,

880
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:33,640
Speaker 1: who lived across the street and has very severe cerebral palsy.

881
00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:36,600
Speaker 1: And as I shared, my brother has cerebral palsy but

882
00:44:36,719 --> 00:44:39,880
Speaker 1: is very mobile at this point. Through extensive therapy and

883
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:44,040
Speaker 1: support and in meeting Shocky, we built our special needs

884
00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:46,760
Speaker 1: program and started to work with him and his family

885
00:44:46,800 --> 00:44:50,640
Speaker 1: on an individual basis, and there was no hope for

886
00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:54,880
Speaker 1: him to be independent and walking, and now ten years later,

887
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:58,360
Speaker 1: he is. And it gives me chills because it's a

888
00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:02,200
Speaker 1: humble reminder of the investment that you can make in

889
00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:05,960
Speaker 1: one human's life and how much of a difference you

890
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,800
Speaker 1: can make. And my dad always says, like my dad

891
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:10,920
Speaker 1: came and has heard me talk about Shocky for years

892
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:14,000
Speaker 1: and saw Shocky walk down the hallway and my dad,

893
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:18,040
Speaker 1: who's a large construction worker, wept and was like, if

894
00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:20,640
Speaker 1: you did nothing ever again in your life and this

895
00:45:20,719 --> 00:45:22,879
Speaker 1: is all that you did, it would all be worth it.

896
00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:25,200
Speaker 1: And I think about that all the time, from like

897
00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:28,720
Speaker 1: my brother's perspective and my family's perspective, also for SHOCKI

898
00:45:28,800 --> 00:45:31,680
Speaker 1: and his family, and then also the Action Africa's staff

899
00:45:31,719 --> 00:45:34,560
Speaker 1: who have worked so diligently to set this one kid

900
00:45:34,640 --> 00:45:37,319
Speaker 1: up for success, to be independent and be healthy and

901
00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,800
Speaker 1: to be successful. And we're about to do a video

902
00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:42,040
Speaker 1: series on him, so keep an eye out for that.

903
00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:44,680
Speaker 1: But now he's in school full time and it wants

904
00:45:44,719 --> 00:45:47,200
Speaker 1: to be a doctor in the future, and it's just

905
00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:51,240
Speaker 1: so beyond inspiring. And that's one of thousands of stories

906
00:45:51,239 --> 00:45:54,200
Speaker 1: that we have from the eighteen years that we've been around,

907
00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:56,759
Speaker 1: and who knows what the next eighteen years will have

908
00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:00,160
Speaker 1: in store, and I'm planning on being surprised about it.

909
00:46:00,200 --> 00:46:02,319
Speaker 1: But i will tell you, Yeah, if the only thing

910
00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:05,719
Speaker 1: that ever happened was that Shocky ended up walking, I'll

911
00:46:05,800 --> 00:46:07,000
Speaker 1: chalk it up as a big old win.

912
00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:09,960
Speaker 2: Oh that's such a special story and I don't think

913
00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,480
Speaker 2: you could have chosen anything else better to end on.

914
00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:16,040
Speaker 2: So we're not even gonna try, but Sarah, thank you

915
00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:18,319
Speaker 2: for being here. Shout out where people can find you

916
00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:20,000
Speaker 2: guys that way, if they do want to see the

917
00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:21,799
Speaker 2: series and just see what you guys are up to,

918
00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:24,080
Speaker 2: they can, Yeah.

919
00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:27,200
Speaker 1: We are. The name of our organization is Action in

920
00:46:27,239 --> 00:46:31,000
Speaker 1: Africa and our websites Action in Africa dot com. You

921
00:46:31,040 --> 00:46:33,480
Speaker 1: can also find us on TikTok and Instagram and all

922
00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:36,759
Speaker 1: the fun social platforms. Sign up for our newsletter. We

923
00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:40,200
Speaker 1: often share ways that people can engage and participate. We

924
00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:43,040
Speaker 1: do anything from trips to Uganda so you can come

925
00:46:43,080 --> 00:46:46,280
Speaker 1: and experience our work firsthand, to contributing to our special

926
00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:49,680
Speaker 1: education fund supporting kids like Shaki, or becoming a monthly donor,

927
00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:53,480
Speaker 1: or coming to events that we do in Colorado, New York, LA.

928
00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:56,239
Speaker 1: So that's where you can find us and what we're

929
00:46:56,320 --> 00:46:57,759
Speaker 1: up to and how you can engage.

930
00:46:58,320 --> 00:46:58,760
Speaker 3: Awesome.

931
00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:00,799
Speaker 2: Thank you so much, sir for being here and for

932
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:01,720
Speaker 2: sharing your story.

933
00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:04,360
Speaker 1: Thank you for having me, Morgan, It's fun to talk about.

934
00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:06,320
Speaker 1: I'm so grateful for you to give us the space

935
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,719
Speaker 1: to share the work that we do, and I will

936
00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:11,560
Speaker 1: separately share with you. I appreciate you asking about me

937
00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:14,719
Speaker 1: as a human in this because sometimes it's all just

938
00:47:14,719 --> 00:47:16,440
Speaker 1: about Action Africa and the work that we do, and

939
00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:19,480
Speaker 1: it should be and that's important stuff, but just female,

940
00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:21,879
Speaker 1: the female. I appreciate thank for you on who I

941
00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:24,600
Speaker 1: am as a person. You're relevant of this work.

942
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,280
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, that's the whole part of the story.

943
00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:31,000
Speaker 2: The volunteering and the nonprofit is special stuff. But people

944
00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,040
Speaker 2: humans that has to start somewhere and that's always with them.

945
00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:37,279
Speaker 2: So I'm glad, but thank you again. I appreciate it.

946
00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:40,680
Speaker 1: Thanks Morgan, and come join us in Yuganda one of

947
00:47:40,719 --> 00:47:41,280
Speaker 1: these days.

948
00:47:42,200 --> 00:47:45,279
Speaker 2: I'm still sitting here impressed by Sarah's tenacity at such

949
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,120
Speaker 2: a young age and the impact she's continuing to make

950
00:47:48,160 --> 00:47:50,440
Speaker 2: on the world. You can check out Action in Africa

951
00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:52,920
Speaker 2: dot com if you want to learn more or get involved.

952
00:47:53,160 --> 00:47:55,120
Speaker 2: Next week, I have Struggle Jinning's joining me. For all

953
00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:57,279
Speaker 2: the rap and country music fans out there, you will

954
00:47:57,360 --> 00:47:59,719
Speaker 2: love this interview. I love doing it. I mean I

955
00:47:59,719 --> 00:48:01,560
Speaker 2: love to all of them. That's kind of why I

956
00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,279
Speaker 2: do this podcast. So subscribe now so you don't miss it,

957
00:48:04,440 --> 00:48:06,719
Speaker 2: and check out the instagram at take this personally.

958
00:48:06,800 --> 00:48:08,120
Speaker 3: Thanks for being here. I love you.

959
00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:08,600
Speaker 1: Bye.