Using your voice for change can be simple or complex. Your voice is a powerful tool.
Incredible people throughout history have used their voices to create change. Maya Angelou was a poet and an activist who used her voice in support of the Civil Rights Movement. Jazz Jennings is a teenager who got her claim to fame by becoming an American YouTube personality as an LGBT rights activist and a transgender woman.
The misconception is that you don’t have to be famous or have a million followers on Instagram to be able to empower someone or make a difference in the lives of others. There are many ways, both big and small, you can use your voice for the betterment of communities throughout the globe, despite how young or old you may be.
This week’s episode is all about how we can use our voice for the betterment of communities, despite how young or old we may be. I discussed extensively with Onome how she is using her voice to positively impact adding value to others and bringing lasting health change in Africa.
Onome Ako is the Executive Director of Amref Health Africa in Canada, the largest African-led international health NGO. In her role, she is responsible for leading the organization’s strategic growth and innovative programming in areas that include maternal newborn and child health, sexual reproductive health and rights, adolescent health, and nutrition.
Onome brings her passion for developing strategic partnerships and placing communities at the heart of solutions to their own health challenges to achieve Amref’s mandate of lasting health change in Africa.
With over 15-years’ experience in international development, Onome has led initiatives in more than 15 countries with organizations including World Vision Canada, the Commonwealth, and UNESCO-Regional Bureau for Education in Africa.
Onome has an MSc in Management of NGOs and Social Policy from the London School of Economics, United Kingdom, and is Chair of the Board of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH), and member of the advisory committee for the Centennial College International Development program.
Onome was named to the 2020 Canadian Women in Global Health list.
This is one episode you should not miss and share with everyone you love.
Thanks so much for joining me again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
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Special thanks to Onome for joining us this week. Until next time!
