To recap, our interviews have covered two fabulous volunteers from Boston and New York City, but I am oh so happy to introduce you to Amanda Makulec from our DC Chapter. Amanda holds great responsibility for the fairly young chapter, and she does all with great style, stellar organization and her delicious treats she cooks up always seem to rally the crew. So, read on and get to know Auntie Amanda. . .
Q: Who are you and what do you want to be when you grow up?
A: I’m a 24 year old global health professional, born and raised in Illinois. I went to undergrad at Miami (OH) and grad school at Boston University and currently live in DC, working as a contractor for USAID. I have a perennial case of wanderlust (only two continents left before I’ve hit all seven), love to SCUBA dive, and most things involving cooking and food make my cup of joy overflow. When I grow up, I want to get paid to do something akin to what I do with OHMH- use my personal and professional skills to improve the lives of girls and women overseas, through empowerment and education.
Q: What city chapter are you involved with?
A: Our beautiful nation’s capital, Washington DC.
Q: Do you have a specific role within OHMH?
A: DC Chapter Director
Q: How long and how did you become involved with OHMH?
A: I was lucky enough to come across our founder, Thomas’ e-mail address on the Boston University School of Public Health’s practicum site back in February 2009. A few e-mails later, we were sitting over coffee in Boston and he said, “So you want to go to Mudzini?” I visited that summer while I was in Kenya doing a graduate school practicum. I fell in love with the organization, its mission, and the girls and have been doing fundraising and awareness building work for OHMH ever since. When I moved from Boston to DC in January 2010, the opportunity was presented to me to help get a DC chapter together and I said, without hesitation, yes. And here we are now.
Q: What made you get on board?
A: I’m critical of NGOs and organizations, particularly those founded to support orphans and vulnerable children, as I work in global health and development. OHMH spoke to me because of its Kenyan roots – being founded by a Kenyan journalist and remaining locally driven, the emphasis on empowerment and education for the girls, the engagement with the community around the home, through providing clean water and other resources, and the long term vision of the organization as not just a home. OHMH sees the girls (and boys, one day) it supports as potential agents of change in their own community, who will work in their own country to improve conditions for their fellow Kenyans.
Q: Have you visited the home? If so, tell a little about your experience.
A: I visited for a few weeks in July 2009, and had no idea what to expect. Having visited another home in a different region only a few weeks prior during my practicum experience (and finding its attitude towards the children disconcerting), I was worried- “Does the organization implement its mission on the ground as well as it articulates it in e-mails?” And I found it did, and did it beautifully. The girls were warm and welcoming, and we spent time working on school work, taking walks to the beach, and playing hilarious hand clapping games. The staff cares for the girls as though they were their own, and Auntie Alice Big, our mpishi, taught me how to make chipatis and other Kenyan staples – so fun! I also had the opportunity to do health presentations at the girls’ school, which was an interesting and enlightening experience.
Q: What is your favorite moment of your time with OHMH?
A: From Kenya, running around and playing silly games as the sun set in the distance over the palm trees just before dinner—pure bliss. From my work while I’ve been back in the States, at the end of Breaking Ground 2010, when the reality hit that we really had raised nearly a quarter million dollars to build a school, which would provide needed job opportunities to adults in the area and educational opportunities to children. I was awed by the generosity of friends, acquaintances, and strangers and felt so grateful.
Q: Why and how do you convey to your friends and family your involvement with OHMH?
A: I tell stories, I show pictures, and I invite friends and family to events because I believe in OHMH. I believe in the mission and vision, and I believe in the people behind the organization. The most common question I get in response is, “There’s so much need here in America. Why do you fundraise for an organization overseas and do work on global health projects?” And they’re right; we do have people in great need here in our own community. But from traveling, reading, and learning, I’ve found that the bar for the lowest common denominator for a standard of living is set far lower in many developing nations compared to our own, and I want to see that bar move up globally, not just in America.
