The Power Of Stories Podcast SayItForward.org

Eva Nangalo is a midwife working in Nakaseke General Hospital in Uganda.  In April, 2023 Eva was featured in Bill Gates's Heroes in the Field. 
In this episode, Eva her belief that she was born to be a midwife and as a little girl growing up in rural Uganda, telling her mother that she wanted to be a midwife… having a challenging relationship with her father in her early years, his taking her away from her mother, and his insistence that she become a teacher even though that was not her dream… being forced into a marriage that she did not want and then having her first child… fulfilling her dream of becoming a registered midwife… faith and the grace of God… forgiveness healing her heart… being recognized and acknowledged internationally for her passion for midwifery and her commitment to saving the lives of mothers and babies… her excitement at being featured in Bill Gates's Heroes in the Field… the importance for us all to be bold, be strong, work hard and be proud.  (Uganda)

A pan-African feminist with roots in Cameroon, Françoise Moudouthe is passionate about supporting African feminist movements to thrive. In January 2021, she became the CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund, a pan-African women's fund that provides financial and other resources to African women's organizations working towards the fulfillment of all African women's rights. Prior to joining AWDF, Françoise established Eyala, a bilingual platform that amplifies the voices and lived experiences of African feminists, and worked as an international consultant for gender justice in Africa. Earlier in her career, she played an instrumental role in setting up Girls Not Brides, the global civil society partnership to end child marriage, and in spearheading its growth in Africa. Françoise is a Board member of  the Equality Fund and Prospera.
In this episode, Françoise discusses how her many conversations with women throughout her life fostered an early fascination with justice and ignited her passion for activism and movements to end injustice… being an outspoken girl, growing up in Cameroon, and using her voice to make her opinions known… moving to France as a teenager with her mother and the adversities that her mother faced because her competencies were not recognized in her new country… what Françoise learned from her mother’s decisions and how they shaped her own choices about who she is and about and how she uses her voice… learning about feminism from conversations with, and the actions of,  women working to address the structural inequities they face…. defining her identity as an African feminist who is passionate about ensuring that movements work, and thrive… loving to make space for those who are systematically marginalized by listening to their stories and amplifying their stories and their voices… understanding that there is knowledge and power in our daily stories… the importance of creating space for people, and particularly women, to ask questions and reacting to those with empathy, and not judgment.  (Cameroon)

Clare Schexnyder describes herself as a "Woman of the World, Mother, Founder, Entrepreneur, Producer, Community Organizer, Activist, and Ally."  
Clare has packed a few careers into her life so far. A producer for CNN for 17 years, she covered politics, breaking news stories and war zones. She left CNN after the birth of her child and founded her own company called, "Oh Baby! Fitness" in 2005. 
Clare had serious postpartum depression after her son was born, and the friendships she made in a new parent support group, and the daily long walks she took with new friends (and some anti-depressants) literally saved her life and gave her the idea for creating a business that is now international. Oh Baby! Fitness offers pregnancy and mom & baby exercise classes, and also trains fitness, medical and birth professionals in pre and postnatal exercise worldwide. 
Clare is also a community organizer, political activist and advocate for transgender kids. 
In this episode, Clare shares her story of being a producer at CNN, her struggle with postpartum depression, and her realization about community and exercise being life-saving. Clare also shares about her later breast cancer diagnosis, and how she learned to accept help. It was a lesson that she immediately put into daily practice  when her Mom was diagnosed with brain cancer just 6 weeks after Clare had a double mastectomy. 
Clare's story about the power of community and the power of asking for and accepting help inspires us. She tells us about the importance of showing up, of listening, of speaking up and, most importantly, of taking action to drive change in our communities to help our friends and neighbors. She did it in her hometown of Atlanta and helped spark others to do it across the country and around the world. We think you'll love hearing her story in her own words. (USA)

Fithriyyah is a Doctor of Medicine and an environment youth activist since 2015.  She is working on Planetary Health & Environmental Rights issues for her advocacy work at the moment. Fithriyyah has spoken at many international high-level policy consultation forums, representing youth locally and regionally, especially at the UN and ASEAN forums.  
In this episode, Fithriyyah discusses her passion for environmental issues as a young leader, and the impact of environmental change on health… joining local movements for youth activism before attending medical school… understanding at a young age that she would need to work hard to reach her dreams… studying environmental effects on human health… joining the ASEAN Youth Forum, a youth community from 11 ASEAN countries… the importance of meaningful youth participation throughout the process of policy change at local, national, and international levels… language and financial barriers that impede young people from participating in international conferences and forums… climate change and its effects, especially on marginalized communities… the importance of each of us making small changes to have a positive effect on the environment… ensuring that we provide space and support for young people… and the remainder that we can all make change in our community. (Indonesia)

Asfiya Rahman is a writer who has written three novels and numerous articles. She also loves to read and travel. 
In this episode, Asfiya discusses the power of childhood dreams… her experience having open-minded, supportive parents, even when she was making decisions about the educational path she would pursue… choosing to study commerce, and then pursuing an MBA… teaching… rediscovering her love of writing after the birth of her daughter, and then switching careers to become a writer… the importance of asking for help, and also offering help and advice to others… deciding that what you need is important, and making yourself a priority… education, and the choices it gives you… validating and helping empower others by listening to them… the importance of sharing your experiences because “just by sharing your experiences, you could be making a world of difference to someone.” (India)

Judith Staff is a primary school teacher, and mainly teaches Early Years.  She has left teaching a few times to work with women and girls who have survived physical and sexual violence and abuse.  For the past few years, Judith has worked on a government-funded violence reduction initiative for young children aged 3 and up. Judith is married and has three teenage children. 
In this episode, Judith discusses her catalogue of complex childhood trauma which took her an a winding career pathway, to currently teaching a government-funded violence reduction program for 3 to 6 year-olds in areas where there are high levels of violence.  Judith is committed to amplifying the voices of children,  helping them develop self-worth and self-belief, and advocating for little girls so they know that what they have to say is important and that their voices will be heard. (England)