Women are impacted by environmental degradation in different ways than men, and women worldwide are uniting to become a formidable fighting force in the protection of nature. In the past few years, a focus on the role of women in nature and empowerment of women in leadership roles in conservation has become a focus of my work.

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In 2013, I helped to found the Women in Nature Network (WiNN) which has the goal of promoting women’s leadership in the sustainable management of natural resources and their conservation. Please see the WiNN website to learn about the leadership of Dr. Leeanne Alonso in this group, and the WiNN founding members who are affiliated with prestigious institutions working around the globe in building capacities of other women at the community level.

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A focus on supporting women has also become a passion of mine because I am a mother of two teen daughters. It is important to me that my daughters feel hope, supported, and part of a larger movement as they too strive to make their voices heard.

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One of my favorite projects has been working with Mamadou Saliou Diallo and his incredible NGO Guinee Ecologie, for women's literacy and girl's education in two villages in the Fouta Djallon, Guinea. Please visit my gofundme page where I am helping to raise funds to build a school in Pellel Koura village where most children have not been able go to school because the nearest school is too far to walk each day.

 

There are so many people who I would like to thank to make this project possible!

 

I would love to thank my sister Cathy Ham, whose idea it was in the first page to lauuch the gofundme page!

I would love to thank Andrea Anions and her incredible 5/6th grade class at the École Port Elgin Saugeen Central School who raised $1,600 for the school in Pellel Koura 

 

Thank you to Jessica Williams, who hosted an auction of local artists work her Brushstrokes gallery, in Berkeley, California to raise funds for building a separate girls and boys toilets for the schools, so that teenage girls can continue with their education. Thank you to the amazing artists who donated their art for this auction.

 

Thank you to all of you who contributed to the gofundme to make this project possible.

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