LI VI NG SERVIAM
L
ike so many Ursuline graduates, Catherine Blizzard ’16 has sought out meaningful ways to serve and connect with people in her community as well as around the world. Mountains in Amedzofe in the Volta Region, Ghana
As an International and Global Studies major at Middlebury College in Vermont, Catherine developed a keen interest in development and global health. In January 2020, she jumped at the opportunity to join a student-run health program that aimed to provide free dental and medical care to communities in the Volta Region of Ghana. She embarked fully intending to provide dental care to these communities, but struggled to see an organization provide services for a week, and leave, unable to make a sustainable impact – as soon as the dentists left, there was minimal access to care until the next group arrived. Upon returning to the United States, Catherine re-evaluated
Catherine Blizzard is currently a Princeton in Africa Fellow working with MEET – Mount Elgon Ecosystem Trust in Western Kenya while she
her role. Fellow Middlebury student Natalie Meyer shared
simultaneously builds the
Catherine’s frustrations with the program. They then connected
foundation for Ene Empower.
with Kofi Nyalimba, Natalie’s colleague located in the Volta Region who helped facilitate the dental clinic. He too wished for a more sustainable and equitable program for his community. The conversation they shared, 5,000 miles apart, solidified their interest in transforming global health from platforms that heavily rely on Western aid to community-based organizations that are sustainable and economically viable. Together, Catherine, Natalie, and Kofi founded Ene Empower, an NGO* with the mission to promote the development of women leaders by increasing access to education, furnishing menstrual products, and reducing the violence and stigma around female reproductive health.
“Learning about Serviam at Ursuline made a profound impact on my life,” Catherine said. “It taught me the vital skills of compassion and empathy and the importance of connecting with people from different upbringings and social backgrounds.”
To ensure that their non-profit remains community-based, both Catherine and Natalie only provide background assistance to Kofi, who, as a respected champion of healthcare in the Volta
To learn more about Ene Empower, visit www.eneempower.org
Region, is the face of Ene Empower. *Non-governmental organization
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LOGOS MAGAZINE 2022
