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Kay Yoder | SRQ Magazine: Strong Women of the Region, October 2022
WOMEN WHO ROAR NOMINEE | 2023
KAY YODER
DIRECTOR OF US OPERATIONS, RIPPLE AFRICA
THERE’S A SAYING ”You can’t never always sometimes tell.” That sums up perfectly the unpredictability of life. Twenty-one years ago, I never could have envisioned that a family move to Florida for my 11-year-old daughter to pursue her dream of a tennis career, would lead to an involvement with a notfor-profit in Malawi, Africa, that would capture my heart and give it such meaning. Our time living at IMG Academy was an incredibly rich cultural experience—exposing our family to a diverse group of people from all over the world. It was there that we became fast friends with a family from Malawi, who enlightened us about the country and its tremendous needs. After a serious back injury derailed my daughter’s tennis dreams, she decided to raise money for an orphanage in Malawi and traveled there to volunteer during a summer break.
That invaluable experience not only changed her life but mine as well. Upon her return, we researched ways in which we could make a difference and looked for an on-the-ground partner with a proven track record. One organization—Ripple Africa—stood out above all the rest because of its emphasis on ‘providing a hand out and not a hand up’ and range of projects addressing the educational, healthcare, and environmental obstacles facing the Malawian people.
After years of a successful partnership, we officially merged in 2013, becoming Ripple Africa, Inc. here in the US. My daughter continued onto a profession in medicine and is now an OB/GYN practicing in Colorado. I oversee the American side of operations and love nothing more than taking others to Malawi so they can meet the incredibly warm and welcoming Malawian people and witness the many ways in which Ripple Africa is providing opportunities for them to lift themselves out of poverty.
— Arthur Ashe
ABOUT RIPPLE AFRICA Malawi is a tiny, densely populated country located in Southeastern Africa, and ranks as one of the poorest nations in the world. Eighty-five percent of the population lives in rural areas and its rising population is putting tremendous pressure on the country’s natural resources. Ripple Africa, an NGO located in northern Malawi, operates by empowering communities to achieve a sustainable future, believing that the local people can be the solution to many of the challenges they face. In response to needs identified by the community, the organization runs large scale environmental projects, in addition to smaller scale education and healthcare initiatives in and around its base.
RIPPLE AFRICA 6979 74th Street Circle East, Bradenton, FL 941-782-7956 | rippleafricausa.org
