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Episode 7: The trajectory of success
74 Plays1 month ago
Welcome to Episode 7 of Why Why Why?
Today, we’re excited to introduce you to three remarkable women representing two inspiring initiatives. We have Rosa Bergmann and Caroline Loudon from HobbyLobby Vienna, Austria, and Rita Kishonthy-Kardos from EMMA Közhasznú Egyesület in Hungary.
HobbyLobby is committed to giving children equal access to after-school education and activities. Their journey is truly uplifting, showing how a simple idea can grow into a self-sustaining, scalable project.
Meanwhile, the EMMA Association runs the Community Roma Doula Service in Hungary, offering vital support to mothers during childbirth. This initiative empowers women and turns the team into role models within their communities, sparking a ripple effect of positive change and development.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Jose A. Morales
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the 7th episode of YYY by Xochitl Marie. In this episode, I'll be speaking with Carolyn and Rosa from Hobby Lobby, as well as Rita from the Emma Association which runs the Community Dola service.
00:00:17
Speaker
As always, our guests will answer three core questions. Why did you start? Why is your initiative successful? And why do you persist? I invite you to listen closely to how their life journeys have shaped their work and how they continue to grow while addressing real world problems for real people. Enjoy the interviews.
00:00:53
Speaker
Hi, my name is Caroline and I am with the Hobby Lobby since three years. Before that I studied international business and art history and I think to sum it up, kind of the common thread is that I've changed. and trajectory quite a lot and through Teach for Austria I've kind of made the segue into the educational sector and after the fellowship which I did in the kindergarten I ended with the Hobby Lobby where I am responsible for
00:01:30
Speaker
the community management, which is the support and the recruitment of our volunteers, the Youth Leaders Program, um which I don't know, we might talk about later a little bit, but which is one of our programs, and i also trying to work together with with companies. Hi, my name is Rosa. I'm the founder and CEO of the Hobby Lobby. um Before I founded the Hobby Lobby, I was also working as a Teach for Austria fellow in a school where um I met a lot of children that could benefit from a program like ours. And it became quite clear to me that it's needed and that
00:02:13
Speaker
educational injustices widely spread in Austria also in the afternoon. um Yeah, and that's what I'm passionate about. And at the Hobby Lobby, I mostly do ah fundraising and scaling to to new locations and supporting all the new scaling partners in doing what do we do best. And if I may add, manage the whole thing.
00:02:39
Speaker
know For the audience that doesn't know about your initiative, maybe you can make a summary of what Hobby Lobby does.
00:02:51
Speaker
sure um The Hobby Lobby is an educational program that focuses on informal education. We offer free leisure activities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds with the help actually of volunteer course instructors. And then um three years ago we created the second program.
00:03:14
Speaker
the Youth Leaders this Program, ah where former participants can get a full-on leadership experience for over a year and help to become core course instructors and also volunteers themselves. Yes, and um we by now have 11 locations in Austria and one in Germany that are doing the same programs on an annual basis.
00:03:38
Speaker
ah Yeah, maybe the only thing to add is that we have two um course phases per year. So we do one term in the winter semester and then another term in the summer semester. And then we also have two summer weeks during the summer month um where the kids also come to us and we provide them with ah leisure activities. um And yes.
00:04:02
Speaker
um And for for our programs or for the courses that we offer, we try to really um have something for everyone because for us, what is really important is that every kid can sort of develop their or find their interests and develop their potentials. And so we have courses, a lot of courses in in sports, all kinds of sports, but also arts and crafts, foreign languages,
00:04:29
Speaker
Tutoring, it's it's a really wide variety and and which is also dependent on the volunteers, of course, because they the idea behind it is that they come with their passion for their own hobby, which they then pass on to the kids. So it varies a little bit from and from one course term to the next. Now, what I want to know is more about you.
00:04:54
Speaker
right So it's you, the social entrepreneur, the social innovator. A lot of people get confused when I say this because, ah for example, Caroline, you're a full-time employee, you mentioned, and you i mean the majority of persons that are employed by one initiative, they think of themselves as non-entrepreneurial.
00:05:17
Speaker
OK, they think of themselves like, no, no, no, no, I'm i'm an employee. I have nothing of entrepreneur entrepreneurial. So I would like to share with you my definition of entrepreneur entrepreneurship so that could help us frame the conversation.
00:05:32
Speaker
To me, entrepreneurship is the wish of doing something, the decision of starting something, although you know there are limitations or sacrifices that you have to do along the way, right? It's a drive for personal growth.
00:05:50
Speaker
It's a drive that exposes you to not necessarily the easiest path, actually the opposite, um a more complicated path. But you still want to do it and basically kind of no one can stop you. right And and ah one of the benefits of this spirit of entrepreneurship is that it gives you a sense of freedom.
00:06:16
Speaker
ah And once you know it, very rarely ah you get out of it. So yeah, that's that's my concept. So the first question is, why did you start?
00:06:35
Speaker
right So why did you start as a social innovator? ah What was the motivation? ah Is this coming from your childhood, from ah the way your family raised you? or Or did you see something that struck you and you wanted to make a change?
00:06:54
Speaker
Or maybe it just happened organically. It just happened that the opportunities presented in this and that way and ah it just happened and you find yourself in this environment. So let's begin with Rosa this time. So please feel free to respond.
00:07:12
Speaker
I think I started or everything started when I was in school and teaching ah these children from disadvantaged backgrounds in a Viennese middle school um that was back in September 2017.
00:07:29
Speaker
And I had a few students in my class who all were quite bored after a weekend or they came home. I came back to school after they were home for a week of holidays and ah told us that they actually were glad to come back to school and that everything else ah was just boring and and and unsatisfying to them.
00:07:53
Speaker
And for me, that triggered something. I i became quite angry at the fact ah because in my childhood, school was an obstacle. I had to get by and I had to just graduate high school to do whatever the ah whatever I want to um and ah what what was meant for me to to do. And for those children, it was barely everything they had next to family because, yeah, the lack of afternoon educational opportunities, because in in Austria, ah you pay roughly 100 euros per child per month for afternoon education. So for a lot of children, this is just not happening. And for a lot of families, it's just not something they can't afford. um Yeah, that that triggered me and that made me angry for a year or half a year. And I continued to watch
00:08:49
Speaker
um These children that are so amazing and so motivated and are full of wishes for the future and full of ideas what they could do. um Yeah, but struggles in a way and obstacles in a way they that just unfair and um not necessary. And that's what when I decided almost a year later ah during my first summer holiday that I want to change something about it and um I wanted to I have just some volunteers to come together and offer these hobbies that I as a child had for myself like dancing or soccer for free to the children so that they wouldn't need anything ah to to to pay for it. I wanted to yeah rent a small location where we could just offer these these ah courses for them on a weekly basis where they could feel
00:09:47
Speaker
like they would have a second home of a place where they belong. Yeah. Half a year later, we started that. And I think that that was the journey of of becoming a social innovator, even though I didn't realize it back then. I just realized that food years and years later. um And i I also think I just realized a few years later what I got myself into. um Yeah, but that's another story, I would say. What about you, Carolyn?
00:10:17
Speaker
I was never 100% sure what I wanted to do in life, but I did realize that I was always, first of all, I think I come from a family where volunteering and and helping and doing something for others, that was something that was was instilled in me.
00:10:35
Speaker
um And then I didn't really know what to study so I did two studies and I had always kind of like several different paths and then I had the great fortune of and doing an internship with Ashoka actually and and and kind of getting to know the social entrepreneurship sphere, but I didn't also didn't really know my way into it. And then almost by chance, or ah it took me a couple of years, so then worked in in London in an auction house in in because I did study art history as well. So I was in a completely different world. And I realized, though, it's not my world, i I can't do something that I don't stand for. And I didn't identify at all with what I did.
00:11:22
Speaker
And so um I then did Teach for Ostras as well. And I wasn't in school, but in kindergarten. And in kindergarten, and you have almost a luxury to work with the kids a lot on their social competencies. So you work, but in that age, it's all about self-confidence, their curiosity, where like just trying to support them to become kind of self-confident, well-rounded,
00:11:51
Speaker
little people and I think I then realized that somehow that a lot of what the kids when they're really small have they lose later on and and I then got to know the hobby lobby and and this is I think a place where the kids can can learn these things and skills again because if school is difficult if maybe you don't know the language you're not as good at school um It's all about the grades and it's not so much about you as a person and then to see these kids have a place and people who are interested in them and who want them to succeed and who want to be there for them and you can see their development. It's amazing and it's so nice to see how they how they
00:12:41
Speaker
yeah, personally develop and how they and get new social skills and become better at, I don't know, dealing with their frustrations or communicating what they want or every yeah everything. So I think that was sort of my way to how I got to the Hobby Lobby. um with it I think I still struggle with the term of, i I don't see myself necessarily as a social innovator because I don't,
00:13:09
Speaker
I haven't built it up although I do recognize that I joined really early and I definitely am part of Hobby Lobby's development and it's really great to see what comes out of a team of motivated people who want for something to change and there are so many great stories and great quotes and coming out of the work we do, which is which is amazing to see. And both of you kind of suggested that
00:13:46
Speaker
you didn't know in what you got, right? From your words, i I feel like there was kind of a surprise, right? So how hard it is or how ah rewarding it is, it doesn't matter. But there was something new. ah I mean, I talked with so many social innovators, social impact entrepreneurs, and ah the majority of them are are surprised because they didn't know how hard it is and ah how rewarding it is as well. How addictive can be to to to find the solutions to problems that others couldn't find. And it's definitely something that that we all need to learn, right? Because ah the balance between business model, scaling, fundraising, and at the same time having an impact is is quite of a tough job. But I'm curious to know what is your take. so
00:14:46
Speaker
What did you get into? Should I start? if you Yes, if you have an answer, please do. I don't know, but I have an answer ah to that question. um I still feel different every day, I would say. Like my my view of what I got into changes sometimes within an hour, ah sometimes within seconds, um but sometimes Even ah or only after becoming a parent, I realize it feels a lot. I feel a lot of the same emotions. It's like the.
00:15:23
Speaker
the being incredibly overwhelmed like at most days and having a task that is mostly too big for your shoes to fill and you will grow into it and you will just deal but you're always at the end of your comfort zone ah near the panic zone um and sometimes fall deeply into the panic zone and sometimes go back to to to what where it's comfortable but but um always feeling like this is a little bit too big for me. um i said I think that would and would describe it quite well but on the other side it's so rewarding and I feel like the whole organization is my baby and then sometimes really feel too close to all of our employees and to
00:16:12
Speaker
like Like we're somehow a family that the ah is um trying to to to do something that is right and and just for the world. So I think a lot of mixture that that we got ah ourselves into. And then you have a great success where you gain some funding in like an amount of money that you have never grasped, but of what what kind of money that actually is in there now. Okay, wow. We just raised, I don't know, 200 grand.
00:16:40
Speaker
ah or quarter a million or whatever, is but um so something that in a normal life, I would probably have never, never got in contact with. So yeah, so it's sometimes very overwhelming and crazy and then very rewarding and beautiful. And then you see the children and where they, and I think that's the most beautiful part of it, where they end up and like, now we have the first youth leader that graduates high school or graduated already. And we have the first children who are
00:17:15
Speaker
like real volunteers with us because they've been in this for forever, since the beginning almost. And yeah, so I think those stories then make everything worth it.
00:17:27
Speaker
But if people ask me if my job is fun, I mostly say no. It just looks fun and it looks looks glamorous and cool, but it's actually horrible sometimes or most of the time. And then it's cool again, but like it's a roller coaster. I don't know. Maybe it's a roller coaster would be the best answer to shorten that.
00:17:48
Speaker
I can pick up very well on the roller coaster um image. I think that describes it very well, both emotionally, but also the process and organization like that goes through also being sort of a startup and growing. I think you you have to change so much. And I think for me as a person, i quite like that. But at the same time, I realized that I can be overwhelmed by it also. I mean, not there's so much change within your role or also what you do with the different tasks, which I greatly enjoy on one hand because it really never gets boring. And then on the other hand, and it can gear towards overwhelm too many things at the same time. And then the constant feeling of
00:18:37
Speaker
sort of never being good enough in any single task. ah But somehow it does work. um i Yes, i so I think it's a lot. And it's I think in either way, the roller coaster, it's always heartfelt, which I think is is wonderful because in any other or say it's if it would be a for profit,
00:18:58
Speaker
I think, I don't know if it would be the same, yeah, it wouldn't be the same motivation at the same heartfelt. And I often when i'm but I don't realize how lucky am i but I am, what shows me that is when I talk to other people about the Hobby Lobby.
00:19:16
Speaker
And then I realize again how much I identify with it and how 100% I can stand behind it. So quite the opposite from where I started from. And um yeah, but the rollercoaster is a good image. Yeah, that's exactly what we were talking about, the this definition of entrepreneurship, right? So you are constantly putting yourself in the out of your comfort zone. So you're facing your fears and all your demons.
00:19:46
Speaker
all the time, all the time. And that that can be overwhelming right until the moment that you realize that that's what do you want to do. And that that that's exactly what makes you grow as a person. right So for me, for example, when I was in these years doing things for free and spending my savings, I was like, is am I doing something right or wrong? What am I doing?
00:20:16
Speaker
And I was walking in in one of the forests and I was thinking what to do. I started feeling kind of panicky and I realized one question. So ah one question came to my mind and the question was, are you willing to pay for your freedom. So are you willing to to use this ah suffering or struggle as your payment for having the freedom and ah the expansion, the personal growth that you're having right now?
00:20:57
Speaker
And I said, yes, there's, there's nothing that is more wonderful to me than being as flexible and as, um, authentic as I can be. Right. So the, the, but then I realized that the suffering doesn't have to stay like suffering because once you realize that this is the price you're paying for being the best version of yourself,
00:21:25
Speaker
somehow you stop suffering or you transform that struggle into something different and you just know that this is a challenge that you are going to overpass. And so, yeah, great. So then basically the first question is answered. So then we have the other question that is, oh why do you think your role as a social innovator is a success?
00:21:55
Speaker
So in the context of the initiative where both of you are working, ah how do you see your involvement as successful? I think I see it quite clearly by the amount of people that we are moving, um not only volunteers, but also the people that built up a location and wanted to I don't know, take the concept that I came up with, it's not like rocket science, it's a quite simple concept and it's a good branding I think by now and a nice idea, but something that can be easily replicated to another location. But the dedication of which, or with um the people, ah
00:22:40
Speaker
doing it and the passion and when I see like all of our employee employees together that are so passionate about the program and ah the children and everything in there, I feel very successful and happy because by supporting them in doing this, its it's it's making it possible and also by fundraising, even though I sometimes get annoyed ah by by the pain of fundraising, but then again,
00:23:08
Speaker
if I fundraise a lot or if we fundraise a lot, then we can do greater things. And we have the option to open a new location and to do to have another person coming in and starting it and and taking the concepts to another place. So that's quite cool. And that, yeah, I think that's that's the the thing that makes me Also keep on going in a way. And where where what is it in you that makes that possible?
00:23:41
Speaker
Persistence, I would say. Persistence. I can i think i I can if I want to do do a lot of things at the same time. And ah I have a good feeling of priorities, what what would be the most important thing to tackle on next. So I think
00:24:03
Speaker
something in the sense that I'm quite like a working bee. i i know I'm a working bee combined with someone who can also think quite visionary, I think. And I think that in combination can help people structure, okay, this is to do and there's the bigger picture and then this is to do again, but there's the bigger picture. And I think that's what helps me the most. though Great. Thank you. What about you, Carolyn? I think I see the success in similar things than than Rosa and particularly I find it amazing every time. So for instance, in our email signatures, we always have our the numbers of kids we've reached, the numbers of volunteers and the numbers of them
00:24:54
Speaker
course phases done or classes done. And to see them whenever we change them, it's a very visual um moment for me where we see, OK, and I don't know, last year we reached 1,300 kids and now it's again. And of course, the bigger we grow, the the more exponential these numbers are also developing. So I think that's it's a great sign of success.
00:25:20
Speaker
And for me personally within the organization, I think I'm very much a people's person and I have a good feeling of and of helping others. Sometimes yeah my tasks detriment.
00:25:41
Speaker
But no, i kind of i'm I think I'm an equalizer a little bit on different people's emotions or where they come from on their perspectives. And I'm kind of like, I don't know, a little Switzerland sometimes in the middle. I think that's something I can do very well. And I'm um quite easily adaptable into different roles and things. And therefore I have a great knowledge of the organization and a great overview. And I think that's also where I i realize how much has happened the past years as well. And as also mentioned, whenever and we fundraise and then there is maybe a new person coming in, it's great to see also if then there's a new expertise coming in and how how that then gets you to the next stage where often we have sort of
00:26:30
Speaker
Done it as good as we could, but it's great when somebody takes on a role and and comes in with expertise and it's great to see how how the yeah how much scope there's also still um and and where we can go. I think there's lots lots of exciting steps ahead as well in in in that regard also.
00:26:51
Speaker
So that's perfect for the next question, right? Because it's why to persist? I mean, we already talked about all the overwhelming ah ah kind of activities and moments and emotions, the challenges, ah but or the doing so much, ah having to adapt constantly to different conditions, et cetera.
00:27:15
Speaker
at the same time receiving the incredible reward of looking at our impact, right? Or your impact in this case. Why not to abandon it? I mean, you already made a lot, right? You could just say, okay, I'm going to Hawaii for holidays, or I don't know. Why why why do you decide to persist?
00:27:39
Speaker
I'm smiling a lot because the feeling of like, I need to go to Hawaii for a week, constant then is on my mind. um But just kidding. um Because quitting is just not an option, I would say. Because by now, so many people are involved. So so much is impacted every semester, only only the last semester, week we accompanied, or we we offered to over 2,000 course spots to, I think, 1,500 children.
00:28:09
Speaker
Only those numbers are enough to like keep keep me going. And as Cara said, um the changing of of the the the signatures, ah something where you can see it quite clearly or when you go to a location and see the the the kids on the side and and then see see how much fun they have and what they learn or we always do an impact report at the end of the year but where we can very clearly see ah what we also reached in competencies for the children and then in changes of behavior. And yeah, it's sweet and cute ah quotes from their parents, for example. So I think
00:28:50
Speaker
even though you really often think you might quit and it would be a nice way to to just opt out. um It's not an option when you when you look at the bigger bigger picture and and and what what can be achieved. And we we went to Germany ah last spring and are planning to go to another country ah soon. So to to reach new locations is just so amazing then that giving up yeah isn't a brilliant option. and and
00:29:28
Speaker
But what I think and what helps us persist as a team is that so many people are in it by now so that we can ah easy um ease the load a bit. Sometimes someone is feeling tired so we can take a break and put ah um yeah and put our needs first.
00:29:48
Speaker
it's something I couldn't could have have done two three two or three years ago because it was quite important to be around and by now it's totally okay. I'm becoming a mom again in in in and the winter and I feel like okay this time around, last time it was that I put all of my weight to Carlos and Magdalena's shoulders um and they had to carry it but by now the that the weight is carried by a 20 people organization. And so everyone helps. And yeah, so it's easier to persist if you are altogether running a marathon. And then if you get tired, you can just like take them with you and whoever gets tired, get some water breaks or something. But the rest is is going strong. Yeah. And we have breakdowns one after the other. know Yeah, I would say that keeps us going.
00:30:43
Speaker
my no Yeah, I think and it's a lot of the things then then that said. It's bigger than us. I don't know. I think it's not a decision that it's just mine um or um yeah just one person's position. I think that's one thing. I think also the way um the funding and the fundraising works in organizations like that is also something that I've I've just been thinking about this now and when you ask the question but it's kind of also keeping you going because you always have to um submit projects that you will do in future and then the money is granted in a way you've kind of signed yourself up or you are very much geared also towards the upcoming years in in that sense so I don't think it's quite
00:31:35
Speaker
it it doesn't work quite in the same way than with a profit organization where you would come to a conclusion maybe that it doesn't work and you stop and then there is, I don't know, it it kind of all dwindles down because there's so much that is sort of already in the building for the future and that the money that is due to come and that you would not otherwise have to pay back. So I think that's also something that keeps the motor running in a way.
00:32:04
Speaker
um And then I think it's also it's creating I think the the moments to celebrate and it it is actually something like this conversation right now where you get to reflect and where you get to feel also like this feeling of accomplishment or feeling of um what is it that drives me. So I think and doing that as a team and trying to sort of take a little break if you so accomplish something and celebrating it and is really important. I do agree. Now, what would you recommend someone that is thinking to go into the world of ah social innovation or so ah social impact? I think I would recommend that if the problem that they are trying to solve is
00:33:00
Speaker
painting them enough for long enough or making them so mad that they can't sleep or think about something else, then they should definitely do it. But again, also to maybe look at some people that are further down the road and listen to podcasts like this, to see um yeah to see that it's not only shiny and that the motivation for doing it should be the right one and not to, I don't know, become famous or become
00:33:32
Speaker
Yeah, I think famous is the the wrong word I would say, but you know what I mean? To to to know where the motivation ah is rooted. And um yeah, and then a saying that I have been living after for five years by now, you don't have to ah ah do it all again and ah starting from scratch scratch and I don't know what the German saying is, build the wheel again. No, I don't know how the saying is. Yeah, reinvent ah reinvent everything. um You just ah can look around what others did and ah what worked well and and also yeah take their expertise and take take their learnings and their failure in mind um so you can build
00:34:25
Speaker
up on them in a way, you know what I mean? So you can have the that the the wisdom of the community the in the in the area, in the sector.
00:34:37
Speaker
that is helping you build something when you're starting, because you get quite lost in the beginning, I would say, because there's so much to do and so much to think of, and yeah, you need role models. Yeah, I mean, I was i was never in that situation. i didn't I didn't found, I didn't build something from scratch. um So I had the great, um ah how do you say, Vorthal,
00:35:02
Speaker
and and ben grantage Thank you. ah To sort of already jump onto a momentum that was already there. But um I think what I think is really important to really know the problem really well, I think. so And usually, I mean, if it gets to that point, as the Rosa said, that you can't sleep anymore because you're so aware of it, you might definitely be there. But I think knowing the problem very well and then but also knowing the structures within or where this problem lies and getting to know that and starting to speak to many people, I think would be a good first step because I do think that you very much need the ecosystem um to to
00:35:49
Speaker
also learn about all the options in the beginning and maybe incubators or first like seed funding programs and then kind of with that support and also in you know building your business model and and and learning as you go I think that's kind of like the lounge into it but I think We have all kind of gotten to know our target group really, really well because we worked in the schools and the kindergarten were where, yes, where we've met them. And so we knew the problem really well. We knew the target group really well. And I think that still to this day helps us a lot in our decisions because we've had the grassroots experience. So if you can somehow acquire the grassroots experience or get to know the target group really well, I think that's definitely helpful.
00:36:52
Speaker
Before speaking with Rita, I had only a vague idea of what a doula does. Unlike midwives or doctors, doulas don't perform medical tasks. Their role is to provide emotional and practical support before, during, and after childbirth, ensuring that way the birthing person feels supported, informed, and empowered through the process.
00:37:22
Speaker
Hi, I'm Rita. I'm from Miskoets, Hungary. It is a northeastern ah city in Hungary and I'm 46 years old and I have one daughter with family and I work with with Emma.
00:37:39
Speaker
and It is an association, a nationwide association focusing on women in all over Hungary. and So ah I coordinate a program for ah for Emma Association and it's it is called ah Community Romadula Service. Why did you start? So you as an individual ah working with people?
00:38:06
Speaker
My story starts like much longer, I think, or much ah further than this program, which we will talk about, the community Ramadula service. yeah As I and mentioned, ah ah my ah social work started with my motherhood. ah When I gave birth to my daughter 17 years and ago,
00:38:32
Speaker
it became very important ah how mothers can give birth and ah ah we gathered together some women in my city and ah ah we connected and ah we saw that with our power ah we can make changes in the system and that the mother's situation that self-control ah over their births can become more stronger. So that's why we started to organize program.
00:39:06
Speaker
And why is that important to you? I mean, I recognize that becoming a mother and looking what which are the services and the possibilities make you made you think that some things can improve. But why is that so important to you that you decided to work and to dedicate your life to this?
00:39:28
Speaker
yeah I think ah two reasons pop up into my mind. One of them that I really like to be with other women. So if it's in the women groups, I feel much more powerful and ah ah very sense I feel it's a very safe and sensitive environment, at least ah in the mood or in the way how we are together.
00:39:53
Speaker
And Mother Ruth is a especially especially vulnerable situation, I think, and and needed ah very much ah and support from each other. And I i got this and I thought it's better or and it has to be like this for all other women.
00:40:14
Speaker
And the the other one is ah like it the other part is like some fear fearful. I feel felt fearful from institutions yeah in the health institution and ah I thought it couldn't change so it could be more and friendlier for mothers and more natural and supportive. and ah and these These are the both very ah different motivations, but I think these both ah things ah ah motivated me to start.
00:40:49
Speaker
So you decided to start into this. So maybe tell tell us a bit more about the experience ah with your current work, right? And the the current initiative, you can tell us a bit more about what it is, what it is about, who are your ah customers or or beneficiaries.
00:41:06
Speaker
Okay, yes. So we call it a community Romadula service, and it's were it's based now at Ashu Xhosa. It is near to my town, Mishqals. It's a very small town. It's about 6,000 inhabitants.
00:41:24
Speaker
And we run this program here. ah It means ah community Roma doula service that ah mothers ah can ah ask some Roma women from their community to accompany them at their birth.
00:41:42
Speaker
ah It was how it started, birth, how to say, escorts. They are birth escorts, doulas who are ah with these vulnerable women women when they give birth and there is no other relatives or husband who could be with them.
00:42:00
Speaker
Yeah, ah shortly it was the beginning, ah ah this service. ah And ah now two years ago, because we started at 2020,
00:42:11
Speaker
and but two years ago we brought in their activities and the now these women become ah trained. ah We trained ah these women, these Roma women there, and that they have information about ah ah contraception and abortion so they can ah give ah information forward to ah their ah fellow women and mothers in their town.
00:42:39
Speaker
the The second official question is why is it successful? So here we can divide the answer in two parts. So why do you think it is, so your work, so engaging in this work became a success ah in one way, right? And the other way would be why do you think the initiative is a success?
00:43:06
Speaker
For me, the first answer is that I enjoy this work. I enjoy being ah between these Roma movie women, and ah I think like i I cannot ah really ah tell it exactly, but and I feel ah exactly the same environment when I gave birth and I have my fellow women around me ah like 17 years ago. ah
00:43:39
Speaker
i We can create together this similar and mood and and similar support to each other. We laugh a lot and really very, very ah difficult situation. We can hold each other. So that's how I stay motivated because ah we somehow hold each other and ah ah also make ah each other happy.
00:44:06
Speaker
This is my motivation ah to coordinate this program because my phone function here is to coordinate the program and also support the doulas, the Roma women there. But ah why the program is the initiation and is is successful, it is because of the doulas. There are seven women there who who are very dedicated ah for ah like from 2020, so like almost ah more than ah four years ah a ago, and ah somehow they they were they brave enough ah to change ah ah situations there in their ah local community, because lots of limits are there ah that they can get access to
00:44:54
Speaker
ah good ah information and the services ah ah regarding their births and womanhood. And these women are ah not fearful to ah not fearful of the health system who where and the health workers who are sometimes discriminated or and they ah they can give them racist comments. So these all these ah very, very ah bad situation and habits and also ah in ah the local community,
00:45:32
Speaker
they go against a little bit of ah these ah these restrictions and they want to give more power to women ah in their communities and ah very very ah they have very, very big solidarity feelings. ah They are so nicely speaking about ah woman and how women should ah get yeah gain back their power. So they they really ah ah understand and are there of not just with the thoughts but with real actions and their personal presence ah beside these women and they go there to hospital, they go there to ah examination, they go to the family. So all all the and situations when they these women need support, ah they can trust ah these two lives. So I think because of these women, the program is successful.
00:46:38
Speaker
super. So one ah one effect of the initiative is that oh when these ah doulas get together, they create a community of support. And ah because of that, they empower themselves as women, and they start becoming also a unifying force in their local communities. So ah the culture of the community changes.
00:47:05
Speaker
and improves because ah this ah community of women connected and united are a stronger ah force, let's say. Am I right? Did I understand correctly? Absolutely. yeah did You gave very nicely but back ah what I wanted to say.
00:47:27
Speaker
Perfect. No, you said it perfect, but I just wanted to be sure that I got it right. Wonderful. So um then ah when when I talk with ah social entrepreneurs and and social innovators, what I find is that ah starting their activities is always a challenge. It's never easy. And there is always lack of money, lack of resources, a lot of sacrifice.
00:47:53
Speaker
and ah And then they have to ask themselves if they should continue ah working with what they are doing or if they should let it go and get a normal job or or or so that they can get a bit more of safety and stability. um What is your experience?
00:48:15
Speaker
and I think it's a success success that we already exist, as this program already exists for five years, and ah but more and more we continue. It means deeper and deeper connection and ah somehow deeper and deeper change in attitudes and I can see personal developments of the doulas and how they talk and ah ah my motivation that the we should, ah we we yeah we have to be able to to make it sustainable. Because if we started something and we we started some change, we cannot just leave them alone after five or ten years. ah And so far we could manage to do it and I hope it will last.
00:49:09
Speaker
like until I live at least, but now until the doulas have a ah motivation and ah power, strength to continue. And now I think ah it's ah very, very strongly and supported that ah all all ah we create together as a vision that is some funds or resources ah find us. So at this moment, I'm very ah trustful that we can persist.
00:49:48
Speaker
but And also the deep human connections, which I think are also a very good base to continue. So that means that um you personally as a social innovator, you are fully engaged no matter what to continue this initiative.
00:50:09
Speaker
At the moment, yes, so but not at the moment. The last five years, I didn't couldn't find any other more deeper ah like calling in me that just just this. So I somehow identified this program that this is my reason of ah of love life. So really, really and the I was so and honored or grateful when we got such a merry prize because I thought, oh, this is ah somehow somebody recognize of the world, my very, very deep purpose of life. Yeah. I remember when when you got awarded, I was in the audience and I saw
00:51:02
Speaker
the group of people participating in your initiative and it was amazing. I couldn't contain the tears. It was so touching ah to see ah how powerful and ah and meaningful is the work that you that you are doing together with the doulas, right? And it this was amazing. So at least from my side, I congratulate you and oh If I could ever encourage you to continue, ah I would do so. ah Thank you. Thank you for like raising this moment because I i can remember very well. It was a very, very happy happy moment of my life.
00:51:56
Speaker
Did you feel the passion and determination? The three individuals you just heard from are behind award-winning initiatives that are improving the lives of many people. Despite the obstacles, they continue to adapt, grow and succeed professionally. Be sure to check the description below this episode for more details about my guests and the ventures they represent. Until the next time.