Although I cannot explain why, I was so moved by this school and these girls -- their personal stories made me cry but their smiles warmed my heart -- I know that I was there for a reason and I was meant to do something with these feelings.
Since not everyone can visit a hospital, Edna now wants to take the hospital to the people by training a large cadre of "barefoot midwives" who will travel from village to village to offer their medical services.
Healthy mothers have a powerful ripple effect. To save a mother is to save a family. And to save a family is to lay the foundation for stronger communities and more stable nations.
Throwing more money at the conservation problem, in and of itself, will not improve the rate or effectiveness of conservation efforts; conservation organizations must also improve the way they invest their financial resources.
In many rural areas in Rwanda, women have been excluded from the decision-making processes affecting their lives, families and communities, and they are forced to accept prevailing social attitudes.
From the rural villages in northern Uganda to the bustling city of Kampala, poverty-fighting programs have something notable in common: they demonstrate how integrated programming can help achieve sustainable changes in the lives and women, men and their families.
International Women's Day is a perfect occasion to reflect on the evolution of global health for women -- and remember that even a tiny drop of vinegar or HPV vaccination administered to a young girl can be the catalyst to save a woman's life.
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Leyman Gbowee and Tawakul Karman speaks to the crucial role women have played in securing peace in former conflict zones.
How was it possible that these Liberian women had accomplished such an enormous feat without having been noticed and reported on by the news outlets I had come to know and trust?