Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

Vancouver Island Universityssuluqwa Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship programcelebrated its 10thanniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing stories of people closely connected with the program every month.

The suluqwa Community Cousins program builds capacity for mentors to gain leadership and employability skills through outreach and mentoring activities. Students hone skills in self-awareness, communication, leadership, self-care and an exploration of personal values, with an emphasis on telling ones story as a path to self-empowerment through outreach to others.

Sylvia Scow has watched more than a hundred students gain confidence and connect with their culture in a deeper way through the suluqwa Community Cousins program.

Ive watched students who have gone from being hesitant about using their traditional language or doing their protocol when they are first starting out to being able to stand up in front of lots of people to tell their stories, she says. There are no words to describe what that moment is like. Watching them standing proud in their truth, hearing their voice and knowing they are valued; I dont really have the words to describe it.

Sylvia, from Liidlii Kue (Fort Simpson) in the Northwest Territories, is currently working as the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagements Interim Director. She founded the Community Cousins program in 2011 when the office received funding through the Counselling Foundation of Canada to start a mentorship program specifically for Indigenous students.

When I think of my own journey, when we first started, I was intimidated because I had somebody elses vision and I wasnt sure how I was going to make it my own, I wasnt sure how I was going to help provide that space for students to feel loved within the institution, she remembers.

From the beginning, VIU Elder-in-Residence Gary Manson was involved. Because it was initially based on a training program intended for all students, not just Indigenous students, Sylvia and Gary began reviewing and shifting the programming over time so that it reflected an Indigenous lens on mentorship.

We reviewed the training and cut out what we thought was not relevant, added more protocol and education on the importance of protocol, how and why we acknowledge territory, more land-based activities, she remembers. We asked the students who their Indigenous mentors were and why, encouraged students to take pride in telling the story of who they are and where they come from.

An addition in recent years is holding regular thuy thuts, which translates to fixing up an opportunity for students to check in with each other and share challenges and issues. Its a chance to have honest conversations and practice gratitude.

It gives them a connection to culture, the Elders, that Indigenous way of being versus the academic. We are here in the academic world, but all the things we bring as Indigenous people, we dont leave that at home its a way of balancing both, explains Sylvia. We want you to continue to embrace that piece of your identity and that theres no expectation that you have to choose one or the other.

The program started off with six mentors at first; at any one time, 35-40 students are involved in any given year, and Sylvia has watched more than 100 go through the program now. Many of them stay in touch and return for events.

When the students are together, theyre part of a family, says Sylvia. After the training, we give them a hoodie and that hoodie is recognized throughout the campus and even in community. Its a symbol of that connection, of being part of a bigger family.

Each year, the Cousins participate in a fall giving back activity, such as handing out self-care packages to Elders or younger students. Then in the spring the group organizes the Celebration of Learning, where high school students are invited to come to campus to listen to the mentors stories about how accessing post-secondary education has changed their lives. In the summer, the Cousins organize Thuyshenum Tu Smuneem: Building a foundation for our Youth summer camps, which provide a first introduction to VIU programming to high school students as well as opportunities to participate in protocol and land-based learning.

These events get students from all levels of mentorship involved in activities that promote Indigenous leadership. The squleeq are the younger brothers and sisters, who get introduced to the program through events like the summer camp and the Celebration of Learning. Some of these students go on to form their own mentorship programs, such as Jaime Coukell. The suluqwa are current VIU students, and the shush uyuth are older brothers and sisters students who have graduated and moved into the workforce. Sylvia sees these students playing an important role in showing the squleeq and suluqwaa how their education can be used.

One of Sylvias favourite memories is when VIU formed a unique mentorship exchange program with Pitzer College in Claremont, California, funded by the100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, an education project to increase the number of US students studying in the Western Hemisphere by 100,000, and the number of Western Hemisphere students studying in the US to 100,000 by 2020.

The partnership shared cultural knowledge and key educational initiatives VIU incorporated elements of Pitzers Native Youth to College summer program for Indigenous high school students into the summer camps organized here, and Pitzer is using parts of VIUs Indigenous Knowledge and Portfolio Dialogue Sessions in programming. VIU and Pitzer students travelled back and forth during the exchange.

It was such a great opportunity for our students to not only step into leadership roles, but also broaden their experiences, remembers Sylvia. They had the chance to see a different way of doing things and experience the world beyond VIU.

When Sylvia thinks about next steps for the program, she sees opportunities for growth, mentorship and leadership discussion.

I envision a safe place for Indigenous student to belong and see themselves reflected in the post-secondary system. I see truth telling and an opportunity to have family that will support and encourage the journey.

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Helping students gain confidence and connect with culture - Vancouver Island University News

CHICAGO, April 07, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More than 45 million consumers are considered to be either credit unservedi or underservedii in the United States, according to a new global TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) study Empowering Credit Inclusion: A Deeper Perspective on Credit Underserved and Unserved Consumers.” However, the study found that about one in four consumers (24%) who started as credit underserved were found to have migrated to becoming credit active in a two-year window prior to the pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, the percentage of consumers becoming more credit active decreased slightly to 22%, with the profile of those consumers skewing younger than the pre-pandemic sample.

In addition to the United States, the TransUnion global study observed consumer credit behavior in Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, India and South Africa, to get a better sense of the market size of these unserved and underserved consumer segments.

Our study clearly points to hundreds of millions of consumers around the globe being credit unserved or underserved,” said Charlie Wise, senior vice president and global head of research and consulting at TransUnion. These credit disadvantaged consumers are often unable to access financial products and services because they have no, or little, credit history. This study served to better understand how many people are truly under- or unserved from a credit perspective, while also determining paths for them to gain more credit opportunities.”

The study explored the characteristics and behaviors of credit unserved and underserved consumers and their overall sentiments towards credit, while offering key insights into the credit journeys of these consumers. Unserved consumers are defined as any person who has never had an open traditional credit product (such as a credit card, personal loan, or auto loan, to name a few) as reported on the TransUnion consumer credit database. The underserved population has minimal credit participation, limited to a single type of credit product and no more than two open accounts of that type, and have been active in the credit market for at least two years.

This study specifically excluded new-to-credit consumers those who have opened their first product within the past two years from the underserved population, as many of those new-to-credit consumers become more fully credit active soon after opening their first product. The study sought to understand those consumers who remain unserved or underserved over a longer time period.

Two cohorts of consumers were studied, each over a two-year time period the first during the pre-pandemic period beginning March 2018 through March 2020, and the second beginning in June 2019 and studied through the pandemic time period of June 2021, to determine if there were any pandemic-related shifts with consumer credit migration trends.

Global Market Sizing of the Credit Unserved and Underserved Populations

United States

8.1M

3

%

37M

14

%

Canada

2.1M

7

%

7.5M

24

%

Colombia

16.3M

44

%

7.1M

19

%

Hong Kong

1.0M

16

%

1.8M

28

%

India

571M

63

%

170M

19

%

South Africa

20.6M

51

%

5.96M

15

%

While some unserved (also called credit inactive) consumers may have traditional credit scores when they open their first credit product, many do not. This lack of a credit score and any history of credit activity is an impediment for these unserved consumers to get their first credit product, as many lenders are hesitant to extend credit to consumers without any credit history or score. For these traditionally unscorable consumers, they face a chicken or egg” conundrum of how to get that first credit product when they lack a credit history.

This reality underscores the importance of incorporating alternative data into the financial ecosystem so that fewer consumers find themselves as credit invisible. Once these consumers can be evaluated by financial institutions, lenders can better determine where there might be new opportunities for growth and how they can expand credit inclusion,” said Wise.

For more information and to learn more, please sign up for the webinar "Addressing Credit Needs of Underserved Consumers."

Once U.S. Underserved Consumers Become Credit Served, They are Likely to Apply for More Credit

Every year, a portion of the underserved consumer population those with minimal credit activity become more fully credit active by opening additional credit products, while many still remain in that underserved segment. To better understand how underserved consumers transitioned to becoming more fully credit active, the study looked at which credit products consumers had opened within the two-year period. For the purpose of the study, underserved consumers transitioned to served if they opened additional product types over the two-year study period for example, when a previous credit card only consumer also opens an auto loan.

The most common first credit products held by underserved consumers in the United States were credit cards (44%), which was seen to an even greater degree in the Canadian market (84%). This mirrors broader trends that TransUnion has observed in these developed countries, where credit cards are the most common first product for consumers entering the credit market. This varied by country; however, as the study found that in emerging markets like Colombia, India and South Africa, the product types most commonly held by underserved consumers were microcredit, agricultural loans and clothing loans, respectively. In the United States, 90% of underserved consumers that migrated to credit served within the two-year period did so by opening a second product type. The most commonly opened second product types were credit card, private label cards and auto loans.

The study also found that consumers who migrated from underserved to served (opened at least one new product type) over the two-year period had more inquiries applications for new credit than consumers who remained underserved. While some of that higher inquiry activity was attributable to the fact that they opened new accounts, the overall higher level of inquiry activity by those consumers who migrated to the served segment implies that these consumers have a significantly higher demand for new credit, and that this demand is not necessarily being met by lenders.

The number of new credit inquiries were materially higher for consumers that migrated to served compared to consumers who remained underserved. These consumers appear to want more credit, but they are not necessarily able to access the credit they want, potentially due to their limited credit history. This highlights a missed opportunity for lenders who are seeking to grow and add new customers. Many of these underserved consumers would likely be well-performing and profitable borrowers, but because of their limited credit history, lenders are reluctant to extend them credit. Incorporating alternative data on consumers into lending decisions could enable lenders to get a fuller picture of the financial capacity of underserved consumers and make credit available to more of them,” added Wise.

Unserved or Underserved? Survey Confirms Varying Levels of Credit Satisfaction

TransUnion also commissioned an online global surveyiii of nearly 11,100 adults (ages 18 years and older) to gather sentiment from unserved and underserved consumers on the topic of credit. These countries studied included the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and the Philippines. The findings revealed consumer beliefs, attitudes and experiences with credit that may be influencing current and future behaviors.

Depending upon the country, respondents cited they are interested in applying for more credit in 2022 to varying degrees. In the United States, for example, only 29% of unserved consumers those without any credit product plan on applying for credit, compared to 46% of underserved consumers. The reason for this differentiation may be due to the fact that it is typically easier for underserved consumers, who generally have at least one credit account, to secure credit than consumers who are completely credit inactive.

When comparing the consumer sentiment of unserved consumers with underserved consumers, there tends to be a pronounced difference in the level of satisfaction with their current amount of credit. In the U.S., 60% of underserved consumers were satisfied or extremely satisfied with their current amount of credit, while only 35% of unserved consumers, those with no credit currently, had the same level of satisfaction. Additionally, 26% of unserved consumers were not satisfied at all with their level of credit, while only 6% of underserved consumers expressed dissatisfaction. This potentially speaks to differences in awareness of the potential uses and benefits of credit between those with some limited credit activity and those with no credit at all.

Promoting financial inclusion will start with gathering a better understanding of the different nuances between the unserved, underserved and served populations and what makes them tick. For example, what drives unserved consumers to apply for credit, and why underserved consumers may need a different credit product may vary greatly. As lenders are better able to meet the unique needs of these consumers and educate these unserved and underserved segments on ways they can build and improve their credit profiles, a larger percentage will become actively engaged in the credit system,” concluded Wise.

For more information and insights on the global TransUnion study, Empowering Credit Inclusion: A Deeper Perspective on Credit Underserved and Unserved Consumers,” please download the report.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing an actionable picture of each person so they can be reliably represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good®.

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

___________________________________

i Unserved: Consumers that have never had an open traditional credit product, based on reported accounts on the TransUnion consumer credit database. To size the unserved, we started with the total adult population as reported by the United Nations. We then subtracted the underserved, new to credit, and served consumers. The remaining number is the unserved.

ii Underserved: Consumers with some, but limited, credit presence. Specifically, they have:

iii TransUnion’s online global survey included responses from 11,128 adults and was conducted between August 3, 2021 January 5, 2022 by TransUnion in partnership with third-party research provider Qualtrics® Research-Services.

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More than 45 Million Americans are Either Credit Unserved or Underserved; Approximately 20% Migrate to Being Credit Active Every Two Years -...

The Blueprint by MoCaFi is a personal finance app that helps aspiring wealth-builders improve their spending, budgeting, credit health, financial knowledge, and opportunities to access capital.

NEW YORK and ST. LOUIS, April 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Homeownership is the primary source of household and generational wealth for most Americans. Yet there is a disproportionate homeownership gap between Black and White Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the fourth quarter of 2021, the homeownership rate of White households was 74.4%, while the homeownership rate in Black households was only 43.1%.

Mobility Capital Finance (MoCaFi), a fintech platform for economic empowerment, has partnered with FinLocker, a leading next-generation, consumer-permissioned financial fitness platform, to provide the Blueprint app to its underbanked and thin credit-file customers. The app empowers users with a complete view of their financial position including assets, liabilities, net worth, and credit profile. The Credit Compass by TransUnion integration allows users to simulate credit building tactics and the Housing Calculators help estimate mortgage affordability, interest rates, and local housing values. Users can store essential financial documents like tax returns, financial statements, and paystubs in the app for easy sharing with trusted financial advisors and lenders in the MoCaFi partner network.

"We are pleased to partner with leading institutions like FinLocker and TransUnion to present the Blueprint by MoCaFi app, a tool that furthers our mission to close the wealth gap," said Wole Coaxum, Founder and CEO of MoCaFi. "Through our partnership, we will empower customers with the financial tools and educational resources to improve consumers' financial literacy and prepare them to qualify for a mortgage. As a result, we are giving all Americans an opportunity to achieve the dream of homeownership."

Consumers will use the MoCaFi personal financial well-being app to build credit, connect their MoCaFi bank account to manage their finances, reduce debt, create budgets and goals to save for their down payment and closing costs, and track their progress towards mortgage readiness. More information and sign-up are available at http://www.theblueprintapp.com.

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MoCaFi is partnering with leading mortgage lenders to provide first-time home mortgage assistance to eligible Blueprint by MoCaFi customers. After closing on their home, the new homeowners can continue to use the app to monitor their home's value and equity and maintain their credit and positive financial habits to become successful homeowners.

"FinLocker is committed to providing a financially inclusive way for more Americans to improve their credit eligibility and build personal and generational wealth through homeownership," said Brian Vieaux, President and COO, FinLocker. "FinLocker and TransUnion's partnership with MoCaFi aims to address the disparity in wealth and access to financial services of underserved consumers with the convenience of a mobile app that will guide them on a personalized path to become successful homeowners. MoCaFi customers can use the tools and educational resources to show them how to responsibly build credit, improve their finances and track their progress towards mortgage readiness so they will know when they can qualify for a mortgage."

TransUnion has an ongoing commitment to supporting financial inclusion initiatives. Through the partnership with FinLocker, consumers are empowered to collect and permission the financial information and documentation needed over the course of the home buying process. As a result, underserved consumers whom the mortgage industry may have traditionally overlooked will have better access to tools that will help them navigate the process of securing a mortgage. MoCaFi was connected to FinLocker through their relationship with TransUnion.

"Homeownership is a key step to building generational wealth but there are many consumers within underserved communities that may not realize they can qualify for a mortgage," said Joe Mellman, senior vice president and mortgage business leader at TransUnion. "By providing more transparency around the conditions typically required by loan originators, better financial literacy on building credit and offering access to tools that share greater insight into individual mortgage readiness, together we can better assist more consumers on their path to successfully buying a home."

Media Contact:

Marjorie Fields-Harris

(917) 719-0348

333383@email4pr.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mocafi-partners-with-finlocker-and-transunion-to-empower-black-americans-to-build-credit-and-wealth-through-homeownership-301517032.html

SOURCE MoCaFi

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MoCaFi Partners with FinLocker and TransUnion to Empower Black Americans to Build Credit and Wealth Through Homeownership - Yahoo Finance

Adeola Rachael Agbana is the CEO, Allured By Ruby Online Crafts Academy birthed to fill a skill gap amongst fashion creatives. Agbana is a graduate of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, an alumnus of the Leading Ladies Business Institute (LLBI) and also an undergraduate of Psychology at the Lagos State University, Ojo. With a strong drive to impart knowledge, her creative skills, has enabled her train and mentor over 13,000 women through this platform. She is a fashionpreneur on a mission to provide women in Africa and beyond with millinery products and headwear training, help master the skill and transit them into generating sustainable income from their products, expertise and experience. In this interview with IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA, she shares her passion for impacting women.

What inspired your passion for craft?CRAFT has always been innate for me. Though I didnt have the opportunity very early to express it, there came a time after marriage that I was bored and the only thing I could think of was to decorate the entire house with wall paintings and DIY interior decoration fittings.

Afterwards, I began making fabric flowers, bowties, lapel pins and hair ruffles. At some point, I wanted more and decided to try out headwear making by watching YouTube videos and taking foreign online courses.

At what point did you decide to set up the academy? I actually began with a Facebook group in 2019, where I usually post pictorial illustrations of how to make different types of headwears. As time progressed and the group membership rose to over 30,000 creatives, I began to get requests for tutorial videos, this was how I began the Allured by Ruby Headwear academy online via WhatsApp.

Due to increasing requests of some categories of people who preferred the physical learning option, setting up a physical academy became inevitable and this was realised in June 2020, shortly after the government lifted COVID-19 lockdown.

Are there experiences during your growing up years that influenced your decision to embrace craft? Growing up, I recall seeing women around me struggling to balance their time in paid jobs and family life. I disliked it and I knew from that time it wouldnt be a thing for me. Also, Ive always wanted to be an entrepreneur, working with my hands and being in control of my earnings and life generally.

What has been the impact of the academy so far? It has been good so far by the grace of God. In just a year, despite the harsh economic conditions, we have successfully graduated four batches and over 20 students. The online academy has been more impactful due to its ease of accessibility from anywhere in the world.

In an economy where white-collar jobs do not come by easily, how are you motivating women to embrace this craft? I have been a very strong advocate of women empowerment and wealth creation, so through the academy, we have been at the forefront of encouraging and inspiring women between the ages of 18 to 55 to take up interest in headwear making, because it enables them generate income right from the comfort of their homes with very little startup capital.

All you need to start is the skill acquisition, which we provide on many fronts via our free and paid classes physically and online at a very affordable fee. I also try as much as I can to reassure enthusiasts who want to consider the headwear making business that it has an appreciable profit margin if you are ready to put in the work and master the craft by constantly upgrading yourself.

How have you been able to combine work and running family, and how supportive have they been? The role a solid support system plays in the self-actualisation of your dreams, especially family women, cannot be over-emphasised. It has been one of the critical success factors that have brought me this far. My ability to combine business, running my family and a full time study has been solely because I have a very supportive spouse who is patient, understanding, and believes in my dreams and my vision as well.

A lot of women battle with combining family life and career, what is your advice to them? I strongly advice seeking the support of your spouse, because it plays a vital role in solidifying your support system, because without that in place, the journey will be a very stressful one. When starting out, I faced several challenges, but over time, I was able to learn effective time management and work-life balance strategies which led to putting together a very dedicated team of tutors, employing a personal assistant and a social media manager such that Im able to delegate certain critical tasks. So, my advice to women out there is to seek help early, learn to delegate because you alone cannot do everything.

Financial independence is one thing a lot of women still battle with, how would you encourage them to live above this? Attaining financial independence for most Nigerians is a near impossible task considering the high rate of poverty in the country. However, it is a feat worth trying to accomplish. Even if you are starting small, the important thing is to get started.

One of the paths I usually propose women pursue towards this is getting legitimate multiple streams of income and this is where headwear making comes in. It is craft that is both lucrative and scalable; you can generate money from several aspects of the business.

What is your life philosophy? Go hard or go home! It is one thing to desire something; it is also another thing to be willing to do what it takes to get it done. One of the reasons I have come this far is by not giving excuses even though sometimes they may be legitimate, I still choose to find a way around it because where there is a will, there is way.

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'I've been a strong advocate of women empowerment and wealth creation' - Guardian Nigeria

Is your company prepared for the long-lasting and far-reaching effects of The Great Resignation? The question was the opener in a mis-guided solicitation letter (I am not in HR) from a company selling Human Resource solutions: Better Workplaces, Better World.

A top story still very much in the headlines, The Great Resignation began when record numbers of employees quit their jobs while in the throes of the hellacious past year (the pandemic, gun violence, racial tensions, the wrath of mother nature, the brutal economy, the destruction of the planet, increased UFO sightings, and, and, and) in search of something else: living their best lives.

The latest research on this subject, released just last month, showed that some 4.5 million people voluntarily left jobs in November 2021 alone, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics called an all-time high. Since April 2021, nearly 33 million people have left jobs, amounting to more than one fifth of the total U.S. workforce.

What is interesting, besides the fact that our nation has finally begun to scrutinize the percentage of our lives given over to work for pay, is the list of reasons for this long-overdue reckoning. A recent report (Stillman, J. January 18, 2022. Top 5 Reasons People Are Quitting During the Great ResignationHint: None of Them is Pay), contends that the top reasons are based on employee feelings and emotion. Stillman found that the desire for higher pay did not even make the top five:

In addition, the lack of nonwage benefits, like work-related social events after hours, has caused employee loyalty and company culture to decline

In contrast to Americas traditional work till you drop ethic, many of the disillusioned are now lauding those idlers or minimalist colleagues who do the least amount of work needed to collect a paycheck. These neer-do-wells who were previously considered annoying at best, have become a kind of anti-hero. It is perhaps they who have had the right idea all along. Is it the personal and financial satisfaction we derive from giving all our energy to our jobs, or the pursuit and pleasure of our personal interests that matter most in a balanced and happy life?

Doreen Ford, who works for Reddit and monitors Anti-work social media pages, says: Everyone has had their limit with COVID, overwork, mortgages, rent payments, and so many things with capitalism. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to take a break from that and do less of it. Ford says she sees a major snub towards capitalism afoot.

While some blamed the rash of quittings on Generation Z known in general for their slower, less ambitious outlooks on life many quitters span the age and career-stage spectrum. Could the examples set by other forward-thinking countries (like in Europe) where the work-life balance is honored as an important aspect of personal happiness, finally be coming to America?

We are experiencing a moment of worker empowerment, says Anthony Klotz, the Texas A&M University professor and organizational psychologist who coined the phrase Great Resignation. Klotz predicts that around 23%, one-quarter of the American workforce, will seek new jobs in 2022. The tighter labor market is forcing companies of all kinds to offer employees more: higher salaries, better benefits, and flexible schedules/work locations.

A surprising side-effect of the pandemic for many workers was the freedom to work from anywhere, but especially from home. According to polls by ResumeBuilder.com, this flexibility is highly valued by workers, even more than higher pay. With remote work now offered as a perk of employment, the cursed commute to and from work could become obsolete.

As opportunists peddle would-be solutions to our beleaguered society, we must acknowledge that the sign of these times is change. In the solicitation letter (Better Workplaces, Better World), the HR company promised to ease the burden on employers to find new workers, and relieve the stress, anxiety and burnout (caused) by employee turnover. While acknowledging that todays workers want: new positions more aligned with their revised personal and professional needs.

Eternally relevant but especially today, Bob Dylan is still correct: the times are indeed a-changin. A progressive group in Congress very recently proposed a bill to change the standard work week from five days and 40 hours to four days and 32 hours.

Whether it happens sooner or later, it seems clear that big changes in our work culture are on the way. Hopefully the Great Resignation will finally usher in more authentic and evenly balanced life choices for us all.

Diane Skouti is a resident of Fresno and has a Masters degree in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from Fresno State. She works at San Joaquin College of Law as the Alumni Coordinator and is a freelance writer in her free time.

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BLOG: When it comes to the job market, the times are a-changin' - The Business Journal

The National Federation Party is not a party of people who believe that being in the government entitles them to privileges and empowerment for self-gain, says National Federation Party member of Parliament Pio Tikoduadua.

This is not a party of people who assume unlimited dictatorial powers or think they are the Messiah and look down upon the people of this country as subservient nobodies, he said.

During the partys national convention last Saturday, Mr Tikoduadua said NFP was not a party where people like wearing $10,000 suits, riding around in darkly tinted four-wheel drive convoys, and being non-responsive to the plight of the common people.

NFP is not a party of people who believe that the words of one man are more powerful than the opinions of all the peoples of this nation, and the plight of its needy.

This is not a party where people believe that all power should rest in the hands of two-men, thereby compromising governance, breeding arrogance, and ruling through fear and division. This is not a party of people who forget that the power is with the people of this country.

This is not a party of people who will treat the government like their personal property.

No, NFP is not a party of, and a party for such people. However, he said, NFP was born out of the need to empower the people of Fiji. NFP has existed to empower the people of Fiji in unity.

And the NFP will fight these elections to restore power to the people. It will be a party that forms a government that is of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Because those who believe in self-interest instead of national interest or my way or the highway kind of rule have ruled over us and driven the country to the edge of the cliff.

Mr Tikoduadua said the only way to guarantee the removal of the current Government was to vote in large numbers to boot out a regime and government that believed the people could be bought.

They think that our people are gullible and will fall for freebies and succumb to fear-mongering.

Make no mistake this is now a thing of the past.

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The Fiji Times 'NFP has existed to empower the people' - Fiji Times

I can always remember one of the incidences of intimate partner violence or domestic abuse that I experienced that was related to the workplace. I was 19 years old, and I had organised the work Christmas party. It was a lavish affair and it had taken months of effort, organising and planning. My partner did not want me to attend, and all hell had broken loose at my home, where I lived alone. He wouldnt let me go. The details are quite fuzzy now, but I remember three of my work colleagues turning up at my front door on the way to the party, to try and convince me to attend. I sat there on the steps of my flat telling them there was no way I could go whilst sobbing my heart out. There was also some altercation between my partner and the colleagues, as he came out to tell me to come back inside.

It is funny that 24 years later this is one of the memories of this relationship that stands out, of course, there were many more incidences. I dont recall whether there was any violence on this occasion, or whether it was more the emotional abuse or fear of the repercussions if I had gone to the party. When I went back to work the following day, full of feelings that I couldnt or even know how to process at the time; feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment, I dont really remember anyone sitting down with me to check if I was okay, if I was safe, or asking me if I wanted to talk. Maybe they did try, and I just brushed it off, in my naivety, all relationships were difficult, werent they? I also wonder if two decades later would we know how to handle that conversation with the girl I was back then, any differently from how my colleagues approached the situation? I would like to say yes, but in all honesty, when it comes to a form of abuse, I am not so sure. It is a tricky one to navigate and to support someone in this scenario, particularly if they are not ready or too afraid to confront the problem, which took me another two years to find the courage to leave this relationship.

What is Domestic Abuse and Violence?

The term domestic violence or abuse (DVA) conjures up for many a heterosexual couple who live together, with the scenario of a male physically assaulting the female, in any case, it is used to refer to intimate partner violence, but the term is not limited to partner violence (World Health Organization, 2012). You might not be aware that it can refer to abuse on and by any member of the family. DVA is terrorising patterns of behaviour between any two people who are or have been intimate partners or family members, notwithstanding their sex or age (Sohal, Feder & Johnson, 2012). The ONS has established that almost one in three women aged 16-59 will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime.

Domestic abuse can come in many forms as listed here by the charity Womens Aid

If you are worried about someone simply start by approaching them and checking in to see how they are feeling. You can point out changes to their behaviour that you have noticed, for example, if they have withdrawn from social work events or a change in their mood.

Someone may not want to share straight away, and trust can take time to build. Not only that, it is the recognition that someone needs that they need to get professional support or help to move out of the situation they have found themselves in. Refuge highlight how two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales alone, so the risks can be extremely high for someone to even dare to speak out even in confidence, especially if they are protecting children.

CHAMPS for Change CIC

Sharing my own story with you is the first time I have publicly shared my lived experience of DVA, and it was the catalyst for me to start CHAMPS for Change my Community Interest Company in August 2019. The purpose initially was to establish a centre for post-traumatic growth research, my research area having completed my MSc in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London. Whilst writing my paper on coaching and post-traumatic growth I came across a piece of research called A qualitative exploration of thrivership among women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse: Development of a new model by Heywood et al (2019). I loved this concept because it was the first time, I had considered that someone could thrive having experienced a form of abuse. This paper demonstrated how women who had experienced a form of abuse had got to a place of personal and psychological safety and moved into a phase of thrivership.

The Coaching Thrivership Programme is Born

I reached out to the Birmingham charity that had been involved in this research, a charity called WE:ARE and asked if I could meet with them. WE:ARE delivers a range of awareness, empowerment and parenting programmes for women affected by domestic abuse. Having researched and experienced how coaching could support the process of post-traumatic growth, I got the idea of providing coaching to these women. These women who now wanted to empower themselves, curate their own lives with the freedom they had fought so hard for, and in many cases against insurmountable barriers and obstacles.

April 2020, right in the middle of lockdown one we had a pool of women interested in the coaching who had been with WE:ARE for some time and had undergone their programmes. Through a coaching readiness questionnaire, I paired these women with a volunteer coach. Most of my coaches had come from the same MSc programme as myself and had been involved in volunteering with a womens charity as part of our studies. The premise was simple, for the coach to support the woman on a 6-month journey. There was no set requirement of what the coaching would entail or structure, a 90-minute initial discovery session, followed by five one-hour sessions.

The results of the pilot were incredible. The feedback that the women gave was that they were able to understand the importance of wellbeing, it allowed them to take back control, to create self-acceptance. Not only did the women feel they had more clarity on their goals and future, but they were also able to look to the future by creating plans with strengths and resources, plan for both themselves and their families, which meant achievement and growth.

The women experienced growth and learning, but also the feedback from the coaches is that they too have taken so much learning and experience from the process as individuals and as professionals.

Next Steps

With the success of the pilot coaching programme, we delivered our second coaching programme in 2021 to establish the results of the programme. Now in 2022, we are in our third year, and we have launched our programme beyond the charity to allow any woman who has experienced abuse to find their way to thrive in their life in their own unique way.

The team has grown to create more volunteer coaches and we have begun to provide the women with optional developmental sessions.

As the programme has evidenced the richness of experience, I have started to write up our findings in an academic paper with a university partner, to share more formally the impact of our Thrivership Coaching across our coaching community, the women, and the coaches.

For me, this coaching programme has given me the greatest opportunity to heal. It has enabled my own growth, it has also pushed me out of my comfort zone as I have expanded a social enterprise, an area I knew relatively little about. Most importantly it has provided the opportunity for women who have experienced the trauma of abuse, the support to move into thrivership and enable them to discover a new journey and path in life that belongs to them.

By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, Award-winning Mental Wealth Entrepreneur, Speaker, & Chief Executive Officer CHAMPS

References:

Understanding and addressing violence against women: Intimate partner violence. World Health Organization. (2012).

Domestic violence and abuse. Sohal, A., Feder, G., & Johnson, M. (2012). InnovAiT.

A qualitative exploration of thrivership among women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse: Development of a new model Isobel Heywood, Dana Sammut and Caroline Bradbury-Jones (2019) BMC Womens Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-019-0789-z.

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Thrivership Coaching - Helping to facilitate empowerment from trauma and abuse FE News - FE News

With more than 40,000 students at University Park, its easy to get lost in thrashing waves from all directions. Yet, for the nine sisters and siblings of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., action for change serves as a single drop in this vast ocean.

Little little sparks start big forest fires, said sister and mental health chair Jahnia Kytana Marimon.

Adapting the popular quote, Marimon speaks to the nature of Lambda Theta Alpha, the nations first Latina sorority. While the current Beta Lambda chapter at Penn State holds just nine active members, the organizations impact is felt far beyond University Park.

A sorority of philanthropy, professional development, and sisterhood, Lambda Theta Alpha represents a commitment to diversity for possibility, championing inclusion in similar fashion to Penn States We Are tradition.

I am Penn State, too, said Marimon. Im prideful in that I can represent a community back home that people typically look down on sometimesIm prideful of the fact that I can go back home and [say,] Ive got a Penn State degree. Thats my goal: to go back and help my community.

The organization serves the community with a commitment to the betterment of all people. Todays members remain especially grateful for the leadership that brought Lambda Theta Alpha to Penn State over 20 years ago.

Our founders wanted to create a group to support those communities, said Marimon. It was new, so they didnt have those resources or opportunities to grow within college because it was the first.

Established nationally in December 1975, Lambda Theta Alpha created a different kind of Greek life. Founded at a time when the Latinx community was first gaining access to higher education, the sorority originated as a space for opportunity and representation.

Today, the sorority remains rooted in this initial founding. Embracing change, the sisterhood has grown by accepting members regardless of age, race, creed, or sexual orientation.

We like to say Latin by tradition, not by definition, said Marimon. We were established as a Latina sorority, but that doesnt mean we are not going to historically growWere very open to everyone.

Welcoming a recent addition of non-binary siblings, Lambda Theta Alpha recently celebrated another milestone by inducting its 20th line into the organization. Through intention, philanthropy, and purpose, this new class joined the sorority by learning about the organizations core values of unity, love, and respect in the sacred space of the organization.

Its very beautiful because when people hear about Greek life, they hear about all these crazy things that happen during the process, said Marimon. But in our organization, we dont just do anything just because. Everything we do is with a purpose.

All members are encouraged to grow both personally and professionally. By providing support, academic resources, and genuine connection, Lamba Theta Alpha inspires members and interests to become the best version of themselves, specifically through its message of the universal woman.

Yet even within this concept, a commitment to inclusion adapts the terminology, pushing the conversation forward towards acceptance.

That doesnt mean that you have to be a woman in order to have those traits and uphold the values that we stand for, said Marimon. Its just someone who isnt afraid to step out of their comfort zone, get what they want, and encourage not only themselves but othersSo, its really a universal person.

Updating standards to include non-identifying and non-binary individuals, the sisters and siblings build upon legacy by carrying values closely. Continuing innovation for inclusion, President Audre Montero explained the importance of tradition displayed on campus.

When you see the universal woman represented on our flyers, its always a figure, she said. Its never an actual person because it doesnt matter what you look like, or your race, or where you come from.

Its already within you and you just have to find it, said Vice President Dominique Solano, who also serves as Lamba Theta Alphas academic chair. And thats what the organization helped us do: find the universal woman within ourselves.

Solano explained the sisterhood as an exquisite culmination of connected humanity. By Lamba Theta Alphas standards, it is a place in which individuals can thrive on unique paths, all while sticking together in the navigation of collegiate life.

Sisterhood is kind of like a home away from home. You always have your family at Penn State, so anywhere you go, youre always going to have that support, she said.

Even as sisters, its not always beautiful, Solano continued. Sometimes, we have our strugglesThats when you appreciate the good times because you had those other obstacles that you had to go past.

Continuing themes of sisterhood for personal growth, Chapter Recruitment and Retention Advisor Nicole Pinto shared her origin story in crossing with her line in 2020.

I felt like no one on campus felt the way that I felt. I felt like I was in too big of a space to make an impact, said Pinto. But thenI learned a sister had the exact same story.

Grateful for growth as an individual starting within Lamba Theta Alpha, Pinto now also holds the role of public relations chair as well as president of the Multicultural Greek Council.

No matter where you start, you can 100% end where you want to be, said Pinto.

Inspired by similar encouragement in Lamba Theta Alpha, MGC Executive Vice President Audre Montero explained her journey to success.

When I think about who I was before I was an LTA, I would have never thought I would be the person I am now, said Montero. Ive just been given the opportunities and the platform to become the person who I wanted to be three years ago, and I couldnt imagine not being here.

With gratitude, Montero elaborated on her perspective of possibility when coming to campus.

Knowing where I come from and that a lot of kids where I come from wouldnt be able to come to Penn State, I want to be able to take any opportunity Penn State gives me and give it my 100%, she said.

Committed to taking every chance as a first-generation student, Montero has advocated for Lamba Theta Alpha and led the organization to stand tall as ever. In addition to a collection of charity events and public programs, Lamba Theta Alpha furthers this expression of inclusivity with allyship for other organizations on campus.

As much as we are called the First and Only, we also have to pay respects to people who came before us, said Nicole Pinto. We wouldnt be a Greek community without them.

Despite a jam-packed schedule of events, the nine active members prioritize uplifting other MGC organizations both on campus and online.

As Public Relations Chair, Pinto elaborated on the balancing act of advertising LTA events while also drawing eyes to other organizations on social media, a subtle but not unfelt testament to Lamba Theta Alphas commitment to giving back.

There are people who are deserving of space and recognition that we can serve, said Pinto. Our following will get that information as well, and maybe start following other organizations.

Additionally, Lambda Theta Alpha creates active opportunities for change on campus, partaking in philanthropic efforts to make a tangible impact. Each day, the sisters and siblings work to improve life for all people, proving once again that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

For Lamba Theta Alphas national philanthropy of Saint Judes Research Hospital, one golden example includes its semester empanada sale. Through it, the organization gives back with an undeniably personal feel, as members prepare the food together and handwrite customer names on each bag. In the past, the event found great success with more than 400 empanadas sold.

At the same time, it kind of gives us that sense of home, said Montero. Were all together at one time, playing some music, making empanadas.

In another event returning in-person for the first time in three years on April 24, Lamba Theta Alpha hosts Mr. Burgundy and Grey, a male pageant offering a scholarship to the winner.A nod to the sororitys colors and commitment to empowerment, the event serves as an interactive opportunity to showcase male leaders on campus as well as connect during rehearsals.

During that time, sisters really take their time to get to know our contestants, said Montero. As well as allow our contestants to get to know us.

Upon winning the award through questionnaire portions and dance performances, recipients gain the opportunity to host an event with Lamba Theta Alpha in support of Saint Judes Research Hospital.

Building upon its national philanthropy, Beta Lambda at Penn State also supports the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a chapter initiative, most publicly through their popular event entitled Take Back The Night.

When considering the impact and attendance at this event, its hard to believe that the entire program is run by only nine active members. In a community-wide gathering of students, faculty, and survivors, individuals unite to march against sexual violence. Walking the campus to common locations of reports, sharing stories from victims, and providing an overarching message of understanding, Take Back The Night establishes a renowned sense of support for survivors, often missing as outlets of empowerment in addition to basic acknowledgment.

In simple terms, President Audre Montero synthesized the understanding provided at the event as the ultimate safe space for survivors, just in time for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and SVAP Week through the Penn State Gender Equity Center.

There is no fear of judgment. Theres no fear of someone not believing you. Theres no fear of someone calling you a liar, she said. Its just that safe place that, especially victims of sexual violence, dont always get to experience.

Due to the pandemic, the event was held virtually last year. Despite the limited format, Take Back The Night 2021 had more than 500 attendees online, a massive success for both Lamba Theta Alpha and the Penn State community.

It wasnt only students, it was faculty and staff, said Marimon, and the beauty of it was that people were comfortable enough to share their personal stories with 500 people listening.

Once one person does have the courage to say something, thats giving everyone else the power to speak up for themselves, Solano added. And thats why its so impactful because one person makes this huge change.

Providing a space made both emotionally safe and physically safe by the presence of campus police, the return of this in-person event this evening, Thursday, April 7 at 6 p.m., promises honesty, community, and perseverance. Symbolizing Lamba Theta Alphas commitment to changing perspectives on campus, Take Back The Night brings love and light from darkness, extending hands beyond the bounds of membership within the actual organization.

A common practice of the siblings and sisters, reaching out remains important as a key differentiator of Lamba Theta Alpha once again. In an eternal drive for open-mindedness as champions for change, Lamba Theta Alpha ensures that at least one member shows solidarity with other causes on campus by showing up and standing up, wearing their letters proudly, and making their presence known at community events.

LTA stands with you and we are here to speak up when other people cant, said Marimon. We have that confidence, that voice to use that platform for the better good.

Transforming words to real action, Marimon recently represented Lambda Theta Alpha as a living sign of support at Love is Louder, as well as served in another previous role as vice president of QTPOC, Queer and Trans People of Color, at the event. With her community directly affected, Marimon stepped up to speak up in true bold and beautiful fashion.

Its necessary to fuel any time of negative energy with positive energy, said Solano. So, yes, Milo [a provocative speaker] was coming onto campus, and if you heard about it as an LGBTQ person, you feel unsafe in that sort of way.

Within this threat felt by sisters and siblings, taking positive action was the only response considered. Once again, Marimon stood proudly as a voice of Lamba Theta Alpha at the event, uplifted by her sisters who remarked on their admiration for her actions.

Thats something that we are proud of her for because instead of ignoring it, we made sure to push away anything where anyone could get harmed and make sure were in a positive environment, said Solano.

Championing causes on campus to facilitate real change, Lambda Theta Alpha shines brightly as a pillar of Penn State pride. Within this pride held uniquely in a relationship of mutual value between sorority and university, Solano shared her interpretation of blue and white values as a current sister while also honoring tradition.

Latinas in education is still something that needs to be worked on, so all of us here are making sure that theres that support, she said. For me, Penn State pride is starting your own storyYou can start it yourself and be that personthat role model for anyone that is to come after you.

A cultivation of opportunities taken and challenges conquered, Lambda Theta Alpha illuminates campus through even dark times. Lighting a fire from a single spark, the sisters and siblings bring unique perspectives to the Penn State community small in number, but never in spirit.

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Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority 'Takes Back The Night' With Love & Light On Campus - Onward State

When thinking on empowerment, your first thought is probably about a person - either who you empower, or who empowers you. However, empowerment isnt just about people, it is dependent upon individuals, environment and culture. And within each of these categories, empowerment is about how we react.

Anna Carolina Queiroz, Associate Professor & Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University, was one of my guests at a recent round table session on empowerment. She described the difficulty of simplifying empowerment succinctly: it is not only the individual or the environment, it's both of them together. It's a very complex concept, because one reinforces the other.

Relationships are also complex as individuals can be either giving (empowering) or receiving (being empowered). Effective empowerment is similar to effective mentoring. Both require a give and take from both sides.

Giving, Receiving and Feedback

A number of key words and phrases were raised throughout the round table discussion as to what empowerment conveys to different people. Even at a personal level, the points raised conveyed both the giving and receiving nature of empowerment:

Claudia Zuluaga, founder of The Future is 50/50, highlights the need to both give and receive. You need to project a positive energy so that [those being empowered] are able to feel a sense of purpose, Zuluaga argues. But a sense of purpose can be very quickly squashed if people are not able to learn from their mistakes, as Zuluaga points out: In order to improve you need to make mistakes. You need to realize what you did wrong. However, there are many leaders today, particularly in traditional corporations, that don't allow for mistakes and are quick to criticize.

Anna Queiroz backs this point up, stating that we need to know where we are failing. Failure is one of the most important aspects for learning because you understand what you shouldn't do anymore, where to focus your attention, and so on. The environment in many companies, perhaps because of this shortage in the workforce is to praise everyone all the time and say they're doing a great job rather than giving constructive feedback.

The need to avoid disempowerment during feedback was highlighted by Sandra Molies, Time to Think Coach. It's important to see the difference between performance failure and personal failure, Molies argues, there is a difference between not getting something right and being made to feel like a failure. Ill thought out feedback when addressing a mistake or failure at work can lead to shame and huge disempowerment.

The Drama Triangle and Empowerment Dynamic

Feedback is often given by a person in a senior role when addressing a problem. However, in reality, it is rare that a problem lies solely with the feedback recipient - as illustrated by Stephen Karpman.

In the 1960s, Karpman outlined The Drama Triangle. He describes three players - the victim, the persecutor and the rescuer. Many work relationships create a victim (employee), a persecutor (manager) and a rescuer (colleague). However, rarely are these positions static - the victim can become the persecutor and vice versa as each reacts to the other. Indeed, sometimes it can prove difficult to assess who is the victim and who is the persecutor. The hidden disempowering figure, however, is the rescuer. By coming to the rescue the rescuer is disempowering the victim as they are not allowing the victim to find their own solution.

In his book The Power of TED (The Empowerment Dynamic), David Emerald sets out the opposite dynamic to Karpmans Drama Triangle by encouraging individuals to replace the victim with creator, persecutor with challenger, and rescuer with coach.

It is easy to think of the persecutor as a physical person, but much of the time, the perceived persecutor is not a person but the circumstances, environment, or culture surrounding the victim. The context (or circumstances) will shape the environment which in turn will influence the individual. Catherine Gannon, MD of law firm Gannons, argues that empowerment for a boss is going to be, for example, having the tools you might need to run the cash flow. Empowerment to someone who's feeling subjugated is going to be a voice. Empowerment to a prisoner is get me out of this prison.

How individuals react to the context is defined by both nature and nurture. However, are some people naturally more self-empowered than others?

Self-Empowered brains

In a study on self-affirmation (the recognising of ones value), through using a MRI scanner Christopher Coscio and others demonstrated increased activity in the self-processing and valuation parts of the brain of participants who had higher levels of self-affirmation. Whilst this study doesnt examine why some people have higher degrees of self-affirmation in the first place, it does show that self-affirmation and therefore ones ability to feel empowered is at least partly neurological.

So why do some people have higher degrees of self-affirmation? Obviously there is no easy explanation to this, but Annemarie Osborne, a senior marketing and content strategist focuses on values. What are my values? Beginning with integrity, gratitude, responsibility, empathy, kindness, forgiveness and patience - I think that is what truly creates personal empowerment, and these values can't be taken away. In Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl points out that those who are willing to look within themselves can achieve a greater sense of inner peace. This inner peace is not situational and can't be so easily hijacked by other people through the removal of status and entitlement, Osborne says.

Colette van Jaarsveld, Founder of sustainable design agency Arcology links this self-affirmation with self-efficacy (a persons belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation). Within empowerment there is a sense of meaning, mastering and mattering to others. So if you're on that very clear path, then you have freedom and an inner responsibility that you're doing something that's purposeful, van Jaarsveld states.

Albert Bandura the Canadian-American psychologist in a paper on perceived self-efficacy also touches on what makes some people naturally more empowered than others. He talks about the major psychological processes which affect our self-efficacy (cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes). As individuals we give different priority to each of these processes, which leads to the problem of trying to provide a one size fits all empowerment solution. As we are all wired differently, we all react differently to actions that may be intended to empower but may instead cause stress. As a CEO, I was guilty of this, by purposefully stepping away from giving direction with the intention to empower, but not providing enough guidance for colleagues to know how to move forward.

How we react to different external and internal influences also relates to how we empower ourselves. The round table participants were split between a belief that self-empowerment is optimised when there is little option than to pull yourself up from the bottom, and that you need a safety net on which you can build. These two viewpoints became particularly relevant when discussing empowerment in the context of cultures (which will be covered in a subsequent article on empowerment).

What is empowerment?

In this article I have purposefully avoided trying to answer what is empowerment?, mainly as it is so dependent upon the psychology of each of us and how we react to other factors that feed into empowerment (including, but certainly not limited to, confidence, initiative, past experiences, and more). But can we foster a feeling of empowerment within children which they can take into their adult lives?

Anna Queiroz from her research on education provided useful insight into this question:

We have some parts of our behaviors that are rooted in ourselves, which the environment reinforces - these are very hard to change. But there are other behaviors, for example, taking risks. If you are in an environment that will encourage and provide the safety to take risks, then you're going to increase this behavior in time. So when we talk about education, we need some sort of structure so that the kids can respect some rules, but where we also give them flexibility to choose different initiatives. This is something some schools have started in the last few years.

As individuals we work, study or play within a particular environment, which is why focusing on the individual alone will always lead to limited empowerment. Part two of this series will therefore focus on empowerment and the environment.

Continue reading here:

Empowerment: Part 1 - The Individual. Can We Learn Empowerment? - Forbes

Medical studentswith an interest in dermatology in theJacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Scienceshave been coordinating community outreach events to spread educational and empowering messages.

Members of theDermatology Interest Group(DIG) recently coordinated an event at the Hope Gardens housing program for chronically homeless women at the Matt Urban Center and spearheaded a donation of skin care products to women at Haven House, a domestic violence shelter.

The Jacobs School chapter of DIG consists of approximately 60 students and its mission is to provide information and experiences that will expose medical students to the field of dermatology.Lori E. Ullman, clinical associate professor and former chair of the Department of Dermatology, serves as the groups adviser.

The goal of the outreach events was to show support for the women and to provide education about proper skin care.

Olivia Waldman, a second-year medical student and 2021-22 DIG co-president, coordinated the event at Hope Gardens and said it was inspired by a course she took during her first year of medical school called Health in the Neighborhood.

We had weekly discussions about health inequities and structural racism, with the heart of the course being conversations with community members to discuss their personal experiences with the health care system, she says.

Waldman says that as she learned more about the Buffalo community, she discovered the largest demographics living in poverty were females ages 25 to 34 and ages 18 to 24.

I specifically wanted to focus on womens empowerment and self-care through this project because of how this demographic reflects the same ages of many of our medical students, Waldman says. However, it also speaks to the drastically different life experiences just outside of the universitys walls.

The project was funded by a community outreach grant throughAmerican Womens Hospital Services; all of the products were donated by nonprofits or companies.

We wanted to focus on connection, so we chose accessible, conversational dermatologic tips for how to take care of your skin, Waldman explains.

Third-year medical student Isaac Swartzman led the student education component and chose articles for students to read beforehand so they were able to counsel participants on skin care education.

The articles he selected guided student learning on the science behind sun protection, skin conditions and complications specific to darker skin tones, and skin care for different seasons. The main educational components used were a pair of educational brochures written by Ullman, titledTips for Maintaining Healthy Skin and Your Skin and the Sun.

Waldman says DIG tried to incorporate a spa-like atmosphere by playing meditational music, providing warm towels and an essential oil diffuser, and leading an activity to create homemade facial masks.

First-year medical students Michael Augustin, Iryna Dovirak, Elissa Goorman, Victoria Hoffman, Delaney Lenaghan and Natalie Nunez also took part in the event or helped in the planning.

Connecting with women in our community, hearing their stories and witnessing their resiliency was so humbling and made me aware of my own privilege, Waldman says. Being able to share skin care information with women experiencing homelessness felt incredibly important for bridging the gap in health disparities.

Anna Davis, a third-year medical student and former DIG co-president, says she was so impressed with the services Haven House provides to women who are victims of domestic violence that she was inspired to contribute donations to their clients.

While on my family medicine rotation, we had a lecture on domestic violence where survivors spoke to us in depth about how victims often feel isolated and unsupported, she says.

We decided that Valentines Day would be a perfect opportunity to show support and compassion for the women through individual care packages, Davis adds.

Included in the packages were the educational pamphlets authored by Ullman; a Valentines Day card with an inspirational message from DIG about female empowerment and inner strength created by Hoffman and Ullman; Valentines Day-themed chocolates; the donated skin care products that Waldman received for the Hope Gardens visit; a homemade face mask recipe created by Dovirak; and all-natural soap bars donated by second-year medical student and 2021-22 DIG co-president Elizabeth Quaye.

The care packages were assembled by Davis, Nunez, Quaye and Waldman and delivered to a Haven House employee at a neutral location by Davis on Feb. 14.

Although we were unable to interact with the women directly due to the confidential status of the shelter, I am extremely appreciative to have had the opportunity to collaborate with this worthy organization and come up with a creative way to reach these survivors during this critical time in their lives, Davis says.

It has been very rewarding to serve this community. The strength with which these women have survived severe trauma is truly admirable, she adds. We wanted to let them know that we care. Having this opportunity to provide skin care education and support through a Valentines Day gift package was our way of letting them know we are here to support their journey of health, well-being and empowerment.

Allison Brashear, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, says shes pleased to see UB medical students interacting with community members to share their knowledge on such important topics as skin care and self-care.

It is especially heartening to see them spreading messages of empowerment to vulnerable populations in our community, Brashear adds. The most effective way to dispel health disparities is through direct educational outreach.

Both Waldman and Davis say that Ullman guided the projects from start to finish.

We used her skin care educational materials to educate and counsel participants and she provided support, guidance and insight into how we could champion and encourage the women we worked with.

Ullman says she met with the students frequently as the two community projects were being developed and took part in each of the programs with the students.

As part of my mentoring them, I shared that choosing to draw on the positive, in the form of positive words, written or spoken, can impart vital support to those facing great personal challenges and create for them a sense of empowerment, she says. I shared what powerful tools words can be for good, in bringing optimism, or for ill and emphasized that positive begets positive.

Ullman says she believes the students benefited from sharing themselves with the greater community, and developed an improved understanding of the broader makeup of the community.

They experienced firsthand that we have gifts to give and to receive from everyone we meet, she says. They had an opportunity to experience how enriched we are by what we give and what we receive from those who face challenges that may be different or not so different from our own challenges.

Ullman also says the students learned much about the specialty of dermatology through teaching it to the women who participated in the community outreach programs.

Our volunteer students learned about their level of understanding and about their devotion to their career choice of specialty from teaching about it, while also gaining a greater understanding of the value of skin care in maintaining general health and well-being, and preventing illness, she says.

The students learned how to be better listeners and how to be better communicators. I saw them at their best and am very proud of how they represented themselves and how they represented our school in our community.

Continue reading here:

Students conduct community outreach on proper skin care - UB Now: News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at Buffalo