Stacey Roussel, WEDU & Linda Oberhaus, Naples Shelter (both Class of 2007)
In September of 2007, two Leadership Hillsborough Alumni, Stacey Roussel and Linda Oberhaus (Class of 2007) landed in New Delhi, India as part of a sixteen member delegation from the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding’s Savita Society, a women and children’s empowerment program. The fourteen day trip was a tour de force across the Indian subcontinent visiting a variety of projects funded by the Patel Foundation and Tampa Bay community as well as several local Indian organizations. Stacey served as the past Chair of the Savita Society, and helped to arrange several of the group’s visits. About the trip, Stacey said, “We simply cannot afford to ignore the problems facing women and children around the world, or in Tampa Bay for that matter. They are too precious and our world is too interconnected.”
“As an advocate for social change and a proponent of equality and peace,” Linda adds, “I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that one in three women globally will be beaten, raped, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. This statistic is one in four in the United States. These statistics are alarming and clearly demonstrate the pressing need for social change initiatives to address issues of violence and oppression both locally and globally.”
Among other projects, the group traveled to Chennai, located near the tip of India, to visit a village the Tampa Bay community helped to rebuild after the Tsunami disaster. Because the Tsunami hit in the middle of the day, many of the men were out fishing and perished in the water. With funds from the Tampa Bay community a new school, orphanage and women’s home were built – all on one campus creating a family like atmosphere. The campus is sprinkled with marble plaques recognizing the generosity of the Patel Foundation and Tampa Bay community.
The trip concluded in Mota Fafolia, Dr. Kiran Patel’s ancestral village. Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Patel joined the Foundation delegation to show off the incredible progress in the village including an impressive three story school building and sprawling campus, nearby hospital and hygienic toilet program. The capstone of the trip was launching a micro enterprise program in the village in partnership with local textile designers, the local government and finally Foundation monies and local expertise to benefit the women of Mota Fafolia and surrounding villages.
Linda said, “As leaders in our communities, it is important that we support social change initiatives both locally and globally that work to end violence, abuse, oppression and poverty. Only than can we hope to create peace and equality in the world.”
A public screening of the trip’s documentary will be at the USF School of Public Health on March 20. Stacey’s travel blog including photos and links to the organizations visited can be found at www.staceyroussel.blogspot.com <http://www.staceyroussel.blogspot.com/>
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