Jeannie Burns Buckner, a member of Alternative Worldwide’s Board of Governors, has lived all around the United States and Canada; she is a seasoned traveler; she studied sociology and anthropology. Because of the miles she’s clocked and her innate drive and curiosity, she has made connections—and commitments—throughout the globe that may influence generations to come back.
Associates of Jeannie’s first launched her to Alternative Worldwide. She was drawn to Alternative’s mannequin of figuring out these most in want, listening to their particular challenges, and providing options that create sustainable change—entry to coaching, monetary companies, and assist. She and one in every of her daughters first traveled to Ghana to expertise the life-changing initiatives that allow individuals dwelling in poverty to create a path ahead; since then, she has visited no less than eight Alternative nations: “[Opportunity] helps individuals enhance their lives [so they can attain] what’s essential to them,” Jeannie feedback—an announcement that underscores what we’ve discovered during the last fifty years of service: for example, microloan shoppers desperately needed to ship their kids to highschool—schooling being a bedrock of shifting out of poverty—so Alternative launched our work in schooling finance to allow entry to high quality schooling.
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As her relationship with Alternative deepened, she turned a passionate advocate for our work in Nicaragua, serving on the Alternative Nicaragua board of administrators and schooling committee. With seemingly countless vitality for tackling new tasks, Jeannie expanded her work to incorporate supporting refugees in Uganda.
Uganda hosts the very best variety of refugees in Africa and the third highest on the planet. About 94% dwell in settlements alongside native communities. Alternative works within the Nakivale Refugee Settlement, supporting applications that create financial empowerment and self-livelihood. We provide personalized monetary schooling and work with refugees to safe formal financial savings accounts and dealing capital loans. Thus far, over 7,000 individuals have benefited from monetary literacy coaching; over 4,000 people have financial savings accounts or microloans.
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Jeannie acknowledged each the necessity and the potential for extraordinary influence in Uganda. She reached out to associates and colleagues with a challenge: a bunch of dedicated donors elevating funds for a particular space of want—the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Christened “Crew Buckner,” Jeannie began the group with 15 associates—all ladies—and her crew dedicated to elevating an bold $896,500 over three years. Crew members launched the chance to their associates, increasing outreach and alluring others to affix the initiative. The crew held occasions each small and huge, and traveled collectively; throughout a visit to Uganda this spring, the crew met with HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, who serves as Patron of Alternative Worldwide UK, and celebrated the opening of the Alternative Worldwide financial institution department within the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Alternative US augmented Jeannie’s management by offering belongings and digital connections together with a personalized donation web page; Alternative UK offered challenge management and raised funds. As of the writing of this text, Crew Bucker has achieved 99% of their aim.
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Jeannie has taken the time to develop her world view, “trying past” her life to households world wide, different ladies working diligently to assist their households below difficult circumstances. Jeannie has discovered such pleasure doing this work, connecting her family and friends to households which will look and dwell very in another way than we do, however share the identical hopes, goals, and longings for wholesome, steady households. We’re deeply grateful for Jeannie’s imaginative and prescient—underscored by motion—to create influence in tangible and lasting methods.