AHF Africa – A Global Movement

AHF Africa – A Global Movement

Speaking with three prominent leaders in the overseas efforts of AHF.

GUEST BIOS:

Peter Reis is Senior Vice President of AHF, supervising multiple divisions and disciplines both in the U.S. and overseas— including the Asia Bureau and the Global Quality Team. He’s been with AHF for 27 years. Bio

Penninah “Penny” Lutung is the AHF’s Bureau Chief for Africa Programs, leading programs in 13 countries across Africa. She’s been with AHF for 18 years. LinkedIn

Ambassador Angelina Wapakhabulo has been with AHF since 2001 in various roles, including Chair of AHF Uganda Cares. She currently serves as a member of the AHF Board and Global Vice Chair. About Amb. Wapakhabulo

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[3:14] – The Cost of Being First

On the decision to make an effort in Africa

The team discusses spending ‘money we didn’t have to make an impact on the world.’ Sometimes, the cost of being a first mover in a moral mission is high. But when you know that you’re on the side of a worthwhile cause, the cost is always worth the outcome

[12:28] – Building Local Trust

Laying a foundation for critical work

Dr. Penninah describes the effort involved in building a connection between their Africa patients and the AHF team. One key element of this trust is the process of hiring local nationals, who have been instrumental in establishing programs in Africa that lead to greater public health.

[19:10] – Connected with Governments, Free from Politics

The careful balancing act that’s made AHF successful worldwide

Peter describes the hallmark of AHF programs in which they work closely in partnership with national and local governments but remain politically impartial and separate from political posturing and messaging. This is an essential trait that keeps AHF able to access communities that need their help the most without alienating the leaders and politicians who can serve as valuable partners.

[23:59] – Accepting Limitations

When you can’t do everything

Based on the trust and service the AHF provides for local communities, those communities often ask AHF members to do even more outside the organization’s scope. While they can sometimes help, such as setting up a borehole to provide clean fresh water to a community in Nigeria, they must sometimes accept that they can’t serve every need, all the time.

RESOURCES:

[0:18] -- AHF Website

FOLLOW:

• Lauren Hogan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenhogan3
• Peter Reis: aidshealth.org/about/leadership/
• Penninah “Penny” Lutung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/penninah-iutung-a1589715/?originalSubdomain=ug
• Ambassador Angelina Wapakhabulo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelina_Wapakhabulo
• Follow AHFter Hours on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahfterhours/

ABOUT AHFTER HOURS:

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The AHFter Hours podcast is an official podcast of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success. 

Learn more at: https://www.aidshealth.org

ABOUT THE HOST:

Lauren Hogan is the Communications Manager for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and has been working in a series of roles with the Foundation since 2016. She’s passionate about increasing the public visibility of AIDS, the Foundation's critical work, and how ev