Celeste Mergens: How the Power of Saying Yes Led Her to Make a Global Impact on Girl’s and Women’s Health

The path of our lives is paved by the decisions we make. Saying yes is often a gamble and the driving force behind that particular choice at any given time is often unknown. Perhaps it’s a feeling or intuition that tells us that being open in that moment will lead us closer to where we want to be. Whatever it is, the power of yes is undeniable and it can set our lives in directions we never thought possible. This week on Journeys Through Change (formerly known as Go Go Bistro), my guest Celeste Mergens and I are talking about how the power of saying yes led her to make a global impact on girl’s and women’s health.

Celeste is the Founder and former CEO of Days for Girls International  - Since 2008, Days for Girls has restored days of education and opportunity to over 2.9 million women and girls in over 145 countries on 6 continents, through providing access to sustainable feminine hygiene solutions and health education. Celeste has led Days for Girls to develop a global network of over 830 volunteer Chapters and Teams, and social enterprise programs in 13 countries. She has spread her message on the TEDx stage and has been a two-time featured panelist at the UN Commissions on the Status of Women. Days for Girls won the SEED award for gender equity and entrepreneurship in 2015, - is a two-time Girl Effect Champion, and was named by the Huffington Post as a ‘Next Ten’ Organization poised to change the world in the next decade. She is truly a remarkable woman I think we can all look up to.

In this episode, Celeste and I discuss:

• How a childhood of hunger and poverty shaped how she grew up to parent and do work in the world. 
• The heartbreaking story that prompted the foundation of Days for Girls.
• Celeste’s perspective that allowed her to cultivate a culture that listens to one another and works together to find solutions. 
• Miracles that happened along the way helped Days for Girls expand their impact.  

The power of us coming together is tremendous and Celeste is forever continuing her work to help the world see that.

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