Finding Purpose with Women’s Philanthropy

Sivan Ya’ari, founder and CEO of Innovation: Africa, captivated nearly 300 women who attended this year’s Women with Purpose event, co-chaired by Shari Broder and Marcia Grosswald. Innovation: Africa, whose work brings Israeli solar, agricultural, and water technologies to rural African villages, has impacted over 1.5 million lives over the past 20 years.

What is the source of Africa’s greatest problem? The Sun. Today, Innovation: Africa uses solar energy to pump clean water and provide schools, orphanages, and medical clinics with light and refrigeration to store vaccines and medicines. Ya’ari’s biggest lesson she’s learned over the years is that “sometimes the source of the problem is also the source of the solution.”

Jody Hurwitz Caplan, president of Women’s Philanthropy, gave the audience sobering insight into how many people here in our own community continue to be in need. “Our partner agencies face waitlists for nearly every one of the services they provide to fight hunger.” Today, Jewish Federation partner agencies prepare and serve 340,000 kosher meals to local seniors each year – in some cases, the only hot meals they have access to.

Jody’s empowering call to action to support the UJA Annual Campaign encouraged each attendee to continue her role as a woman with purpose. She acknowledged that our Greater MetroWest donors recognize these needs in our community and make thoughtful decisions about how to best allocate their resources to solve these problems.

“After all,” Sivan reminded us, “what else are we here for, if not for doing good?”

To learn more about your impact and how you are making a difference, click here.

Click here for photos from the event.

Please join Women’s Philanthropy at the 2020 Women of Wisdom Education Series on January 21, February 28, March 24, and April 22.