Dear Dr. Amalle, Ambassador Mulamula, Dr. Ciottone, Delphine, Efe, Olu, Awamary, Oumou and Xoliswa,
We want to thank you from the “Bottom of our Hearts” for your outstanding contributions to our “Building back a resilient post-COVID-19 economy…” webinar on July 29th.
Global Sustainable Partnerships
When We Partner Miracles Happen!
I am deeply honored and profoundly humbled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from UNESCO at the Permant Mission of Senegal in NY for my work in Africa. To my surprise, I was also presented with a heartfelt letter and plaque from President Biden, an unexpected recognition that fills me with immense gratitude. This acknowledgment is not just a reflection of my individual efforts but a tribute to the incredible communities, partners, and individuals, who have walked alongside me in this journey. I am deeply moved by this recognition and even more motivated to continue the work that remains.
Understanding Your Vibe Matters. Embark on a journey of self-discovery and wellness with VIBE Checkup, your personal guide to help navigate your teenage years at home, school and in life!
VIBE CHECKUP program and cutting-edge mobile app featured on Dr. Vanessa Weaver's PBS show, "Working it Out,
Soul Synergy: Severing Ties With Intergenerational Chronic Illness
Our “Soul Synergy: Severing Ties with Intergenerational Chronic Illnesses” Youth Diabetes Management Coaches training is a progressive healthcare pipeline program for high school youth in Montgomery County and Washington, DC, that provides them the skillset to serve their community and family members as Youth Diabetes Management Coaches. We partnered with the Black Physicians and Healthcare Network (BPHN) and Howard University School of Medicine to provide high school youth (9th-12th grade students) the opportunity to participate in our hands-on health skills training program at the medical center. Throughout the 8 weeks, the youth specifically work with a family member or community member with diabetes to develop action plans to help them better manage their Chronic illness. As a career readiness program, the youth work directly with physicians at Howard University School of Medicine to learn about management and prevention of diabetes and other chronic illnesses such as hypertension and heart disease, supports Black youth in taking the steps to improve their own health, and encourages Black youth coaches to pursue health related career fields, which would ultimately increase the number of Black health professionals who live and/or serve in Montgomery County and the DMV. At the end of the 9 weeks, the youth earn their certificate at the Awards Ceremony and lead a culturally tailored health promotion conversation for community and family members. We are currently recruiting students in Montgomery County and DC, so please help us spread the word.
Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Disease
Montgomery Community Media, February 13, 2023, Liz Feldman
A groundbreaking effort is under way to try to break the cycle of chronic diseases in families and communities of color in Montgomery County. The non-profit group Global Sustainable Partnerships, with help from the Black Physicians and Healthcare Network and Howard University School of Medicine, has created a unique program that will enroll 40 high school students in an after-school, 9-week course at Howard University School of Medicine. It begins on Feb. 22.
The goal of the course is simple; to provide young people with the knowledge and the skills they need to live a healthy lifestyle. However the course will provide much more than teaching students the importance of choosing healthy foods and exercise. Students will learn to become self-advocates by learning about the importance of getting yearly checkups including dental and eye appointments. While the students are learning these new lifestyle skills, they also will take on the role of a teacher or mentor. Each student will be paired with a family member or someone in the community who is struggling with a chronic illness. Those students will work in their communities to affect change by sharing their knowledge.
“The reason this program is so important is because it does so many things, which I’m just so excited about. One, it exposes students about chronic illnesses that plague black and brown communities, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, you name it. And a lot of our family members have it. And so we do not want these kids to grow up, and have the same fate,” Kimberly Fogg, founder and CEO of Global Sustainable Partnerships said.
Mental Health First Aid
Great News! GSP is an approved Teen Mental Health First Aid (TMHFA) Implementation Site in the state of Maryland and we are offering tMHFA.
GSP is offering Mental Health First Aid for professionals like you and other professionals such as Healthcare Providers/staff, Community-Based Organizations, Human Service Providers, school staff and administrators (including teachers, coaches, principals, etc.), social workers, behavioral health coordinators, and more. We aim to improve awareness on how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses, and connect someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis with a professional healthcare provider.
Dismantling Implicit Bias: Awareness to Action
GSP has partnered with CompuRecycling Center, Inc. (CRC) to provide Dismantling Implicit Bias: Awareness to Action training for healthcare professionals, educators, law enforcement, and first responders in our communities. In Maryland, our Dismantling Implicit Bias: Awareness to Action course has been approved by the Maryland Department of Health and meets the requirements of Maryland HB 28: Public Health-Implicit Bias Training and the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Soul Synergy: Diabetes Prevention Program
GSP deploys community driven, cultural, and evidence-based diabetes self-management programs to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and creates a culture of wellness for 200 African American women residing in Wards 7 & 8 in Washington, DC and Maryland. Our monthly primer programs and our year-long CDC Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) are designed to address Diabetes and promotes wellness against diabetes by raising awareness, expanding public engagement, and changing attitudes and behaviors (e.g., education, nutrition/healthier eating, yoga, increased physical activity, stress management, mental clarity). We have powerful testimonials on video about the impact our program has had on their journey to living a healthier and more active lifestyle! We take a wholistic approach to achieve health equity, so that everyone can obtain their full health potential. Our belief is that no one should be prevented from achieving optimal health because of their social position or circumstance. To assess the impact of Soul Synergy, we conducted pre/post surveys designed to assess participants’ current level of knowledge about diabetes, healthy eating, exercise and stress management, as well as behavioral changes associated with these topics. We found that 75% of participants showed an overall improvement in the knowledge of diabetes and 82% of participants showed behavioral changes related to diabetes prevention and improved diabetes management.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Grant supports Advancing
Equitable Health to Reduce Diabetes
Our diabetes program recruited over three hundred and eighty African American women in Wards 7 & 8 in Washington, DC, two hundred twelve women completed our program, and one hundred and six participants received vaccinations. Our diabetes program success was built on community buy-in and trust — A “win-win” for CareFirst and GSP. Our motto is “Wellness is a Journey Not a Destination.” New cohort starts May 2022.
It Takes A Village COVID-19 Outreach
GSP is leading integrated, multicultural, competent COVID vaccination, and education and outreach events to provide access to the vaccine and debunk misinformation about the vaccine, adult boosters, and pediatric vaccines, and the importance of getting the vaccine(s), (for example, it is vetted, safe, and accessible). In order to overcome the problematic history of unethical health practices in the African American communities, we intentionally educate the community that an African American woman, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD., is among the National Institute of Health (NIH) scientists who worked directly to develop and produce the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination.
Hot off the press! Global Sustainable Partnerships (GSP), in partnerships with the Healthcare Initiative Foundation (HIF) and the Black Physicians and Healthcare Network (BPHN) created PSAs/videos, which display how to use in-home COVID Test kits. These videos have been developed in the following languages, English, Amharic, Tigrigna, French, and Kiswahili to meet the needs of our Black residents across the Diaspora. We are getting the word out about the great work that BPHN is doing in our communities to assist Black Montgomery County residents with gaining access to healthcare services with Black Physicians, Health Care Practitioners (e.g., dental, primary care, pediatricians, OBGYN, etc.) and Mental Health Practitioners – a game-changer for our communities. Please share with your social media platforms, colleagues, friends, and family.
Global Initiatives
Through our initiatives, we have created a global network of women leaders who utilize the social impact of their entrepreneurial efforts to reinvest in their communities (e.g., clean water, connectivity, electricity, school fees/uniforms, etc.). Through a variety of programs, this network acts as a catalyst to create healthier communities, alleviate poverty, and inspire new generations of businesswomen/businessmen.
- A child dies every 20 seconds from a water-related disease
- Dirty water kills more children than AIDS, malaria & measles combined
GSP works at the ground level and has created a sustainable business model that has earned community support. GSP’s novel strategy worked – we ensured that the filters would take firm hold in the schools and GSP has installed more than 900 water filters in primary and secondary schools, households, orphanages, health dispensaries and a district hospital in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
WPEC is composed of global visionaries and female business leaders partnering with entrepreneurs and investors to match opportunities for community development and economic growth. We seek to showcase women utilizing social impact in their entrepreneurial efforts and propelling the current wave of innovation to drive global sustainable development.
Harriet Tubman Legacy Coin
The Spirit of the Harriet Tubman Legacy Coin was created to remember and honor her legacy, to ensure that it is passed down from generation to generation.
Your generous purchase will support our clean water projects for our kids in Tanzania and to help further support educational programs in our American schools that will help keep the spirit and legacy of Harriet Tubman alive.
Please click the button above to donate to the Barbie Bruce Memorial Fund for the water filters in Tanzania.
In Memoriam Barbie Bruce
Barbie to her family and closest friends, was a lover of life. More than anything she loved being at the beach. She cherished the days spent at the family cottage on Lake Michigan and the several trips she made to Florida. Barb excelled at athletics as a young person, going to state competitions in both gymnastics and diving. At East Grand Rapids High School she was a popular cheerleader and a loyal friend. She studied at Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State University where she began a lifelong practice of writing poetry. She loved word games, music and playing her harmonica. Barb faced a lot of challenges in her adult life. Her abiding faith in God led her through hard times with resilience, an optimistic attitude and a sense of humor. These qualities helped her face the terminal diagnosis that ended her life sooner than anyone expected. Her family is grateful for the many friends of Barb’s who shared their love with her during those final weeks and the support of the stellar team at Kindred Hospice for their compassionate care. A special thank you goes out to cousin, Sarah (Hawley) Crews for sharing her amazing gifts of caregiving, comfort, humor and music during Barb’s final days. Barb was preceded in death by her beloved mother, her father, and her brother Steven J Bruce. She is survived by her sisters, Susie Gordon and Laurie Reminga, their adult children, and five grand nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider making a donation to Global Sustainable Partnerships, a non-profit organization founded by Barb’s close friend, Kimberly Fogg.
Annoucements
WPEC Titans Tank Press Release
August 11, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WPEC Launches ‘Titans Tank’ to reward the best African and African American female entrepreneurs
Impact of Safe Water in Tanzania
An estimated 80% of the population does not have access to clean and safe drinking water. The total impact of funding safe water projects is exponential, especially when considering the health, education, economic, and social benefits afforded to children and members of their families.
Meru District Council Thanks GSP for their “Water is the Lifeline of Life” Global Initiative
Drum roll: We have great news to share! Our Meru School District received 1st and 2nd prize for the Sanitation and Environmental Health Competition — 2 years in a row. We also received the official “blessing” from the new regime in Tanzania to expand our efforts.
Our filters arrived in Zimbabwe and Mozambique to bring clean water to cyclone victims
GSP was able to donate filters to bring clean water to cyclone victims in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. There were 281 confirmed deaths, over 600,000 people who need support and over 400,000 people are displaced.