(Continued from page 20.) rescued two girls who’d been kidnapped, robbed, raped, and left on the side of the road. Seeing the atrocity of these crimes firsthand leaves its mark. It’s not easy to talk about the worst things happening in the world, from sexual assaults, to domestic abuse, to female genital mutilation, to child marriages, to human trafficking. Reaching out for help from your support system is essential.” A major priority for BOLT to continue their impact work in Canada, extending impact communities globally, conducting research and maintaining free digital resources, is to generate more funding. Their work has already extended to the U.S., Kenya, India, Turkey and Morocco. BOLT is working on a multi-country, multi-continental project that will provide a comprehensive understanding of the status of violence, to which the findings will be shared in a documentary. BOLT has been able to reach several impactful milestones, including executing 22 Safe Hubs across 8 cities, over 5,400 hours volunteered since incorporation, over 23,000 people impacted globally, 90,000 impressions across platforms. With additional public support, BOLT hopes to continue to impact more lives through their ongoing fundraising platform, accessible online at ® ko-fi. com/boltsafety. Vedanshi continues to collaborate with others to further the causes she is passionate about. Recently, Vedanshi represented BOLT Safety Society as a delegate through Equal Chance, at the Commission on the Status of Women’s 67th session at United Nations Headquarters in New York. What was it like speaking at seven high-level conference events? “The experience was quite cool, and I learned a lot from everyone else at the conference, and left with many good friends around the world. I’m excited to see how this network can be tapped into for global partnerships in the time to come.” Of course, Vedanshi’s partnership through 22 Alpha Gamma Delta Quarterly
the L’Oreal Women of Worth Award gave her a higher platform and more resources to further her cause for women’s safety solutions. She was the youngest in her cohort, and the only honouree representing the Indian and Rajput communities, especially proud to wear her mother’s traditional jewelry for her honouree speech. “When the award came around, it certainly made me pause for a second and realize how far we’d come since we got started in high school. I think this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of my team, our mentors, and our supportive community. I’ve learned that we are stronger together, and being part of the Women of Worth family has connected me to a global network of strong women leading change in their communities.” As for what is upcoming for Vedanshi, her socially conscious jewelry brand, MAZE, is building things, soon to come. Next year she will return to India to lead a BOLT Safety humanitarian mission to gain a deeper understanding of the local issues around sexual violence and domestic abuse, and how we can work with partners on-ground for future interventions. "While we were in India in the summer of 2022, I’d co-presented a workshop to women and girls from rural communities, and one of my co-facilitators was a medical doctor. One of the participants came up to her after the workshop and asked to take a picture together, saying that this was the first time she’d stood next to a female doctor. It’s these small things that make a difference, and if you are truly passionate about it, social impact is extremely rewarding as a career.” BOLT Safety will continue to partner with other non-profits, while looking to grow in capacity. The end goal is to be a central hub for the sexual violence prevention and response space. If you’d like to contribute to BOLT Safety Society’s cause, online donations can be made at ® ko-fi.com/ boltsafety.
FHC PRESIDENT Caroline Mahoney Gamma Phi–Georgia Institute of Technology | Senior Director of Finance for The Home Depot How do you define success? Success is such a finite word, as though we have one goal that can be achieved or checked off. That being said, I have always loved the tagline Inspire the Woman. Impact the World. As an alumna, it has always driven and motivated me to engage with other Alpha Gams. Whether it be as an Advisor to a Collegiate Chapter or serving on VST, my focus has been to inspire the women I have the opportunity to engage with, to hopefully see them impact the world. And when our women Live with Purpose, success will follow. The last book you read? Andy Cohen's "The Daddy Diaries," but one of my favorites is "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah.