Degollado ΓÇÖ19 on Combating Poverty
5 June 2020 Degollado 19 on Combating Poverty
Denzel Degollado 19 was recently published on the Newmans Own Foundations fellowship website, NOGoodFellows, in an article that details his experience as a Newmans Own Fellow. In his position, Degollado has been working with Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), one of the foundations grantees and an organization that works to transform urban informal settlements by providing critical services, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls.
SHOFCO works to combat poverty by centering its mission around three pillars. He explains, each of these pillars female education and empowerment, critical service delivery and community advocacy on their own will not solve poverty. But with these pillars together, SHOFCO combats poverty on all fronts.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the dense and overcrowded conditions in informal settlements, SHOFCO has temporarily and rapidly shifted operations to respond to the epidemic. The organization has launched community-wide initiatives including outreach awareness campaigns, hand washing and sanitation campaigns, provision of clean water, emergency food support and combating misinformation. This mobilization has been highlighted by Reuters, The Guardian, and CNBC.
In his position, Degollado works to grow the organizations donor base by working with institutional donors including bi- and multilateral agencies. Other projects have included designing a #GivingTuesday campaign in support of girls education and writing a proposal for family planning initiatives in informal settlements. He says the work put him in a unique position to see all that SHOFCO does and how each minuscule component fits into the organizations overall objective.
Perhaps the most important takeaway from my time here is that SHOFCO was able to give life to and humanize the scientific theories that I learned in college, Degollado says. This experience has invited me to extend my education in a meaningful way.
During his time at Hobart and William Smith, Degollado studied international relations and French and Francophone studies, worked in the Office of Advancement, served as a tri-chair of the Stewardson Society, and was a member of the HWS Judicial Board and the Campus Activities Board. He was also a Druid, Posse Scholar, Theme House Manager and Peer Conduct Mentor.
The full article,The Other Side of Giving Back, can be read on the NOGoodFellows blog.