EP 17: TRAVELING ON FAITH-BASED MISSION TRIPS, PROVIDING CLEAN WATER, EDUCATION & TACKLING PERIOD POVERTY WITH ASHLEE REDD
Have you ever dreamed of traveling the world serving others? This episode explores the life of Ashlee Redd on one of her many trips around the world to Uganda. Her faith based mission trip took her on a mission to spread her faith as well as provide education and water to communities in Africa. She discusses the problem that the community faces with the lack of clean water and the challenges that women often face in those communities as a result.
Special Guest: Ashlee Redd
Native New Jerseyan, former Brooklynite, and now currently by the mountains, she settled in Fort Collins, CO. Ashlee is a graphic designer with an incurable case of wanderlust. She loves to explore new places, foods, cultures, and take in the beauty of the world around her. Ashlee started her love of travel at a young age has been to 20+ counties And counting. In 2013, Ashlee went on her first mission trip to Honduras w the non profit organization Run4Water, founded and ran by her cousins in Tennessee. Since then, she has traveled to Central America and Africa with Run4Water. She has become part of the leadership team helping expand a new branch called 84Days, a women’s ministry whose goal is to spread the love of Christ, empower women, teach feminine hygiene workshops and self defense classes.
Show Notes:
00:00 Excerpt from Ashlee Redd
:45 Ashlee Redd’s Bio
2:15 Ashlee shares why she loves to travel and how travel began with her mother being originally from Chile. She also shares how they had foreign exchange students that would live with the family.
4:00 Drea asks her about why she travels the way she does - What draws her to travel the way she does - which isn’t your typical vacation? Ashlee shares traveling to Africa and that experience. She shares her love for being out of her element and immersing herself into a completely different culture.
6:22 Ashlee discusses how she got involved in Run4Water and how she got involved. She speaks about how her experience with Honduras and how it changed her perspective on her life. She explains what Run4Water is and what the organization is about.
9:22 Ashlee talks about the length of time she typically spends on missions. She also discusses what Run4water does in the countries that they go to.
10:30 Ashlee talks about the issue of water in countries like Uganda and how hard it is to get water for many people. She explains how women or children are usually carrying jugs of water to their villages, and the many, many issues of bringing water in that way. Ashlee talks about Run4Water and how it is their mission to help bring sustainable and safe drinking water to their villages.
Ashlee also shares the difficulty of many women in Uganda and places like Uganda wherein the responsibility to bring water lies on their shoulders. They also began a branch of the non-profit mission called 84 days which is a women’s ministry that helps the fight for Period Poverty which helps supply the women with sustainable feminine hygiene kits that supplies them for 10 years as well as workshops and self defense classes.
14:42 Ashlee starts to talk about period hygiene in Uganda and explains that there are 1.2 billion women that suffer from “period poverty”
16:17 Ashlee shares what is in the kit that is in the hygiene kit that they provide for the girls.
20:14 Drea and Ashlee discuss assault in Uganda and the viewpoint of the men in the country in regards to women. She talks about the Self Defense classes and the importance of the classes.
Women get raped, abducted and sexually assaulted - so the self defense classes are so important
24:18 Ashlee shares her most meaningful person she’s ever meant - which is a woman in Uganda named Vivian, the daughter of a preacher. She talks about a couple that inspired them to start another branch called Real Men which is part of the 84 days program which is about working with men
29:29 Ashlee talks about some of the women they impacted when they go back to the schools they visit. When they go revisit a school they served, they always ask if any of the girls ever had to use their self defense lessons and Ashlee has seen a few times when the girls have used it to protect themselves.
31:04 Ashlee shares her most interesting travel story in Nicaragua where she almost got struck by lightning.
34:04 Ashlee’s favorite location she’s ever traveled to is Florence, Italy, as well as her mom’s hometown in Chile. She discusses her favorite open market.
37:03 Ashlee’s advice when traveling to these two places is to travel light. Il Pizziaola Due is the best smoked mozzarella pizza place. And in Chile she reminds everyone to eat the Empanadas and prepare for all types of weather because of the country’s diversity.
39:07 Ashlee shares her one thing she loves to buy when she goes traveling.
She loves Tapestry and craft - she talks about a place in Uganda she went to and purchased this beautiful fabric.
41:45 Ashlee shares her piece of life advice to younger self. Just say yes to really great opportunities because you don’t know what’s going to happen. And also just be kind to everybody.
If you’d like to know more about these organizations, please go to:
