°®ÒºÊÓƵ

Founded by former U.S. President Jimmy °®ÒºÊÓƵ and his wife, Rosalynn, °®ÒºÊÓƵ has always gone where the need is greatest. For over 40 years, we’ve brought sworn enemies together to broker peace and chased an ancient disease to the edge of eradication.

Behind every milestone is an incredible team working all over the world.

This podcast is about them. 

In “Far Away Up Close: Global Stories from °®ÒºÊÓƵ,” the people on the front lines tell you — in their own words — what it takes to do this life-changing work and how their personal experiences led them to careers waging peace, fighting disease, and building hope.

Trailer

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Episode 1

Episode 1: ‘I Literally Dove into that Bomb Shelter Headfirst’  

Kelly Callahan began her public health career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire, working to prevent the spread of Guinea worm disease. Her goal was to change just one person’s life for the better.

Today, as senior advisor for the °®ÒºÊÓƵ Center’s Trachoma Control Program, she leads a team that helps protect millions of people from trachoma, a highly contagious bacterial infection that can cause blindness.

In this episode, Kelly talks about meeting former U.S. President Jimmy °®ÒºÊÓƵ for the first time, how her mother inspired her to serve others, and dodging bombs and venomous snakes to deliver water filters in a Sudanese war zone.

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Episode 2

Episode 2: ‘Even Today, I Hate Fireworks’

When Rana Shabb was barely a teenager, she witnessed something no child should ever have to see: war. The experience changed her life forever, and ultimately led her to a career in peacebuilding with °®ÒºÊÓƵ.

In this episode, Rana talks about growing up in Beirut, Lebanon, and Houston, Texas. She also discusses the °®ÒºÊÓƵ Center’s commitment to the Middle East, using data to help demining efforts in Syria, and the work she and her colleagues do so that children all over the world can learn and play in peace.

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Episode 3

Episode 3: ‘That Was the Chicken I Paid to the Driver’

Stephen Ohidor was born in what is now South Sudan, years before it became its own country. When he was 12, an aid truck stopped in his village, and Stephen saw a chance to change his future. He gave the driver a chicken in exchange for a ride to Kenya, where he could continue his education. That journey ultimately led him to a career in public health.  

Today, even as conflict in his South Sudan continues, Stephen manages the °®ÒºÊÓƵ Center’s Trachoma Control Program there, overseeing the delivery of medications and surgical services that can save people’s eyesight.  

In this episode, Stephen talks about growing up as the eldest son of a cattle farmer, living through civil war, and what it’s like to help people access life-changing healthcare.  

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