Global Change Makers

In the realm of Houston’s diverse spectra of global philanthropic leadership, LCAHouston International Society Magazine ventured out on a journey with a few of UNICEF’s powerhouse of global change makers. While the traditional notions that power, money and fame often seem to outweigh the importance of empathy, in this article LCAHouston International TV Host/ Journalist Ruchi Mukherjee wanted to dive into the lives of these five phenomenal Cover Ladies, who believe in leadership and philanthropy with assertiveness as the driving force to bring successful global change.

Some of them are familiar friendly faces, but did you ever get a chance to know what their driving force was that is behind it all? While a few have been spotted at glamorous gala events, the story of them getting down and dirty doing the hard work behind the scenes often goes untold.

However, visionaries like these understand what it takes to bring change even if it’s one drop at a time. Now, let’s fast track this and get to UNICEF and find out what made them support this organization. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF USA has managed to advance the global mission by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. “I want you to know that of all that I have touched over my 15 years of work in nonprofit sector, the organization that has won my heart, made me ugly cry, changed me as a human being, as a mother and daughter, helped me to discover my true purpose and calling and has made a direct positive impact on my children is…UNICEF,” explains Dr. Sippi Khurana hiding her tears under her dark sunnies.

Dan and Susan Boggio are very strong supporters and have been the strongest regional supporters for UNICEF for about 10 years. They have donated to many of their funded projects, as well as to unrestricted giving. “I’m hoping that others can exceed that and donate even more to help the children in the future,” says Susan.

In a private conversation with Susan Boggio, who I have had the pleasure of knowing for over a decade, we shared a great Calcutta Connection. What caught my attention towards this funny yet fierce lady was her sense of ‘I Can Do It’ attitude. Her passion for children and other causes intrigued me to get to know her more when I first met Mrs. Boggio at the 2011 Women of Distinction Gala.

“The children in all parts of the world, especially in some of the largest countries in the world like India, deserve our love, support and compassion. They deserve a proper education so they can continue to rapidly accelerate their learning process,” explained Susan. “However, without the basics of enough food, clean water, vaccinations, safety and education, they will be gravely limited in their incredible potential. My husband and I have supported to help girls in the outskirts of Calcutta for about 20 years to have that vital education and care, which has proven exceedingly rewarding.”

Why UNICEF?

Susan: “I chose UNICEF because I have a vision for a brighter future for our children. UNICEF is a beacon of hope for millions of children worldwide, tirelessly working to ensure every child’s rights are protected, their needs met and their voices heard. I genuinely do not care where a child is born when they are in real need; if we can provide, we should. Every child deserves to not only survive, but to thrive. UNICEF has saved more children and helped more children than any other organization in the world. I would like to see UNICEF continue to focus on the world’s children who are in the most need without regard to culture, religion, politics, etc. My spiritual and ethical beliefs frames my worldview on this important topic.”

When asked, “What is the one thing she could change in this world?” She added that she cannot limit as to what she would like to change to just one thing, but if she could wave a magic wand, she said that it would be two things: humans to be more intelligent (coupled with better critical thinking skills) so we could make better decisions and have better discernment of fact from fiction. For the second thing, “I would like everyone to encompass genuine compassion for others and think less about seeking constant focus on themselves. Realization when you come to understand that in helping and guiding others, you are helping yourself,” she added.

Amy Pierce is the Current Chair of the UUSA Southwest Board. Along with her husband Robert, she is deeply involved in serving the Houston community. They own a home building business and Pierce serves on many boards in Houston including Theatre Under the Stars, SEARCH Homeless Services, M.D Anderson, and The Women’s Fund, just to name a few. I got the opportunity to know Amy a bit more closely and personally as she was honored as of one of the LCAHouston International Mother’s Day Honoree.

In my tête-à-tête with Amy and pondering over the similar thoughts of what made her choose UNICEF, Pierce shared how it can be overwhelming and depressing with the conflicts, post-Covid challenges and climate related disasters that we are facing in today’s world. “Yes, many of us are involved with local groups to help make Houston a safe and healthy place for our families to grow and thrive. But how can each of us possibly make a difference or move the needle in a positive direction for those less fortunate around the world is the question,” she expressed.

“Well, UNICEF is built for this moment, and I am so glad to be involved and support an organization which can advocate for children’s rights at the highest echelons of power. UNICEF has the experience, expertise and trusted “boots-on-the-ground” to reach children in the most remote and desperate areas of the world,” explained Pierce.

When I asked her what the one thing is she would change if she had magical powers. Amy said if she had the power to change one thing, that would be to ensure every child goes to school – no matter their gender, economic situation, religion or disability. “Can you imagine a totally literate world? Forget surviving… Our world and its children would be thriving! I imagine we would have genuine peace, true understanding of our similarities and some compassion on the side!”

Dr. Sippi Khurana is a board-certified Rheumatologist, Immunologist and Internist. She was the owner and practicing physician of a private practice called Allergy and Rheumatology Specialists of Houston. She has since transitioned and has fully dedicated her career to the nonprofit sector. A loving wife and a mother, titles she cherishes the most. She also manages to serve on the Executive Board of Directors for the UNICEF Southwest Region, serves on the national UNICEF USA Philanthropy and Marketing Committee and is a member of the UNICEF International Council.

In 2019, Sippi had the privilege to see clean water solutions in Guinea, and the impact that just CLEAN water had on transforming the lives of entire villages. Many secondary effects were realized at that time including reductions in female genital mutilation, reduction in infant mortality, advent of sanitation and hygiene, girls getting an education and making a move towards gender equality. And just recently in February 2023, Dr. Khurana went to India with UNICEF and saw a strategic plan around child protection to uplift children out of institutions like orphanages, prisons and shelters and place them back with kinship, many times, in their native village or city. “Just like Guinea, it was a life-changing, humbling and many times heartbreaking encounter”, she expressed.

When asked “ONE CHANGE THAT WOULD MATTER THE MOST” Dr. Khurana responded: “After witnessing the issues and horrific dangers around child protection in India, it seems to me that if a child is not protected, it is the greatest violation of their rights. Other rights such as health, education and respect are not even possible without their protection first. Therefore, I would love to see a global shift in this sector,” explains Sippi.

Ann Holmes is the Former Chair of the UUSA Southwest Board and is an active volunteer with several organizations. Married to Tod Holmes, who is the retired Chief Financial Officer of Republic Services, a solid waste management company. They reside in Denver, Colorado making frequent visits to Houston. Recently spotted at the Heart Strings UNICEF fundraiser gala evening Ann is humble one of the most critical components for philanthropy. As I emphasized earlier, all these ladies exude a stern sense of giving back, fostering a culture of listening attentively and critically. These ladies are doers who will not shy away from pulling their hair up in a ponytail to jump right in when there is a crisis.

“This is a long explanation as to what motivated me and made me choose to become involved with UNICEF,” shared Ann when we got a chance to interview her.

“My father was put through medical school by the United States military during World War II, as were most men in his medical school class. By the time he graduated, the war had ended so he was discharged. He did his internship and began a residency in internal medicine. Then the Korean conflict arose. He and all the other men who had been put through medical school by the military but had not served were asked to volunteer to join the army (or navy) and serve in Korea. Most of them did volunteer, my father included. He was with the first wave of United Nations troops (of which U.S. troops were a part) sent to Korea in June of 1950. He served as a surgeon with a U.S. Army battalion directly on the battlefield. These men would enter Korean villages hours after the communists had retreated. What they would find was that the communists had made all able-bodied men in the village dig a trench and then get into it. The communists then machine-gunned them to death. The US. soldiers retrieved the men and gave them a proper burial. But what struck my father the most were the hundreds of stricken Korean children now orphaned. He felt their futures were precarious to say the least. He realized they could not speak for themselves and that their destiny was entirely at the mercy of adults. He had been stationed on an Army base in Sapporo, Japan, before being sent to Korea. On the base he had won a 35mm camera in a bingo game. He took the camera to Korea where he took hundreds of pictures including pictures of the sad, devastated children and women left in the Korean villages.

When he returned to the United States, he switched his residency to pediatrics to fulfill his desire to help children. Pediatrics was an emerging specialty in the early 1950’s and paid considerably less than internal medicine but he felt it was worth it to have the privilege of caring for children. He instilled in me and my three younger sisters how important children were, how they needed to have good care from adults and how it was up to all of us to provide that care.

Consequently, when I first heard of UNICEF in my early twenties it seemed a logical and natural organization to support. I still have the first check I wrote to UNICEF in 1972 for twelve dollars. Anyway, I continued to be a donor over the years. It has been an honor for me since that time until this day to advocate and fund-raise for UNICEF.

Last but not the least… the powerhouse Eileen Lawal is a Former Chair of the UUSA Southwest Board who is the Vice President of CAMAC International Corporation, a family-owned business founded by her husband Kase, that is principally engaged in oil and gas exploration, production, refining and energy trading in West Africa, South Africa, and South America with over 300 employees worldwide and offices in Houston, Cayman Islands, England, Nigeria, and South Africa. Eileen is dedicated to making a global difference serving as Co-Chair to UNICEF’s – UNITE FOR CHILDREN, UNITE AGAINST AIDS CAMPAIGN. “During the AIDS pandemic, the Houston community helped raise critical resources to support programs to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV, treatments for children living with HIV and the social and economic impact on the children and their families and that has been one of the few fulfilling charity projects,” said Eileen.

“After learning more about UNICEF’s mission from the members of the Board, and the impact they were having on the lives of children around the world, I wanted to do my part. My children joined the school’s Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF program and absolutely enjoyed asking for small change to fill the little orange collections boxes. Watching their excitement and commitment to helping other children was wonderful,” shared Mrs. Lawal.

UNICEF is a family-friendly organization that allows everyone, regardless of age, to volunteer their time to help to improve the lives of the most vulnerable children and their families around the world. For this reason it was a clear choice for Eileen to be encompassed with this organization.

“If I was granted power to change one thing in this world, that would be to END POVERTY!”

With these similar sentiments, the ladies rushed from the Gittings Studio onto new projects. The cover is a testament of what one can achieve when empathy and positive energy is put to good work. These women share a strong belief that creating a safe world for our children is the foundation of everything they do, inspiring others that every effort counts to make the world a better place.