Ginger Dail, 28, of Greenville, extends her hand to help not only people in Pitt County but also those around the world in Africa.

Ginger earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2003 and a master’s degree in health education in 2006 from East Carolina University. She is a registered health educator and certified health education specialist who is coordinator of the Pitt County Health Department’s Project Outreach, which implements programs for sexual health and sexually transmitted diseases. She also has been a part-time testing coordinator with the Pitt County AIDS Service Organization (PiCASO), a health educator with ECU Physicians and a marketing and volunteer coordinator for the American Red Cross.

“My proudest accomplishment is co-founding Hope Aid International (www.hopeaid.org) with my Ugandan friends David and Linda Rwamwaro,” Ginger said. She serves as president of the nonprofit organization which coordinates grants and maintains an international resource network to help people in Uganda, as well as conducting an ethnographic study highlighting gender roles and HIV in rural Uganda.

“After returning from my second trip to Africa in 2004, I found it hard not to think about the abundance here at home compared to the lack of almost every basic need in many other places. There are lots of organizations just like Hope Aid that provide educational assistance, small loans, income-generating projects and health programs — what makes us different is that we are small! Because of our size, we are able to communicate with donors about how their individual donation made a difference. We are able to connect people — something that wouldn’t be possible through a large organization. We’re also able to send 100 percent of all donations directly to Uganda without taking overhead expenses.”

Ginger also serves as a U.S.-based advocate for Uganda Schools’ Alliance for Youth Achievement and is a founding member of Holly House Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya,

Her next big project: getting married to David Hatcher in May and moving to Virginia. See her blog at http://iseehope.blogspot.com

— Jane Hudson

 Here's more about Her:

Words I live by:

“Sometimes I’d like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world when He could do something about it, but I’m afraid God would ask me the same question.” This is an anonymous quote as far as I know, but it holds so much truth for me. It’s a daily reminder of how I want to live each day.

I am guilty of:

Forgetting how small the world is and how close my neighbors really are to me.

My favorite smell is:

A toss up between my Grandmother Edie’s sweaters and fresh laundry!

The world would be a better place, if only:

More people acted on what they knew was right. It’s easy to know what to do, it’s harder to actually do it. 

I can’t live without:

Lip balm ... and my dog, Nola.

One thing I’ve always wanted to do but never have:

Go to Antarctica!

What’s always in my refrigerator:

Something that’s expired, for sure!

What keeps me awake at night is:

My to-do list for the following day. I’ve started keeping a digital voice recorder beside the bed. It’s that bad!

My favorite place in the world is:

Home.

My favorite Web site is:

Hope Aid (www.hopeaid.org) of course! Although, I love my Google Reader.

My hidden talent is:

Knowing random pieces of information.

The reality TV show I’d most like to be on:

HGTV’s “House Hunters.”

My favorite item of clothing in my closet:

Jeans. There’s nothing better than a good pair of jeans.

On a rainy day, I love to:

Spend the afternoon on the couch reading.