2. Global Autism Project: Our Mission, with Molly Ola Pinney

Discover what’s possible when the answer to how is YES. 

Molly Ola Pinney is the CEO and founder of the Global Autism Project. She is also the #1 supporter of this podcast. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Molly give a history of our organization, highlighting important turning points over the last 17 years. As an employee, it’s always fun for me to hear about how the organization has evolved — from the heart of a 23-year-old with a mission to change the world, to a global movement involving almost 20 countries. 

Molly tells us of her early years in Ghana and also reflects on how the understanding of autism in Africa has changed since then. Although the stigma is still real, there has been an increase in the awareness that autism is not caused by evil spirits.

Molly explains how our SkillCorps® volunteer program works and why it differs from voluntourism. Watch Molly's TEDx Talk to learn why doing things for others doesn't help. 

We describe the relationships we have with our partners and share stories from our first Global Summit held in August of 2019. Check out our Global Summit video to see our partners in action. 

Molly illustrates how decisive action in leadership helped her to respond appropriately to the coronavirus crisis back in January. We discuss the impact this has had on the work we do as an organization, and why she sees this pause as an opportunity. 

We also talk about how traveling internationally with SkillCorps® has actually prepared some of our volunteers to better cope with the current climate of uncertainty. 

For more information about our work, please visit: globalautismproject.org. 

We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too. You can also follow us on Instagram @autismpodcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel Global Autism Project. 

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