Volunteer Spotlight: Ginka Poole

If you have ever liked a Sambhali U.S. post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, you have put a smile on the face of volunteer Ginka Poole of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She serves as the social media manager for the organization and is responsible for the majority of its public outreach.

Ginka became involved after meeting Sambhali U.S. president Shereen Arent while they were both in India in 2019. “I traveled to India with Purposeful Nomad, a company that runs trips for women and supports women-run businesses in their destinations. As part of the trip, we spent time at Sambhali Trust and marched with them through Jodhpur on International Women’s Day. Shereen was there and mentioned she was starting a U.S. branch of Sambhali. I gave her my information, and the rest is history.”

But her career is not in social media. Ginka is a photographer and travel writer with a Bachelor of Arts in nursing. When asked how she is able to create such interesting content, she replies, “I worked in an ICU. It helped me learn to communicate with people from all walks of life and at the most stressful and lowest points in their lives.”

She is driven to amplify the message of Sambhali U.S. by the women and girls at Sambhali Trust. “When I was going through nursing school, I saw a lot of abused women and women who were in oppressive situations. A woman who chooses to leave and change her circumstances is the bravest person on the planet. For the women of Rajasthan, they are going against a very established patriarchal culture. Sambhali Trust provides a way for these brave women to become educated, start businesses, and provide financially for themselves and their families.”

With a running list of ideas on her phone and a notebook of quotes, Ginka is always searching for the next story to tell on the Sambhali U.S. social media channels. And she never forgets the why. “Every keystroke I make and image I choose is in service to the people on the ground doing the work of Sambhali Trust and Sambhali U.S. Currently, I’m doing a series highlighting the photographers who donate their images to us. Without their vision and generosity, Sambhali’s story would be much harder to tell.” 

She particularly loves to post about the impact of the two organizations’ work, especially this one about Sambhali Trust’s COVID-19 response. She says a video of the Sambhali Trust Empowerment Center that was posted on Facebook in May seemed to especially resonate with people.

Ginka encourages feedback from people who follow Sambhali U.S. “If something is impactful, let me know. Ask me questions. And comment and share our posts with your circle.”