Arlene Samen

Activist, Buddhist, Change agent, Connector, Global soul, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Arlene Samen has been a Nurse Practitioner in Maternal Child Health for 31 years. In 2004, she left behind her Clinical practice to dedicate her life to serving pregnant women living in the most vulnerable conditions in the developing world. In 1997, she met His Holiness the Dalia Lama who asked her to go to Tibet to help the women and children who were dying in childbirth. Arlene,spent over the next ten years in Tibet working side by side with the local government to bring a safe motherhood project to women who were poor, uneducated, and living in the most remote region on the roof of the world. She brought the "Network of Safety" model to women who face death in order to give life. In 2009, One Heart World-Wide took its life saving model to remote villages in Nepal and to the bottom of the Copper Canyon in Mexico. She has received many awards, including being an "Unsung Herero of Compassion", a CNN Hero and a Rainer Arnhold Fellow with the Mulago Foundation. She is a current member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Making sure that ALL women have access to a safe clean delivery, saving live "one birth at a time". I am a foot solider of change.

How simple it is to save lives, through simple messages, a clean birth kit, life saving medicine, clean delivery room, and a skilled provider, we can turn back the tragic tide of birth related deaths.

Ecuador Maternal Child Health, Global Maternal Child Health, Indigenous Maternal Child Health, Mexico Maternal Child Health, Nepal Maternal Child Health, Non profit organization

Last year, I attended my first TED conference in Washington, DC "TED Women". I was blown away by the speakers and their passion. I thought to myself, I could never get up and present in front of so many people. Last night, I was a presenter at TEDxSF in front of 700 people, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! The audience gave me a standing ovation and so many people were so deeply touched by my story on childbirth.

Making up my mind to accomplish something and will never give up.