When I learned of the opportunity to interview Tulane University Professor Kathryn Hall Trujillo, I knew I had someone special in my hands. As a social entrepreneur, Mrs. Trujillo exemplifies what it means to truly give back to the community. After having been the public health Administrator for the state of California, she saw an opportunity to rid society of a rampant problem. What she did was social innovation- coming up with a new ways to solve an old problem.

At the time of her project’s inception, there were many governmental programs to help people, but most of the people that needed them most were not taking advantage of them because they didn’t understand them, didn’t like them, or didn’t know about them. Thus, Mrs. Trujillo wanted to take full advantage of what they, the government, already had. Her idea was to connect people with programs through volunteers. More specifically, she would connect soon to be mothers with everyday people who could shepherd them through their pregnancy. Thus the Birthing Project was born, and over the past thirty years it has been a blessing for many mothers across the world.

The most tangible result of the program is that mothers are much more likely to carry their baby full term and then deliver a healthy child. Mothers are able to receive prenatal care, learn of housing opportunities, and learn health advice. They essentially learn to take care of themselves and their baby before and after delivery. Another organization of Mrs. Trujillo’s, Fathertime, gives fathers and couples access to relationship counseling, parenting programs, and even jobs.

Entrepreneurs have to garner support whether it is from donors, possible partners, or even the government. Sometimes, social entrepreneurs are not looking for support from the government as much as they are looking to change the government. Regardless, they need to work with others in the community to increase their chances of success. Having been a government worker, Mrs. Trujillo saw frustration in her co-workers regarding the difficulty involved with getting things done as a result of the proverbial red tape. When she first though up the birthing project, she truly believed that it would be a government program, but when things were not materializing, she knew that she would have to start a non-profit organization to make her dream a reality. Having garnered the support and trust of policy makers, her services became a policy in the state of California, and a partnership was achieved between government and enterprise.

Besides the actual services provided by the birthing Project, her organization’s partnership with government ensured the credibility of her program, as well as achieve a duty of the government to do what’s best for its citizens.

What Mrs. Trujillo likes most about job is that she gets to work where she’s most comfortable. She’s not about promoting herself and “climbing to the top of the ladder” as it is with many jobs. She just wants to encourage people to realize that they too can do little things to help.

By Juan Amaya