By Fallon Bourgeois

Jenny Benson (BA’07, MA’09) is a difference maker.

As a fund development officer with Laing House, a non-profit organization supporting youth living with mental illness in Halifax, and the founder and president of The Aninga Project, which provides educational opportunities for young women in Uganda, you could say she spends every waking moment helping others.

Making a difference

“The work I do with these organizations is so fulfilling. Making a difference in people’s lives is my passion.”

By day, Jenny writes grants, does research, secures sponsorship, plans events, and much more for Laing House, the only organization of its kind in the province.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see the impact Laing House has on the individuals who rely on our support and services to stay well. We’re able to help so many youth to reach their goals and become contributing members of our community.”

Catalyzing change

Similarly her work with The Aninga Project is enabling girls and young women to go to school in a place where access to education is scarce, and for females, often impossible. And it all came about from Jenny’s desire to help.

“During the summer before my fourth year at Dal, my family became friends with Constance, a young Zimbabwean woman whom we met through her participation in the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto,” says Jenny. “When she returned to Africa and settled in Uganda, we asked to work with her and her husband on a grassroots initiative.”

Knowing that educational opportunities for young women in Uganda were virtually non-existent, Jenny and her family worked with Constance and her husband to identify a girl who would receive funding to attend school – Aninga.

“We sent money from Canada to be disbursed by Constance for school fees, transportation, boarding fees, and other daily necessities – it was hard to believe that all these expenses were only $35 CAD per month.”

Today, The Aninga Project is a federally registered Canadian charity that is incorporated in Nova Scotia, and has also been granted NGO status by the Government of Uganda.

Rewarding work

For Jenny, working with non-profits is an excellent example of a rewarding career where skills, knowledge and passion come together, with incredible outcomes.

“Non-profits need motivated, talented and passionate people. Through both my Bachelor and Masters degrees at Dal, I acquired hard skills like writing and research that are valuable in my career,” says Jenny. “My parents cemented the idea that I could make a difference in the world and Dal helped me to develop the skills to do just that.”

While Jenny has a lot to be proud of, this year marks a special milestone for The Aninga Project: the first two girls who received funding are graduating from university. A true testament to Jenny’s tenacity and commitment to helping others.