Barbara Gillard is the kind of person who can organize a fundraiser, plan a water system install, and still have time to teach you about microcredit over coffee.

As volunteer coordinator for Agua Viva International, Gillard blends boots-on-the-ground know-how with big-picture impact. She caught the global development bug early, earning her economics degree from Truman State while studying abroad every chance she got. A pivotal trip to Bangladesh led to a six-week internship at the Grameen Bank, where she saw firsthand how small loans can spark big change.

Today, she brings that same mindset to Agua Viva—a Kansas-born nonprofit delivering clean water and hygiene education to communities in Latin America and Africa. Gillard helps build partnerships with schools, churches, and orphanages—an

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