We’re looking forward to introducing you to Aubree Packard. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Aubree, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? When was the last time you felt true joy?
This morning. I received a video from our Walk in Love Early Childhood Development center showing toddlers on the swings, laughing and giggling with pure delight. My heart felt so full. That is true joy for me — seeing happy, healthy children simply enjoying life in a safe place. Moments like that are exactly why I do what I do, and they remind me that all the hard work is worth it when I can witness the impact firsthand.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Aubree Packard and I am the Executive Director and founder of Walk in Love International, a nonprofit I started in 2012. We are a registered charity in both the United States and Tanzania, working to support vulnerable babies and young children through nutrition and early childhood education.
With a degree in Child and Family Development, I know how critical those early years are. When children receive the right nutrition and care during that time, it can change the entire course of their lives. I saw that by giving families what they need in those early years, we could help children break free from the cycles their families have been trapped in for generations.
At our Early Childhood Development center, children receive nutritious meals, learn through play, and grow in a safe and loving environment. We also support malnourished babies through emergency nutrition programs, host outreach events in remote areas, and help mothers start small businesses to support their families with dignity.
Over the years, we’ve served thousands of children. I believe every child deserves a healthy start, and I am passionate about building programs rooted in hope, dignity, and lasting impact.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I feel lucky because the world didn’t tell me who to be. It helped me discover who I already was and the purpose I was meant to live out.
When I was six years old, I started telling my family that one day I would go to Africa and help children there. Sitting beside my grandmother and reading National Geographic, I was introduced to a world where children were facing unimaginable challenges. Something in me awakened, a deep sense of compassion and a desire to act.
I’m grateful that I listened to what the world was showing me, because in doing so I found where I truly belong in this life. Rather than changing me, those early moments affirmed that I was meant to use my hands and my heart to help wherever I could. I have carried that conviction with me ever since, believing every child deserves to be healthy, safe, and deeply loved.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise. I remind myself of that often.
If I’m honest, I almost give up every day. Running an NGO in Tanzania is anything but easy. Raising the funds we need to keep going can feel impossible, systems are often slow and unpredictable, and there are challenges at every turn that demand strength, patience, and problem-solving.
There are moments when I feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and exhausted. But then I open a message and see a video of a child laughing on a swing or hear that one of our babies has gained weight and is finally thriving, and I remember exactly why I am here.
Those children are the reason I keep going. Knowing that what I’m doing is right and that they deserve every opportunity in life gives me the courage to face even the hardest days. I believe every child deserves to grow up healthy, safe, and deeply loved, and that belief keeps my feet firmly planted even when the road feels impossibly hard.
I also think often of the incredible women I stand beside in Tanzania. These are mothers who carry on through hardships far greater than my own, and I draw strength from them too.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
In the NGO world it is often said that everything we do must be sustainable and have a long-term impact. I used to hold that belief very tightly, believing that future outcomes were the most important marker of success. That changed the moment I met my first child suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
In that moment I realized that what truly matters is whether the child in front of me lives to see tomorrow. I am not thinking about metrics or whether this act is sustainable. I am thinking about whether this little one will survive the night and if I can give them what they need right now.
Yes, we absolutely work with families on long-term plans so their children do not go hungry again, but in that first moment I refuse to reduce a child to data, goals, or future projections. They are not a number, they are a life. That shift in perspective fundamentally changed how I approach this work and why I remain committed to it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I’m not sure it’s something people don’t know, but it’s something easy to lose sight of if you’re not experiencing it every day. Living and working in Tanzania has shown me, in the deepest way, that humanity is universal — love, hope, fear, pride, and the desire to give our children the best chance in life belong to all of us.
Sometimes I notice that people unintentionally view communities in Tanzania as separate or distant. What I understand from years of sharing life with these families is that there is no real division. The only difference is opportunity and circumstance.
The families I work with are not asking to be saved. They are asking to be seen, understood, and stood beside. When that kind of connection is made, compassion becomes natural, dignity is preserved, and giving becomes something beautiful we do with one another, not for one another.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://walkinloveinternational.org
- Instagram: @walkinloveint
- Facebook: Walk in Love International
- Other: https://donorsee.com/walkinlove
Image Credits
Sarah Ruvalcaba, Brooke Hill
