title: Judi Aubel
text: # Judi Aubel
  
  Judith "Judi" Aubel (1946 or 1947 (age 75–76)) is an American community health specialist, and social entrepreneur. She serves as the executive director of the non-profit The Grandmother Project, that works to improve the lives of women and children by focusing on grandmothers.
  
  ## Career
  
  Aubel was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ivory Coast; and had worked in international development for 20 years.
  
  The Grandmother Project was founded in 2004, with Aubel as was one of the founders; and she works alongside Senegalese professionals. The goal in creating The Grandmother Project is to focus on grandmother inclusion and to acknowledge their role, increase their knowledge, and strengthen their role as advocates of change within the community. The program has developed their own approach through the "Change through Culture" practice with two key pillars; to build on cultural roles and values, and to recognize the wisdom and authority of older people. By leveraging the influential role of grandmothers in families and communities they are able to make major social changes and improve health. Grandmothers in the group will often provide help and advice to new mothers regarding neonatal health, feeding, and pregnancy.
  
  Her review of the literature relating to the role grandmothers play in mother and child nutrition and health was published in 2012 in the journal, Maternal and Child Nutrition.
  
  ## Awards
  
  She received the Hero award from Trust Women, a joint venture of the Thomas Reuters Foundation and the International Herald Tribune. Aubel was a 2012 Ashoka Fellow. In 2016, she was a 2016 BBC 100 Women laureate.
  
  ## Selected publications
  
  * "Lessons on sustainability for community health projects", World Health Forum, 1996, 17(1), pp. 52–57. (With Kinday Samba-Ndure)
  * "The role and influence of grandmothers on child nutrition: culturally designated advisors and caregivers", Maternal and Child Nutrition, 28 September 2011.
  