Lara Veldman joined Fistula Foundation as program associate in August 2023. She holds a bachelor of education degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s in public health degree, with an emphasis on global health, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lara brings to the Foundation experience in health and gender equity from her work as program associate at Rural Forward, a program that builds capacity for solving health challenges in communities across North Carolina. Previously, she was an intern at EngenderHealth, a nonprofit that advances sexual and reproductive rights. In her role at Fistula Foundation, Lara works to help partners provide as many women as possible with life-changing fistula repair surgeries.