About Us

Malama International is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that was formally recognized by the U.S. government as a non-profit organization in 2002. Co-founders Julie and Glynn Griggs are full-time volunteers who devote their time to Malama International's administrative duties. This allows donations to be used where they are needed most - in Africa.

Executive Officers

Julie Griggs

Julie Griggs is co-founder and Executive Director of Malama International. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Auburn University and a M.Ed. from Vanderbilt University in Human Development Counseling. Currently, Julie is a Ph.D. student at University of Connecticut in the School of Family Studies.

Over the years, Julie has enjoyed quite a diverse work experience. She worked as a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, covering business news for five years until deciding to devote her time to international volunteer service. Concerned with the lack of mental health services available to people around the world, Julie went back to school to pursue degrees in the mental health field. Since then, she has worked in a substance abuse treatment center in Honolulu, Hawaii; in a family medicine practice in Hartford, Connecticut; and a marriage and family therapy clinic at the University of Connecticut.

During her extensive travel to more than 25 countries, she has come face-to-face with issues of economic disparity and social injustice impacting children and families around the world. Through her friendship with a Ugandan woman, Ruth Mirembe, founder of Bethesda International, she became aware and was particularly impacted by the plight of Ugandan children who have been orphaned by AIDS and who are living in extreme poverty. Determined to be part of the solution, Julie and her husband, Glynn, have been involved in humanitarian work in Uganda since 1997.

Glynn J. Griggs

Glynn J. Griggs is co-founder and an executive officer of Malama International. He holds a B.A. in Marketing from Auburn University and a M.Ed. in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University. In addition, Glynn holds a degree in photography from Florida's Southeast Center for Photographic Studies.

Prior to graduate school, Glynn headed a photography studio and video production company in Nashville, Tennessee. Later, he became a nationally certified Thanatologist and counseled those suffering with grief and loss. While volunteering at St. Francis Hospice in Honolulu, Hawaii, he facilitated adult survivor groups and helped organize the first children's grief program. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for The Children's Alliance of Hawaii, a non-profit organization serving children who have been abused.

Glynn has always had a love for travel and has traveled to over 20 countries. From his travels, Glynn has developed a commitment to addressing the economic and social inequities faced by families and individuals around the world. He is particularly concerned with Ugandan children and families who are survivors of trauma and loss as a result of the AIDS crisis and rebel fighting in the northern part of the country.