Me ygeia is a Greek word that means “with health” in English. Megia is the marriage of the name Meghan and Sophia and represents the spirit in which they do things. It’s a fun hashtag used by two women who’ve discovered they have a lot in common, and it has a nice ring to it. It’s with health in mind that Meghan Kay and Sophia Peppas do most things. As the Senior Global Communications Manager of Christian Louboutin and a holistic health coach Meghan makes sure that she feeds her physical and spiritual body well. She met Sophia two years ago in an elevator and discovered that they had much more in common than Christian Louboutin.

The first time I met Meghan Kay was at a fundraising event SERENE hosted with Petals and Belles. It was winter 2013 and something about her was so amazing, in a cool, welcoming sort of way that our first meeting has always stayed with me. So, when I saw an opportunity to reconnect two years later I jumped at it. Ironically, things have kind of come full circle as the opportunity to reconnect is for another great cause, and this time it’s one very close to her heart.

Zimele, which means to stand on one’s own two feet in Zulu, is an organization that follows the adage, give a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a man to fish feed him for a lifetime. Except in this case it’s women, and they’re not just teaching the women of Kwazulu Natal province of South Africa to fish, they’re also teaching them how to teach other women to fish. They work to “remove the barriers to self-sufficiency” by promoting community and wellness. Their end goal is to no longer be needed one day, for these women to be self-sustaining. It’s a beautiful concept, and it’s happening, as sure as the global consciousness is slowly shifting.

Meghan describes herself as a hungry individual, always in search of new experiences and challenges. She’s curious about everything and passionate, and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Most of this is evident if you spend a little time with her. One descriptor I would add though, is grounded. She’s aware and thankful for her world, and walks in that gratitude, in the things she does, in who she is, and who she connects herself to. She is, in a word, conscious.

I spoke with Meghan about her involvement with Zimele and  learned so many wonderful things about this organization. What stood out most though, was that their work looks forward, to a larger future that serves more than the symptoms, but rather aims to remedy the deeper causes of poverty. Simply look at their team, the majority are in South Africa, in the field teaching and training. Also, they rely mostly on volunteers, creating very little overhead and enabling their proceeds to go directly where needed.

To support this great cause, Megia is hosting an event at the west village SoulCycle to raise funds for Zimele this Saturday. It’s going to be an amazing time with  100% of the proceeds going to Zimele USA to support their work in the US and fieldwork in South Africa.

To reserve a seat visit the event page here

About Fiona

Fiona is the New York Lead for SERENE, a writer, social butterfly, and naturally inquisitive about most things. If you meet her, mention God, Harry Potter or Amy Winehouse and you’ll be lifelong friends.