Lived Experience: Voices of Mothers
Real stories of birthing experience, struggle, healing, resilience, relationship.
Objectives
The conversation will touch on the maternal journey shaped by intergenerational stories – migration, colonization, war, resilience, racism, classism, sexism, and more. Mental health during pregnancy and postpartum is often influenced by what was carried before, not just what is happening now. Real stories navigating maternal mental health. Through the journey, she becomes a voice for reducing stigma and increasing understanding around the realities many mothers face. She is passionate about creating spaces where mothers feel supported and sharing her story in a way that connects and heals.
Through real stories of navigating maternal mental health, this panel aims to create space for real stories that reduces stigma, foster connection, and center the lived realities of maternal mental health.
Speaker Bio
Fanny Lam
Executive Director of Asian Perinatal Advocates Family Support Services
Fanny Lam serves as the Executive Director at APA Family Support Services, where she leverages extensive experience in social services to support San Francisco’s diverse communities. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in overseeing family resource programs, multilingual case management, and child abuse prevention initiatives that address the holistic needs of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Known for her dedication to cultural competency, Fanny manages cross-functional teams to ensure that immigrant and API families receive equitable access to essential resources, mental health support, and advocacy. Her leadership is defined by a deep commitment to strengthening family bonds and fostering community resilience through sustainable, grassroots support systems. By bridging gaps in service delivery, she continues to empower families to navigate complex urban environments while maintaining their cultural heritage and well-being.
Lenna Te’o-Malieitulua
Program Manager of Regional Pacific Islander Taskforce
Lenna Te’o-Malieitulua, 58, is a proud Samoan community advocate and Program Manager for the Regional Pacific Islander Task Force, where she advances culturally grounded efforts to improve health equity for Pacific Islander communities across the San Francisco Bay Area. She helps develop and implement programs such as The Aunty Project, Moana Movement, and Weaving for Wellness, rooted in Pacific Islander values of family, respect, and collective care. Her work centers on connecting individuals and families to critical resources through trusted, culturally relevant approaches that meet people where they are. She works closely with public health departments and community-based organizations to strengthen outreach, expand access to services, and align efforts with community needs.
Lenna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Pacific Island Studies from Brigham Young University–Hawaii and a proud alumna of City College of San Francisco. She uses her educational background, cultural knowledge, and lived experience to inform her work and contribute to meaningful, community-informed partnerships.
Deeply grounded in family and culture, Lenna is a proud mother of five adult children, a loving aunty, and a grandmother to 19—soon to be 20—grandchildren. She has been married to her awesome husband, Leti, for 36 years. Her work reflects a lifelong commitment to uplifting Pacific Islander communities and creating spaces where families feel connected, supported, and valued.
Sitha Yim
Owner of Sitha’s Khmerkitchen Pop-up
Sitha Yim was born in 1975, in Battambang , Cambodia. She arrived in the United States in 1984, first in Chicago, Illinois before relocating and settling in San Francisco, California later that year – a place where she remained rooted in and proudly called home ever since. A dedicated mother of five children, Sitha balances family life with her deep commitment to community service. She has been with her loving partner, Van, for over six years and is the middle sibling among five, with two brothers (one deceased) and two sisters.
Sitha’s lifelong dedication to serving the Cambodian (Khmer) community began in 1988 while she was still in high school, volunteering at her local temple and supporting community members in need. Her passion for helping others continued over the decades and became especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, she began volunteering with the Cambodian Community Development, Inc., providing critical support to families during a time of crisis. In recognition of her commitment and impact, she joined the organization as a Case Manager in 2023.
In addition to her community work, Sitha launched a Cambodian food catering endeavor in 2020, sharing her love of traditional cuisine as a way to connect with and uplift her community. She is known for her deep empathy and unwavering dedication to low-income and underserved Cambodian families, finding great joy and purpose in service.
Outside of her professional and community roles, Sitha enjoys cooking and hiking, activities that reflect her nurturing spirit and love for connection and well-being.
Mory Chhom, MPH (Moderator)
RAMS Director of Population-Focused Prevention Early Intervention
Mory Chhom, MPH, is a Cambodian American public health leader dedicated to advancing health equity for all. With approximately 20 years of experience in community health, she has built a career centered on wellness promotion, capacity building, technical assistance, and advocacy for underserved populations.
She currently serves as Director of Population-Focused Prevention and Early Intervention at RAMS, Inc., a community-based mental health organization committed to providing culturally competent and client centered services. Prior to this role, she directed youth and family programs at the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI), where she led community outreach initiatives, strengthened care management systems, and developed training curricula to equip staff in addressing complex community needs. Earlier in her career, she managed health and wellness programs at the Southeast Asian Development Center, conducted research on Cambodian American health-seeking behaviors, and served as a lecturer in health education at Pannasastra University of Cambodia.
Mory earned both her Bachelor of Science in Health Science and her Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from San José State University. She brings a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience and deep commitment to advancing equity for marginalized communities.
Beyond her professional work, Mory enjoys the Northern California outdoors, camping, bicycling with her family, cooking, dancing, and collecting vinyl records.
Continuing Education: RAMS is approved by the California Psychological Association (CPA) to provide continuing professional education hours for psychologists. For this event, RAMS is offering 3 hours of continuing education for psychologists, LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. RAMS maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. In order to receive CE credit, participants must attend the entire training. Those arriving more than 15 minutes after the start time or leaving before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit. Sign in and out will be required.
