( CNN ) -- Helene Gayle must be one of the few chief executives who dreams of a world where her job does n't exist . In fact , the president of one of the biggest poverty charities on the planet -- CARE USA -- would probably prefer it if there was no need for her organization at all . Yet on any given day there will be a humanitarian disaster unfolding across the globe -- from violence in Somalia , to flooding in Pakistan , and chemical warfare in Syria . And all of them need CARE . `` We always say at CARE that we would love to see if we can work ourselves out of business , '' said the 58-year-old . `` If CARE does n't need to exist as it is 20 years from now , so be it . But I think it 's safe to say that there will still be a need for relief in this world -- there will still be an unstable country or a fragile environment . '' The business of charity . Since it first began over 60 years ago with American charities sending food packages to World War Two survivors , CARE International -- of which CARE USA is a member -- has become one of the largest aid organizations in the world , with 10,000 staff working in some 80 countries . Last year the charity helped more than 83 million people across the globe -- and was ranked the seventh best NGO on the planet in 2013 . It 's an enormous operation , and one which Gayle -- one of Forbes magazines ' `` 100 most powerful women '' -- has led since 2006 . `` The more you look into health and health inequalities , you realize that a lot of it is not due to a particular disease -- it 's really linked to underlying societal issues such as poverty , inequity , lack of access to safe drinking water and housing , '' she said . `` And these are all the things we focus on at CARE . '' Women of the world . When former pediatrician Gayle joined CARE seven years ago , she became not just the first woman to lead the organization , but the first person of color . While being an African-American female in a business environment usually dominated by white men has n't hindered her career , it 's still something she 's acutely aware of . `` When I walk into a room that is all white and all male , I 'm sitting on the outside of that club . That 's sometimes an intimidating experience , '' she said . `` But I think that everywhere that I 've gotten is because I 've worked hard . I have the experience , I have the credentials -- I continue not to take any of that for granted . '' Watch : CEO says 'being fearless fueled my success ' It is perhaps unsurprising that Gayle has now made women 's rights a big focus at CARE . `` We know that if you educate a girl , as the saying goes , you educate a nation , '' said Gayle . `` That girl will get married later , she will have fewer children , she 's more likely to earn an income and that income is more likely to be plowed back into the family so that the family benefits . '' Sixties spirit . Growing up in Buffalo , New York , Gayle 's own social worker mother was a huge influence in her career . `` I grew up at a time in the sixties where there was a lot of social change going on -- the civil rights movement , women 's movement , anti apartheid , '' she said . `` My mother really gave that sense to us of giving back to the community . She 'd say 'you 've got a good brain , and a big mouth , use it . ' '' Gayle did n't disappoint , working for over three decades at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , focusing on HIV/AIDS research . `` Just a few years ago less that 1 % of people who needed treatment [ for HIV ] had access to it and now it 's up to 55 % and growing , '' she said . `` We are now on the track to absolutely eliminate pediatric HIV infection globally . '' Where there is a will . Walk around Gayle 's office today it 's lined with honorary university degrees and awards from Desmond Tutu and Barack Obama . She points to a photograph of herself with Nelson Mandela during a trip with the former U.S. secretary of health to South Africa -- an experience she describes as `` electric . '' But among the high-brow accolades , Gayle remains focused on simple achievements such as education , access to clean drinking water , and shelter . `` We believe that it 's possible to eliminate extreme poverty over the next couple of decades . We know what needs to be done and we have the tools , '' she said , adding : `` But do we have the will as a world community to do it ? ''
Helene Gayle , CEO of CARE USA , talks about the business of charity . The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. Former director at Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , specializing in HIV research .