IMPACT NOW: WHEN WOMEN LEAD BLOG
Marie’s Story: A Triumph of Courage and Determination
In eastern DRCongo, where conflict places children at unimaginable risk, Marie stands as a beacon of hope. As a child protection officer with MONUSCO, her job involves rescuing children abducted by armed groups and helping them reintegrate into society. Recently, her...
CELEBRATIONS FROM NYOTA MODULE 6
Thank you for keeping in touch with Impact Now and following the activity with the NYOTA Leadership Program. Our first cohort is fast approaching the end of this six-month program. This past Saturday we began the last of the program modules, Networks and...
News from Beni, DRCongo: Stories from the NYOTA Cohort
This past week in Beni has been nothing short of extraordinary. Every conversation with a NYOTA participant or planning team member uncovered stories of impact. Beyond the “Classroom" On Friday, NYOTA Co-Director JeanMarc Asobee and I sat down with five cohort members...
Women Leading Change: Stories from the Nyota Leadership Program
What happens when women lead? They transform their communities. At Impact Now, our mission is to equip and empower women leaders through our core initiative, the NYOTA Leadership Program, implemented in collaboration with the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo,...
Leadership Growth—NYOTA: A Personal Story
Leadership is all about growth. Sometimes that means stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing new challenges. The goal of NYOTA, our collaborative initiative with Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC), is to support women leaders as they develop skills...
First Module of NYOTA: Heartfelt Gratitude
The first module of the NYOTA program, “Time Management as a Female Leader,” concluded last Saturday. Dr. Rebecca Wasingya, a professor of economics at our partner organization, Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) developed and led the session. Rebecca...
Nyota Has Launched!
NYOTA has launched! Last Saturday's event was a delightful surprise and a great success. What I thought would be a simple session turned out to be a formal public ceremony, complete with an MC, the mayor, and other local leaders. UCBC leaders were among the more than...
THE STAR THAT IS NYOTA
What a delight to arrive in Beni, DRC, after a long (but smooth) journey. People often ask, “How long does it take to get there?” This time: 22 hours of actual travel (17 via air; 4 via road). 6 hours of “transit”—layover, border crossing, check-ins, and waiting. 3...
Meet Some of the Team!
Next week I head for Beni, DRC, to work side-by-side with the NYOTA planning team. I’ll also participate in the launch of this unique, six-month leadership development program designed with and for women in the Beni region. I’m excited to be back with people and at a...
NYOTA: Lighting the Way with Leadership and Cross-Cultural Partnerships
The NYOTA Leadership Program launches in just a few short weeks, on June 8. NYOTA, Swahili for "shining light" or "star," is a six-month program for women leaders in businesses and organizations in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Members of the 20-person...
Breaking Gender Norms
Christen Price, Congo Initiative-USA board member, recently shared with me the Jack Katz TED Talk, "Violence Against Women: It's a Men's Issue." Watching this TED Talk was timely, as Impact Now and the Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (UCBC) are developing the...
Managing Expectations
Navigating the intricacies of leadership expectations is sometimes like finding your way through a thick fog. In the dynamic world of for-impact organizations where passion meets purpose, understanding, managing, and communicating expectations is important for...