by Mary Henton | Apr 8, 2026 | International Women's Day, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Women Who Lead, Women's History Month
March is a season to celebrate women. It’s Women’s History Month, and there is International Women’s Day on March 8th. In much of the world, the day passes as a social media moment. It’s a hashtag, a quotation on Instagram, a story from history, and brief...
by Mary Henton | Feb 11, 2026 | DRC, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Uncategorized, Women Who Lead
A recent New York Times article brought one of the realities of eastern DRC into sharp focus for me. The piece documented life in Goma one year after M23 rebels took control of the city. The human toll: nearly 3,000 people killed and more than 2,800 wounded in a city...
by Mary Henton | Jan 13, 2026 | Decision-Making, Insight Into Action, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Women Who Lead
When Rebecca Matabishi founded Les Oliviers School Complex in Beni, the Democratic Republic of Congo, she carried the weight of leading a nursery, primary, and secondary school alone. She had passion and vision. However, she notes, “I was afraid. As a result, I...
by Mary Henton | Dec 23, 2025 | DRC, Giving Tuesday, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Women Who Lead
I consider NYOTA graduate Jeanette Longhi a friend. Jeanette’s smile lights up a room. Her energy inspires action. It was a delight to catch up with Jeanette when I was in Beni in September. After church one Sunday, Jeanette invited me to join her at a seminar she had...
by Mary Henton | Aug 14, 2025 | DRC, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Insight Into Action, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Women Who Lead
The current Nyota cohort recently completed the Project Management module of the Nyota curriculum. This module, like all six modules, is structured over four weeks. And, as happens throughout the entire Nyota program, participants grow in confidence as they strengthen...
by Mary Henton | Jul 8, 2025 | DRC, Newsletters, Nyota Leadership Project, Women Who Lead
“What do I want to say? Why am I saying it? Who needs to hear it—and how?” These are the kinds of questions Nyota participants wrestled with in Effective Communication and Advocacy, the third module of the Nyota Leadership Program. This was the first time that many...
