Bend But Not Break: Solidarity in Uncertain Times

“When I look at all of you, I feel strong. I feel hope and courage.”
- Erick Aluru, Programs Manager at OLPS Kenya
at Mama Hope’s Annual Partners Conference 2019

When you look at the people around you, do you feel strong? Do you feel the same hope and courage as Erick?

Humanity feels increasingly divided. World news seems to be buzzing with it: leaders ruling from a place of fear and xenophobia, people turning against their neighbors in misplaced anger, gun violence shaking communities to the core, seeds of fear and division are sewn between and within borders. It’s easy to feel hopeless about the state of our world.

The solution isn’t clear, but one thing is obvious: the more love and collaboration — across races, religions, borders, and differences of all kinds — we each bring to the world, the more humanity will heal and thrive.

In August, a group of passionate change-makers gathered in Limuru, Kenya for Mama Hope’s Annual Partners Conference: 42 people from 13 community led organizations, based in 4 different countries, each working to strengthen their communities through holistic approaches to education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, human rights, regenerative agriculture, and more. People of different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences met in an effortless demonstration of what can be achieved when we focus on what brings us together instead of what divides us; when our differences are overshadowed by all that we share; and when we draw on our unique perspectives to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

Benedict of United Hearts Children’s Center in Ghana shares a warm hug with Mukisa of Budondo Intercultural Center in Uganda.

Mama Hope is a global non-profit organization that champions community-led change. It builds eye-level partnerships, rooted in listening, love, and understanding, with community-led organizations across the world. Mama Hope stands with each of these partners as they pursue their own visions for change in their communities, providing adaptive funding, technical support, and connections to bolster their work. When you’re around this group of leaders, hope, courage, and strength can be felt in abundance.

The Mama Hope Family stands with each other throughout all kinds of challenges and celebrations.

Laughter, love, and support are never in short supply. Sister Anastasia of OLPS Kenya celebrates the end of another successful conference.

The theme of this year’s conference, which brought together all of Mama Hope’s partners from across Africa, was It Takes a Village. Building on wisdom found in many different proverbs from across the continent, partners explored the myriad of ways the community around them shapes their work and its impact.

Guided by the spirit of Ubuntu — a Bantu word used to convey a sense of shared humanity, the idea that each of our success is inextricably connected to the wellbeing of others — each organization shared their biggest achievements and challenges over the past year. As always, the community created amongst Mama Hope partners served as a source of encouragement, solidarity, and wisdom that has consistently helped to grow the work of each organization. Over the years, partners have inspired and supported each other in building out their financial processes, impact evaluation systems and program design, along with a healthy dose of motivation and encouragement.

Team members from BIC-Shanti share their reflections from the past year. Since meeting each other at last year’s Mama Hope Partners Conference, BIC (Budondo Intercultural Center) and Shanti Uganda have joined forces, merging their two organizations into one under entirely Ugandan leadership.

James Kirima, a former Mama Hope East Africa Global Advocate and the founder of Boresha Jamii Organization in Tanzania, shares his challenges and successes over the last year. With lots of guidance and support from other Mama Hope partners, James was able to start his very first income generation project this year, as well as attaining national registration status!

Looking inwards at each organization…

Partners explored how to create a strong sense of community within their own teams. Caroline Gertsch, Kenya’s Country Director for Amani Institute, presented the concept of situational leadership — learning to be an effective leader by responding to the unique needs of team members throughout their professional journeys. By supporting all team members in reaching their potential, leaders not only build up the people around them, but also strengthen the overall impact of their work.

Caroline chats with members of Nguzo Foundation for Women and Girls (Tanzania), White Orange Youth (Tanzania), and Tropical Focus for Rural Development (Kenya) about their leadership tendencies and team dynamics

Mukisa of BIC-Shanti (Uganda), Robert of Tropical Focus for Rural Development (Kenya), and David of Riley Orton Foundation (Kenya) share their experiences and reflections on their own leadership styles.

Looking around at the community members in each organization’s village…

Partners explored how to build future leaders by engaging with young men and women. Mama Hope’s Global Advocate Program is one of many avenues partners use to provide young people in their communities with skills and opportunities to build their careers. Partners also shared safeguarding strategies to support each other in protecting children, vulnerable people, and everyone else their work touches. Finally, Caroline Dama of Grassroots Economics joined us to teach partners about the potential inherent in community currencies to strengthen local economies. Partners mapped out the networks they’re a part of with each of their organizations, and learned how community currencies can help people exchange goods and services in places where the national currency may be scarce.

Pastor Elisha, Ida, and Benedict from United Hearts Children’s Center (UHCC) in Ghana work together on a systems map of all the different ways they engage with the community in their work.

Caroline Dama discusses the joys of community currencies with the team from Our Lady of Perpetual Support (OLPS) in Kenya

Looking outside the regions where each organization is located…

Rose Thuo-Ngunjiri of Segal Family Foundation shared valuable strategies for engaging a global village — building partnerships and diversifying funding sources to strengthen the impact of all of our work. Just as no individual can thrive without the encouragement of a strong network of friends, mentors, teachers, and supporters, each organization needs a rich and diverse array of connections to build sustainable change.

Rose and UHCC work through a fundraising plan.

BIC is one of Segal Family Foundation’s newest partners. After a connection was made through Mama Hope, Rose and her colleague Carolyn went to visit the team in Uganda and the rest, as they say, is history! Pictured here are Mukisa and Denis of BIC and Rose of SFF.

Looking forward to the ways each of us can bring all that we learned back to our work at home…

At the end of the week, partners got in touch with their creative sides, painting their interpretation of what community means to them. There were many reflections on how each organization is like a tree, with deep roots stretching far and wide, and long branches bearing fruit. Themes of love and collaboration were evident in every piece of art.

Noelarebeca of White Orange Youth in Tanzania shows off her masterpiece: “My drawing has two features, SUN & SKY. Whatever you do to make the community a better place, no matter how small the impact may seem, it’s a light you provide. So we should keep going! Challenges are always there, but don’t lose hope. Nothing can stop you, the sky is the limit!

As the conference came to a close, Blastus Mwizarubi of SEGA Girls School in Tanzania reflected, “We’re so different but we’re so united.” Each partner left with an action plan to take back to their organizations: building safeguarding policies, strengthening leadership approaches, creating plans to engage a wide array of supporters. While each of their goals are different, the rich diversity of perspectives offered throughout the conference enabled partners to support each other in developing strong, nuanced plans and ideas to fuel their impact back at home.

Friendships were formed and bonds strengthened in many ways throughout the week. Pictured here is one of the many enthusiastic (and highly competitive!) scavenger hunt teams: Erick of OLPS in Kenya, Goretty of BIC-Shanti in Uganda, and Noelarebeca of White Orange Youth in Tanzania.

From our very own teams, to the people in our neighborhoods, to allies across the globe, it certainly does take a village (and a very big one!) to tackle the social issues each of our partners is dedicated to solving. Whether we are working to ensure access to quality healthcare or education, to strengthen the opportunities available to women and girls, to protect our environment, or even simply to exist in harmony with our neighbors — both at home and abroad — there’s no room for xenophobia and hatred. Mama Hope’s partners are a brilliant example of what can happen when people from many different backgrounds join in unity and partnership, deeply rooted in our shared humanity. Differing perspectives bolster conversations. Differing experiences enrich the potential for solutions to be found. Differences strengthen society. When we focus on our common values and visions and harness our differences to lift each other up, we all move forward together. And that is a very good reason to look around you and feel hope, courage, and strength just as Erick did at this year’s Mama Hope Partners Conference.