We like to look at heroes and point to the leaders who “changed everything for the better.” If you take a moment to think of a few heroes, you might come up with names throughout history of men and women who have been heroes of science, or humanity, or of your faith. We look at these men and women and think they were near perfect, had it all together, or had some sort of magical, unexplainable power.
However, this is not true. These heroes are merely humans who did something in the situation they were in. They did not possess any superpower or ability that could not be harnessed by others: they were leaders in a certain place and time that had the courage and confidence to stand up, make a difference, and create lasting change.
Just do something
Everyday, we work with amazing people who have recognized that something is not quite right and take the opportunity to be the leader their community needs. Robert, one of our trainees in Uganda, has just finished the second course of our training, and understands this is the case. He recently shared with us, “I feel so changed and empowered to better serve in my community…going through this training has helped me to be more focused and appreciate that I cannot be a solution to every challenge and problem in the community. I would feel shy to tell someone NO, even when I feel the task is very hard or beyond my ability to intervene as an organization or an individual. [Cultivates Leadership Course] has helped me to stop carrying heavier burdens than I can handle. I am practicing and growing in all the qualities of a good leader.
Addressing Poverty From Within
Now, he is helping to address issues of extreme poverty by training others in his community. One group, the Twegeme Walala women’s group, is now leading from within to choose their own leaders, so that they can focus on children’s nutrition in their community. The UN has written “Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. It’s manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimationa and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision making.” **
By empowering these women and giving them the tools and training to make their own decisions for their children and their communities, Robert is helping to create lasting solutions that we hope to continue on, because it is exactly what we aim to do with Cultivate.
You are not the answer to your community’s problems…but you may be the solution
We know that we are not the answer, but we hope that we are helping to be a part of the solution.
If you are a leader in your community or want to be, we offer a capacity building program to help you meet your goals. Do not let finances be a hindrance – we offer income based scholarships because our training is for everyone:
**For more information about Poverty Eradication, read more on the UN’s website: “Poverty Eradication” https://www.un.org/development/desa/socialperspectiveondevelopment/issues/poverty-eradication.html
