What inspired you to work for your WEHAF?
I was inspired by the strength and dignity of the women at WEHAF. Despite loss and stigma, they show courage and creativity daily. I wanted to be part of a community-driven change where my skills connect with a greater purpose.
Describe a typical day at work.
Every day is different. Mornings start with community check-ins over tea. Then workshops: sewing, business, or health. I support coordination, translation, or listening. Afternoons may be communications, partner outreach, or grant writing. It’s messy, joyful, and deeply human.
Why do you do what you do?
I believe dignity is something people already have; we just help them see it again. At WEHAF, women rediscover their strength and voice. Change comes from connection, not charity, and every small moment of growth proves lasting impact is possible.
Teaching the class
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love witnessing transformation. When a once-silent woman shares an idea or teaches a skill, it’s powerful. I also value the energy volunteers bring; the exchange of cultures and stories creates growth for everyone, including me.
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My education helps me design structured projects, while my international background lets me bridge local and global perspectives. I translate ideas across cultures and connect people in ways that ensure our impact is meaningful and respectful.
What challenges do you often face, and how do you overcome them?
Limited resources and cultural differences are challenges. Sometimes we lack materials or face mismatched expectations. We adapt with creativity, patience, and constant communication. Impact is not perfection; it’s being present with empathy and trust.
What are some current projects you are working on?
I lead BD4A, helping grassroots groups design sustainable strategies. With WEHAF, I’m shaping volunteer profiles, building partnerships, and exploring long-term professional support. BD4A focuses on co-designing solutions with local organizations.
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Show up open, curious, and ready to unlearn. Forget the savior mindset, listen more than you speak. Let the people and place shape you, and allow yourself to be changed by the experience.
Cooking class
What makes WEHAF special?
WEHAF is special because of the women’s resilience. It’s not charity, it’s community. Training leads to confidence, sisterhood, and courage. Volunteers join as collaborators, and every small success feels like a shared victory.
Why should someone choose WEHAF over competitors?
At WEHAF, you join a community, not a system. Volunteers make a real impact and co-create alongside women eager to learn and teach. Unlike large programs, your ideas and presence matter, leaving you with lasting connections.
What hopes do you have for the future of WEHAF?
We hope to grow while staying rooted in community. Dreams include expanding programs, reaching more villages, and building networks of women who become mentors. We envision participants evolving into leaders and changemakers.
Are there any developments with WEHAF that you would like to share with us?
We’re turning training into social enterprises, launching a product line with fashion volunteers, and strengthening mental health workshops. With BD4A, we’re improving storytelling and partnerships for sustainability.
What makes WEHAF easy to market to potential participants?
WEHAF is real and welcoming. Impact is visible, stories are powerful, and volunteers feel included from day one. There’s no bureaucracy, only hands-on work, human connection, and mutual respect that speaks for itself.
What is your organization's mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
WEHAF’s mission is to restore dignity and opportunity to marginalized women and children. We offer skill training, emotional support, and safe spaces. We adapt our programs to real needs, walking alongside each woman toward independence.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We hope participants leave transformed, with a deeper sense of resilience, connection, and humility. True impact comes from presence and listening. Their contribution matters not only to others but also to themselves.
My colleague, who is laughing
How do you help support participants?
We support volunteers from interest to departure. We guide logistics, offer orientation, provide accommodation, and include them in daily life. Most importantly, we listen and adapt to ensure their experience is meaningful.
If you could participate in one of your organization's programs, where would you go and what would you do?
I’d join the sewing workshop as a learner. Sitting with the women, listening, and stitching together shows how healing and pride can grow from shared fabric, skills, and sisterhood.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
They ask if they’ll be useful, and I say yes, with openness. For safety, I explain we’re a small, trusted community with support from day one. For language, I remind them that the connection goes beyond words; smiles and gestures go far.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
Travel challenges certainties and fosters growth. Living alongside others builds empathy, breaks stereotypes, and creates connections beyond borders. In a divided world, these experiences are essential.
Why do you think learning a new language is important?
Language reveals how others see the world. Even a few words build trust and connection. At WEHAF, when volunteers try Swahili, it brings smiles and bridges cultures. Language creates community.
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
Go with humility, not to fix. Be open to discomfort and surprises, listen more than you speak, and treat others’ realities with respect. The experience will change you in unexpected ways.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel is slowing down to connect with people and places. It’s sharing meals, learning names, and building relationships that last. True travel transforms both traveler and host.
Organization picture
What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations?
Too often, programs prioritize volunteers over communities, treating locals as hosts instead of partners. Short stays, lack of humility, and assumed needs can harm more than help. True impact comes from co-creation and real listening.
What does ethical global engagement mean to you?
It means respect, humility, and listening first. Communities should lead, with transparency and long-term thinking. Ethical engagement asks: Who benefits? Who decides? It’s about presence, not heroism.
What hopes do you have for the future of international education?
I hope it shifts from extraction to partnership. Local groups should co-design programs. Education should include humility and justice, leaving participants with more questions than answers, and a drive to keep learning.
What qualities in program & host community relations are essential to you?
Trust, respect, transparency, and shared decision-making. We value co-design, honesty about limits, and long-term consistency. The best partnerships feel like structured friendships built on empathy and humility.
