Black History Month Spotlight: Sharing Our Stories

Author: Atim Eneida George, Ph.D.

As human beings we need a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives. These truths, in my view, make Winrock International’s Volunteer Program an exceptional service opportunity. For 2 weeks during the month of May 2024, I embarked upon a remarkable journey.  Accompanied by Messrs. Abibou and Sane, two caring and committed Winrock Senegal-based staff, I was able to share both skills and insights I gleaned over a lifetime of education and work experience. As an American of African descent, this was a particularly enriching experience.

I remain profoundly grateful to Winrock International’s Volunteer Program and the leaders of the Keur Maba Diakhou (KMD) Society. KMD is leading in the areas of job creation, income generation, poverty alleviation and rural development. Their leaders made me welcome by sharing the power of their stories and their accomplishments with me. Their willingness to entrust me with their stories is of particular import.

As a subject matter expert in Leadership Studies, I employed B. George’s (2007) admonition that, to be effective, leaders must understand their own stories.  While in Senegal, I also employed the African philosophical construct, Ubuntu, which teaches that “I am because we are and we are because I am” when designing and delivering my program content.  Indeed, I repeatedly emphasized the importance of working both individually (I am) and collectively (we are).

Reference

George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2007). Discovering your authentic leadership. Harvard Business Review, 88(2) 129–138.