The Importance of Culture in Working for Non-profits in East Africa

Melissa is an economist from Colombia who led initiatives to empower women of low-income to form businesses through technical assistance and funding programs in the for-profit sector. She was always eager however, to know if there were other ways to better serve women.

Her childhood dream to live in Kenya and her desire to learn from local community based organizations fueled her plans to support non-profits serving women in East Africa. In this interview Melissa shares how she uprooted her life in Latin America to work closely with organizations in East Africa on gender, advocacy and female genital mutilation. Thanks Melissa for being so candid with us all and sharing the lessons you've learned that now shape your practice.