A Game-Changing New Chapter for RefuSHE

Executive Director, Geoffrey Thige, congratulates graduates of RefuSHE's introductory digital and cyber security training, an IT course sponsored by CISCO in October 2019.

Dear RefuSHE friends and supporters, 

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of introducing you to Geoffrey Thige as RefuSHE Kenya’s Executive Director. Ten months later, on behalf of both the U.S. and Kenya Board of Directors, I have the even greater honor of announcing that come January 1, 2021, Geoffrey will become the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of RefuSHE!  

While 2020 has presented more than its fair share of challenges, Geoffrey has faced each of them with grace and humility, providing immense leadership when we needed it most. As COVID-19 regulations impacted our in-person services, Geoffrey swiftly adapted our operations and programming to ensure everyone’s safety while continuing to support the women and girls we serve. That agility and innovative thinking are what landed us an exciting grant from the Mastercard Foundation to design and launch a new E-Learning & Wellness Platform that will drastically scale up the reach of our programming during the pandemic and beyond. (Stay tuned for more details on this project!)

Geoffrey’s transition to CEO ushers in a critical new chapter for RefuSHE. Shifting our organization's strategic decision making to Kenya presents a new opportunity to improve our operations and grow our programs. Embracing the specialized knowledge that Geoffrey and the Kenya Board of Directors bring will innately make our organization even more responsive to evolving needs. 

Executive Director, Geoffrey Thige, welcomes Sophie, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex to the RefuSHE campus in September 2019.

Importantly, this shift also challenges the outdated mentality rooted in our world’s imperialistic and colonial past that still prevails in much of the social impact space today. Traditionally, most global NGOs are structured to have the CEO and strategic decision-making based in the U.S. (or Europe), where a majority of the funding originates. As an Egyptian-American working in the sector for many years, I’ve always found this structure to be antiquated and counter-productive. 

Examples of well-intentioned global development organizations working in the “Global South” but led by leadership that sits in the “Global North,” far away from the local realities and with an only anecdotal understanding of the local context, are abound in our sector. After decades of quiet conversations and observations, the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice reckoning happening in the U.S. have finally brought this discussion on the need to “Decolonize Philanthropy” in the U.S. to the boardroom, as writer and activist Edgar Villaneuva highlighted in his book, Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance. 

I believe this is also the time to take things a step further and look at the wealth dynamic within the global context. Economic imperialism is still alive and well in emerging and frontier markets. For example, in East Africa, we not only see this with how humanitarian aid is controlled and distributed by the U.S. and European countries but also how Chinese foreign direct investments in the private sector are made. I strongly believe that now is the time to evaluate and think through how we can collaboratively “De-Imperialize” global economic development to ensure that local capacity for talent, wealth creation, and investment is supported and built.    

Age-old excuses about reasons not to invest in local leadership, including fears of corruption, gaps in skills, or lack of innovation, no longer stand up and are more a product of the deficiencies of “Western” leaders than the countries of operation. In countries like Kenya, there is ample top-tier talent. What is lacking isn’t talent, but the will to invest, properly recruit, believe in, and effectively support local talent. The private sector already acknowledged this and over the past 10-15 years has been investing in and securing the country’s top talent. The social sector is woefully behind on re-evaluating its own structural biases. We can’t continue to complain about the lack of local leadership if we are not willing to offer local talent the same benefits, salaries, and opportunities for growth as their “Western” counterparts. Until we do so, top talent will continue to look at the private sector for opportunities. 

At the core of our decision, is our sincere belief that having the top executive leadership of the organization close to our operations will present greater opportunities to better serve refugee girls and young women. In fact, we have seen it first-hand over the past year. By investing in having an executive-level position in Kenya through Geoffrey’s current Executive Director role, we were able to not only gracefully navigate the COVID-19 crisis but also build the organization’s capacity to grow. RefuSHE is now poised to expand the breadth and depth of our care and Geoffrey’s remarkable leadership was a key factor in making that possible. 

So what does that mean in practice for our headquarters in the U.S.? First, I will transition to a new role as Managing Director, which will continue to lead our headquarters. Then, our goal as a team will be to focus our efforts on amplifying the work of our Kenyan leadership, our programs, and the girls we serve by building relationships with funders to mobilize the resources and investments needed to support Geoffrey and our entire team in Kenya. 

Personally, I’m ecstatic about this new journey we are embarking upon. I believe deeply that our sector needs to think boldly and challenge the status quo. I’m thrilled to have RefuSHE lead by example. I hope you will join me and our entire RefuSHE team in celebrating how far we’ve come and the exciting new chapter that lies ahead under Geoffrey’s leadership! 

We can’t wait to share more with you about this journey. You will be hearing more from both Geoffrey and me soon.

Sincerely, 

Jailan Adly