“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. Maybe many of us won’t be here to greet her, but on a quiet day, if I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing.”

– Arundhati Roy

An Innovation and A Deepened Commitment, Together

The African continent and Changemaker leaders hold massive untapped potential for a profound kind of leadership, agency, and social change.

Strong Roots Together is an innovative initiative designed with this recognition, and with a commitment to advance Changemaker Leadership. Strong Roots Together is a capacity building process with Changemakers which includes exploring, listening, mutual learning, and deepening cross- cultural understanding.

While many organizations tend to focus primarily on their particular intersection with a partner’s project, The Strong Roots Together initiative provides African Road with a new thought partnership. This innovation in partnership elevates and advances African leadership and wisdom, sparking exponential impact for their communities and for the world.

We invite targeted investment in the Strong Roots Together, Advancing Changemaker Leadership initiative in order to strategically elevate each Changemaker’s vision and to expand and strengthen their organizational and personal resources to achieve their goals.  Strong Roots funding makes it possible to provide coaching and strategic planning resources, identify gaps to be filled and most culturally suitable and cost effective methods to do so. We are determined to see that each Changemaker will have the skills, systems, documentation and structure to fully amplify their unique wisdom. to expand their reach and to transform many, many more lives.

 While historically African Road has worked with each Changemaker and their local organizations and contexts on an individual basis, the Strong Roots Together includes a new recognition of the power and potential of bringing the Changemakers together. Creating opportunity and space for Changemakers to share their unique knowledge, experience, challenges, innovative ideas and problem solving skills with other has created a strong Changemaker Cohort. Exchanging experiences and seeking perspective and support within the Changemaker Cohort brings profound encouragement, valuable insight and new energy and possibilities to the forefront. 

Strong Roots Together changes all of us. The initiative also includes a commitment on the part of African Road to continue our own learning and shaping as an organization. This is learning for the purpose of improving our own partnership model, our cross cultural fluency and proceeding with an open and adaptable spirit as we grow together. 

Strong Roots Together, Advancing Changemaker Leadership, is the face of the future. 

We are taking action and we are together. The time is now!

Supercharging Great Leaders

Redistribution of Power

Strong, Agile Futures

Vibrant Sustainability

African Changemakers and Design team

Eliya Wilbert →

Tanzania

The Strong Roots Together Story

Strong Roots Together, Advancing Changemaker Leadership, was born out of the African Road value for and commitment to learn together. It began with a pilot for discovery which we called The Learning Consultancy.

As African Road looks to the future, we are working to create expanded sustainability and replicable frameworks. As we do this, we hold firm to our DNA of walking together with our Changemaker partners. We don’t make significant organizational decisions by ourselves in an office in Oregon. We strive to shape the future togetherThis value led to an inaugural Changemaker Gathering in Kenya in April 2023 in response to Changemakers request for a future vision process. The seven Changemakers joined together for four days with African Road staff members Kelly Bean and Portia Manjengwa, board member Dr. Teresa Gipson and consultant/facilitator Jen Lemen.

Our shared intention was to look back over the years of African Road partnership together, to hear from the Changemakers as they look to the future, and discover where we could improve. The Changemakers invited us to explore their hopes, needs and dreams and walk with them to help them become more self-sustaining. They asked for support to gain the skills needed to see their big dreams become a reality. We knew this would guide the necessary steps to further formalize our work and partnerships in a way that would bring further flourishing, resilience and the ability to replicate with respect and positive impact.

This first Changemaker gathering sparked the exciting formation of the Changemakers as a Cohort rather than just as individual leaders. It also prompted a dynamic and deep investment in a learning process together. We called this process, The Learning Consultancy. The Learning Consultancy was co-created with consultant Jen Lemen. This led to a remarkable process with multiple ‘deep dive’ explorations with each Changemaker, additional Cohort gatherings and profound discoveries. Two years following that catalytic first Cohort gathering, The Learning Consultancy, with a full body of guiding documents and discoveries, was integrated permanently into the African Road organization. The Changemakers chose a new name for this deeply significant step; Strong Roots Together, Advancing Changemaker Leadership.

Strong Roots Together is now a permanent initiative at the heart of African Road. We are taking steps to implement, adapt, fund and communicate the vision and commitment of Strong Roots Together. The power and potential of what will become possible has us fully engaged and working with vigor to continue learning, and advancing Changemaker leadership.

Through onsite visits to the Changemakers work in East Africa, one-to-one mentoring and deep dive retreats, Jen worked collaboratively with the Changemakers to identify cultural gaps that can be closed, next steps that can be taken to supercharge and accelerate progress along with exactly what kind of organizational development work is needed for each Changemaker to achieve their goals through customized capacity and skill building. 

Jen worked closely with each Changemaker and with Kelly Bean and Portia Manjengwa to map out long term vision. At the same time she was able to help each one identify how personalized wisdom and intellectual property can be operationalized according to each Changemaker’s unique vision. This includes the potential for opening up new avenues of revenue and support.

Jen remains a valued consultant who has established trusted relationships with each Changemaker. Her keen insight and visionary perspective can be incorporated on a per project basis as we all continue to learn and grow for the best outcomes.

The powerful insights and organizational maps discovered through The Learning Consultancy, pave the way for Strong Roots Together– this shapes the future, for African Road, and for the Changemakers together, and as individuals with unique, dynamic work to bring forward in the world.

Advisors and Collaborators

*Designed by Jen Lemen in 2014, the EDGE Learning Model helps learners identify and articulate their unique bodies of work that have emerged from field-tested practice, long-term consistency and continuous input from the communities they serve.

Strong Roots Together, honors the wisdom and sound leadership of African Changemakers and provides a powerful and sustainable roadmap forward for all.