In this episode, Sam sits down with Maureen Chege, a Kenyan leader and Abundant Leadership Institute alumna who spent nearly 20 years in Burundi, to talk about leading across cultures. Maureen shares how a casual visit became a calling, the challenges of language, culture, and being seen as an outsider, and the principles that helped her thrive: knowing your purpose and building authentic relationships. She ends by offering advice for those developing leaders.

Meet Your Host -
Sam Birondwa, Africa Director of Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions

Special Guest -
Maureen Chege, Leadership Coach and Abundant Leadership Institute Alumna

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

In this episode, Richard sits down with Everlyne, a field partner with Hungry for Life International and an Abundant Leadership Institute alumna, to talk about empowering marginalized women and families in Western Kenya. Everlyne shares how Kurumbuka’s asset-based approach, one that looks first at what communities already bring, has helped women move from dependence to running their own businesses, savings groups, and farms.

Meet Your Host -
Richard Taylor, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions

Special Guest -
Everlyne Imbenzi, Founder of Imbenzi Foundation and Field Partner with Hungry for Life International

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

In this episode, Richard sits down in Kenya with Rev. David Ewagata, a leader with over 30 years of experience working with youth, to talk about East Africa's next generation. The region has one of the youngest populations in the world and enormous potential, but young people face broken families, disillusionment with leadership, and a lack of gospel transformation. They close with four pieces of wisdom for young leaders.

Meet Your Host -
Richard Taylor, Co-founder and Executive Director of Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions.

Special Guest -
Rev. David Ewagata - Co-founder and Director of YHub NetworX.

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

In this episode, Sam sits down with Najele Otieno, a Kenyan leader and ALI alumnus, to talk about servant leadership and the role of young people in shaping Kenya’s future. Najele shares how his suffering from a life-changing injury gave him a heart of compassion, and how the 2024 Gen Z protests led him to start training young leaders. He’s passionate about transformational servant leadership and hopes to see a new generation of leaders who care first about service.

Meet Your Host -
Sam Birondwa, Africa Director at Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions

Special Guest -
Najele Otieno, Founder of Transformational Servant Leadership Africa and an Abundant Leadership Institute alumnus.

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

In this Season 2 finale, Erica opens up about her journey into asset-based community development and shares what she got wrong before she got it right. She and Sam explore why ABCD is the deepest form of localization - placing leadership not just with African-led organizations, but with communities themselves.

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

Most people enter development work because they want to help, but what if good intentions aren’t enough?

In this episode, Erica and Sam examine the shift from fixer to facilitator, unpacking why taking over development, even with the best motives, communicates that communities can't lead themselves. From the trap of paternalism to the three phases of ABCD support, they walk through what it actually looks like to create ownership rather than hold on to control, and why our goal should be to work ourselves out of a job.

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Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

What actually makes communities grow? Not outside resources, not expert interventions, but the assets, relationships, and leadership already inside a community.
In this episode, Erica and Sam walk us through the 5 Principles of Asset-Based Community Development, showing what each one looks like in practice and revealing why lasting change happens when communities are seen as capable and trusted to lead themselves.

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Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.

In this episode, Erica and Sam ask: What if using the wrong development model is doing more harm than good? Drawing on real experiences in Africa, they break down three approaches - relief, rehabilitation, and development - and explore how treating every situation like a crisis unintentionally creates dependency rather than lasting change. They then introduce the mindset shift at the heart of ABCD, moving from seeing communities as half-empty to recognizing the strengths already present.

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Visit www.kurumbuka.org/podcast for more resources or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Take the next step in your leadership journey by attending one of our programs: www.kurumbuka.org/programs.