Seven VVLead fellows from five countries gathered in New Delhi, India to participate in the latest VVLead peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange program. The program centered on facilitating opportunities for fellows to connect, learn and collaborate through staff-led trainings, facilitated dialogue, fellow-driven sessions, and networking.
Hear three fellows perspectives on what they gained from this exchange:
Rekha Kurup, India
“Serving as a VVLead fellow is the highlight of my year. The guidance and resources provided by the program have inspired me to reflect and refine my dream. I got a chance to redefine my driving force and true purpose in this world.
During the P2P exchange, I personally experienced VVLead’s motto – Learn, Connect and Collaborate. This was a truly powerful way to learn. We bonded despite belonging to vastly different regions, cultures and ethnicities of the world. These deep connections and collaborations were very profound and left me truly humbled.
I realized that women can be the drivers of solutions. For some reason, this is not apparent to us on an individual level. But when we are brought together and able to reflect on our strengths and wisdom, it transforms us. We attended the exchange as ten separate individuals but left as one powerful force that was ready to act!”
Manisha Dookhony, Mauritius
“I believe women can stand on their own feet if they are economically empowered. At the VVLead Fellowship in India I got a chance to meet other women like me with a similar vision.
I work in Africa to aid the efforts of women entrepreneurs and expand their business by mentoring them. The other fellows I interacted with also worked to empower women both socially and economically. We came from very different backgrounds and had diverse goals, but on the first day we connected. We discovered the power of collaboration. We learned a lot from each other, brainstormed together and opened our minds to the different ways of inspiring women. I realized that we were all working towards the same goal – providing robust opportunities for women to grow.
I am thankful to Vital Voices for including me in such a valuable program. I hope that VVLead continues to make a positive impact on the lives of fellows like me.”
Tina Razafinimanana, Madagascar
“It’s always great to be among a group of women who have the same passion as you. It is even more exciting to collaborate on women’s empowerment issues and that is exactly how I felt with my fellow VVLead participants. Every question I had was answered by their valuable inputs as they shared their unique experiences. The peer to peer exchange was a rejuvenating journey. I was in a safe space with peers who supported and helped me reflect on my journey as a woman, my drive to contribute to woman’s issues and sense of mission to bring real change.“