The document summarizes the 2015 Women's Leadership Retreat hosted by the Global Livingston Institute at Entusi Resort & Retreat Center in Uganda from June 8-11, 2015. More than 20 women leaders from the US and East Africa attended to discuss overcoming challenges and building relationships. Participants included those in government, private sector, non-profits, and academia. The retreat encouraged dialogue on empowering women and making positive social change. Several attendees commented on the value of learning from other women's experiences and building their own leadership skills.

1. The Global Livingston Institute
The 2015 Women's
Leadership Retreat
[June 8th- June 11th, 2015]
T
he four-day conference
at Entusi Resort &
Retreat Center at Lake
Bunyonyi, Uganda, focused
on collaborative thinking and
dialogue between influential
women from the United
States and East Africa. More
than twenty women leaders
including individuals working
in government, the private
sector, nonprofit sector and
academic community were in
attendance. The U.S. delegation
represented entities such as
Colorado State University, the
El Pomar Foundation, and local
governmentinColoradoSprings,
among others. The delegation
from East Africa consisted
of human rights activists,
entrepreneurs, doctors and
leaders in education. The
retreat engaged participants
in dialogue about overcoming
challenges confronting them
to reach their potential goals.
The conversation also set the
stage for participants to share
their own stories with others
while supporting one another
and building relationships.
Human Right’s Activist, Agnes
Igoye said, “I’ve learned so
much from everybody else, the
ideas, the questions because
we are all striving for one thing:
to make this world a better
place. In each profession we
are in, whatever angle you are,
it’s about teaching people,
touching people’s lives." This
year's retreat was co-chaired by
Dorothy Ngalombi and Dr. Linda
Bunnell. We are so greatful for
their leadership and support.
...TO BE A WOMAN
EMPOWERED.
THE 3RD ANNUAL
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
RETREAT BROUGHT
COMMUNITY LEADERS
TOGETHER TO
DISCUSS WHAT IT
MEANS...
Photo by: Mark Broste
Pictured below, participants enjoy time to con-
verse in a small group with Dr. Catherine Apio.
At dusk, participants listen to Clare Byarugaba,
LGBT and Social Activist based in Uganda.
| Twitter: @listenthinkact | FB: www.facebook.com/globallivingston |

2. What is your advice to women
pursuing leadership roles?
D
on’t wait until you have all of the answers to then step forward. Just start stepping forward. The
other thing is that I believe working, works. We're not in a place where we can just begin with
instant credibility, instant influence and working at things. Taking an action opens up lot of doors.
So, don’t wait for someone to tell you how to do something… Create the opportunity.”
LIZ INGABIRE
Teacher at Hope Haven, Rwanda
"THE WOMEN’S RETREAT IS ANOTHER WAY TO GET MORE KNOWLEDGE
AND ALSO SEE MORE POWERFUL WOMEN, WHAT THEY DO, WHAT THEY
THINK IS POSSIBLE. ALSO IT HELPS ME MENTOR OTHER PEOPLE USING
THE KNOWLEDGE I GET FROM HERE, BECAUSE I PASS IT ON. ITS NOT
ONLY MY STORY BUT OTHER PEOPLES STORY…”
“LOVE AND HAPPINESS COMES TO
THOSE WHO NEVER GIVE UP ON
THEIR FAITH. NO MATTER HOW HARD
THE SITUATION IS, TOMORROW IS A
DIFFERENT DAY… SO EVERY WOMAN,
TO WIN OR BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE,
JUST TRUST AND BELIEVE, WORK HARD
AND THEN PEOPLE WILL BE SURPRISED
AND SEE YOU AS A HERO OR A GOOD
WOMAN. NO MATTER YOUR AGE, YOUR
SIZE, OR YOUR APPEARANCE YOU CAN
BE SOMEONE’S INSPIRATION.”
P
riscillah holds a bachelor’s degree in
finance and has experience in social
work and administration. She is pursuing
a master’s degree as a social scientist at
Mahatma Gaudy University. (Pictured on the
far left with Stephanie and Sarah Meyers.)
Teacher at Hope
Haven, RwandaPRISCILLAH KEMBABAZI
-AIMEE COX
Photo by: Mark Broste
Photo by: Mark Broste

3. How were the men involved?
DEANNA LEONE
MEN WERE ALSO INVITED INTO THE CONVERSATION!
The Women's Retreat was not exclusive to women. Men attended and
were asked to share their ideas. Sanjay Shah, Bill and Liam Myers,
Kyle, Logan, Aiden, and Liam Hybl were among the men from the US
represented at the retreat. Agnes Igoye was especially excited about
the men's involvement. She said, "I want to acknowledge the men that
have done things in our lives. We are who we are because of some man
somewhere. My own father sent me to school, he stood up and defied
the odds beyond that ridicule. It could be your brother, it could be that
teacher that believed in you, so don’t forget that in our journeys we also
have men as supporters. .”
“WOMEN SHOULD TAKE BACK POWER,
THEY SHOULD OWN POWER, THEY
SHOULD OWN THEIR BODIES, THEY
SHOULD OWN THEIR SEXUALITY,
THEY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF
BEING POWERFUL OR BEING OUT OF
THE ORDINARY. THEY SHOULD NOT
CONFORM BECAUSE CONFORMITY
BENEFITS EVERYONE, EXCEPT THEM.”
Clare is an LGBT Activist based in Uganda.
She worked as the coordinator of the
Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights
and Constitutional Law, a coalition that
successfully fought the anti-homosexuality
bill. She is currently the convener of PFLAG-
Uganda, a support group aimed at fostering
dialogue between parents and their LGBT
children. In addition, Clare is also an advisor
to the World Bank on LGBT issues for the
East African Region.
What are the most important
qualities in a leader?
“I BELIEVE LEADERSHIP IS A PROCESS OF PEOPLE COMING
TOGETHER TOWARD POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE. SO FOR ME,
I BELIEVE THE QUALITIES OR SKILLS A LEADER NEEDS ARE
COMPASSION, OPENNESS TO LEARNING, WILLINGNESS TO
HEAR ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES, AND THE ABILITY TO
CRITICALLY THINK…”
Through her education and professional career Deanna found her
passion for interdisciplinary learning and experiential education.
Deanna works as the Program Director for the President’s Leadership
Program at Colorado State University where she has created learning
opportunities and generated global learning opportunities.
Ph.D, Education & Human
Resource Studies
“THE MOST QUALITY THING FOR A
LEADER I THINK IS PATIENCE. WE ALL
HAVE DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND
THEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT ATTITUDES
TOWARDS WORK. SO IF YOU'RE REALLY
PATIENT WHEN YOU'RE IN CHARGE I
THINK ITS ONE OF THE BEST BECAUSE
YOU GIVE SOMEONE TIME TO PROVE HIM
OR HERSELF RIGHT OR WRONG, I THINK
ITS PATIENCE.”
“... MY ADVICE TO GIRLS IS TO BE
DETERMINED AND TO HAVE GOALS IN
THEIR LIFE. TO WORK HARD AND SMART."
PAMELA TUSIIME
Company Founder & Owner, Uganda
Deanna Leone and Pamela Tusiime pictured below.
CLARE BYARUGABALGBT & Social Activist, Uganda

4. HUMAN TRAFFICKING EXPERT
& SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Photo by: Mark Broste
"
Some issues, you can think are just too
big. Like when I shared about human
trafficking, where do you start? It effect’s
every country, it effects many people, when you
say like 800 people have been effected this year,
it’s like what? There’s billions of dollars to be made, girls
are tracked for sexual exploitation, where am I as just one
person? What can I do about it? But you know what, those
small steps that we make, if everybody did that small step
and then you add those steps together, and it becomes huge,
and that’s how movements are born. Like
I said, we are all gifted differently. If you
have a big mouth like I do, then talk about
it. If you can sing, sing about it, if you have
influence, write about it, if there’s something in
your community that’s not right, do something about it.
And most importantly, is to empower ourselves. Learn more
about that subject or that issue, learn more about human
trafficking, what is it? Those little steps, those little things
we do collectively add up into something huge."- Agnes Igoye
AGNES IS THE DEPUTY CHAIR OF
THE NATIONAL PREVENTION OF
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
OFFICE-UGANDA AND THE
TRAINING MANAGER
AT THE DIRECTORATE
OF CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION
CONTROL. AGNES IS
ALSO THE FOUNDER
OF THE HUTS FOR PEACE
PROGRAM, A COMMUNITY
BASED INITIATIVE BY WOMEN WHO
HAVE SUFFERED GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE, REBUILDING THEIR
WAR-TORN COMMUNITIES IN
NORTHERN UGANDA.
Agnes Igoye
Photo by: Mark Broste
(One of the Architects of Entusi)
(US Mission to Uganda)
F
irst and foremost I like the beauty of
this place. For me whenever I come here,
relax, recharge, and on top of that meet
wonderful people, new people... And reflect.
-Dorothy Ngalombi
I
didn't have lot of expectations and I am just overwhelmed that it is as powerful
as it is. I would certainly talk it up to other people that it is a really powerful
experience and I think it is exactly what it says in terms of a retreat because
if you were trying to do this back in your life and go for a weekend somewhere
you would always be distracted by it but coming here your really focused on the
stories and taking something away from it.
-Joann Beaupre
Why come to the Women's Leadersip Retreat?
For more information about the GLI Women's Leadership
Retreat, please contact ryan@globallivingston.org
"You need power to
move things, you need
power for people to listen
to you, you need power to
drive community. Power
is good!"