Lisa’s Impact Trip

This June, our U.S. team had the privilege of welcoming Lisa Myers to our team as Director of Donor Engagement. As part of the Untold team, all new hires are given the opportunity to travel to East Africa to witness our work firsthand within the first year of employment and are encouraged to return every few years after. The nature of our work can be intense, and for those of us far away from where it’s happening, it’s important that we stay connected to the reality of life for our clients and team members.

For our last few new hires, their first impact trip was within the first six months of employment. For Lisa, the opportunity presented itself in her first 30 days. Lisa tagged along on an Impact Trip to Nairobi and was excited to give a glimpse into what she experienced during her time in East Africa.

Before I went on my Impact Trip, I read a lot of client stories and watched several videos, so I knew what Untold’s programs were all about and the transformation that they helped to facilitate.  But being there in person really allowed me to experience all the intangible elements to the stories — those things that make all of our stories relatable. 

The hesitation of a client in the early stages of the program, the pride of a client welcoming visitors into their home, the excitement of a graduate discussing their new business — all of these sentiments feel universal and show just how much we all share in common. I loved the opportunity to sit and listen to the plans and dreams of a newly graduated woman and to pray with her and praise with her over her future.  In an economic empowerment session, I was able to encourage a shy young woman to participate in the cooking demonstration with me, since neither one of us knew what we were doing! 

Once I felt so connected to each of the people I met, it was hard to not be rooting for them and to cheer on all of their successes.  And yet, I also realized how little patience I have in appreciating the humanness of people I meet in my everyday life at home.

The “impact” that my Impact Trip made on me is the reminder to find the humanness in everyone, to empathize with the sorrows and setbacks that are familiar to each of us, to delight in all the wins, and if I can, to help make those wins happen whenever possible.

Do you want to learn more about the Impact Trip experience? Reach out to Lisa at lisa@untold.org.