This summer, I completed my Leadership in Action project as a Programmes Research Intern for the WONDER Foundation, a global charity focused on empowering women and girls through digital tools and local partnerships. WONDER’s mission is to drive grassroots change in tackling social issues affecting women across various regions. My responsibilities spanned projects such as mapping youth work impact in the UK and reporting on digital nursing training in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

What did my project entail?

One of the key projects I worked on was titled "Maximising the Potential of Youth Work: Investing in Young People, Empowering Parents, Inspiring Youth Workers," aimed at addressing social inequalities affecting migrant youth in London. I focused on parental engagement to foster social integration, especially for families facing educational and cultural challenges. My tasks involved conducting in-person interviews with migrant women, mainly from Latin America, as well as stakeholders, including the Baytree Centre, one of WONDER’s partners. This conveyed first-hand the challenges faced by these communities, and how stakeholders can work to remedy them.

I transcribed these interviews, translating the findings from Spanish, before systematically interpreting the qualitative findings to update the project database. I leveraged CoLoop, a digital tool for transcribing and analysing qualitative data, which wields AI to highlight key trends in qualitative data. As the project culminated, I synthesised my findings, complemented by academic research, in a report and blog post for the website. These insights inform educational policies and will hopefully go forward to underpin future initiatives, making it clear that evidence-based approaches can enhance the quality and effectiveness of charity work.

Another significant project was the Turing Project, the first digital nurse training initiative for women in the DRC. In collaboration with the Turing Foundation, WONDER launched a three-year project at the Institut Supérieur en Sciences Infirmières (ISSI) to train 40 young women as nurses and establish the first Learning Management System (LMS) for nursing in the country. Although various stages of the project had been implemented, a cohesive report was needed. I compiled project briefs, partner correspondence, and reports into a comprehensive document using CoLoop to ensure all data aligned with WONDER’s goals.

How did engaging with different stakeholders shape my experience, leadership growth, and the long-term impact of my project?

At WONDER, I engaged with a diverse group of stakeholders, including partner organizations, migrant communities, and the women we served. A highlight was attending the Lambeth Community Research Network event with my supervisor, Conzuelo, where we discussed building trust within underrepresented communities as they become apathetic due to being over-questioned and under-championed. The event underscored the role of pooling resources to streamline the research pipeline and underscored WONDER’s role not only as a charity but as an innovative research hub.

WONDER consistently leverages existing local systems, whether supporting chocolate production in Ivory Coast through a partnership with Tony’s Chocolonely or nursing in Kenya, WONDER’s projects are always attuned to the local economy and context. Furthermore, intimate relationships with local partners mean that WONDER implements sustainable policy solutions. For instance, speaking with partners in India highlighted the perilous reality for women at night, suggesting manning telephone stalls would not be feasible. By tailoring solutions to local contexts and prioritizing community involvement, WONDER’s projects foster resilience and continuity even after external support winds down.

What lessons did I learn from working in a new environment?

Working with WONDER challenged me to adapt quickly to new cultures, languages, and communication styles. My Spanish skills enabled a more personal connection with migrant women, reinforcing the importance of respecting local cultures and languages to build trust. Conzuelo’s mentorship taught me the value of inclusive leadership, as she treated me as an equal in the research process. This is one in many examples of great leadership I witnessed, and a model of collaboration I hope to emulate going forward.

Conversations with Olivia Darby, the Chief Programmes Officer who supervised my work on the Turing project, also shed light on the inherently entrepreneurial role of founding and running a charity. I learned that transparency about challenges and failures is often overlooked in the charity sector, yet it can serve as a valuable learning opportunity for future initiatives. For instance, openly discussing obstacles like donor limitations or cultural resistance helped WONDER improve its strategies and find innovative solutions, such as cryptocurrency-based fundraising. By embracing honesty and learning from setbacks, WONDER created an environment that encouraged continuous improvement and adaptability.

This experience also deepened my appreciation for the role of data in driving impact. Through my work with CoLoop, I saw how data could illuminate hidden trends and guide policy decisions. WONDER’s collaborative culture, fostered by weekly team roundtables, means that skills are shared, and the latest AI updates are transmitted for optimal impact.

Despite being a small charity, WONDER’s impact extends across various initiatives. For instance, a project with the EU is helping revive the cashew industry in Kilifi, Kenya, addressing poverty cycles in the area. Beyond economic benefits, these projects challenge cultural mores while frustrating cycles of poverty, as seen in the DRC, where limited opportunities often lead young women into early marriages or sex work. WONDER’s Turing Project, providing digital nursing training, offers these women both personal and economic agency.

 Through my project experience, I saw first-hand how WONDER’s small-scale initiatives can revolutionise communities. Looking forward, I am inspired to carry the leadership skills I developed—empathy, adaptability, and data-informed decision-making—into future roles. My experience has deepened my understanding of social impact work, cementing my commitment to advancing economic and social equity.

 Thank you to everyone at Laidlaw and WONDER for a powerful experience!