January 1, 2021
My dear friends, what a year it has been. It has challenged us in so many ways, it has pushed us to the limits of our capacity. Too many people have lost love ones to the COVID-19 pandemic. Too many have seen their livelihood suffered for their lives were threatened, and too many of our children have lost out on their education, jeopardizing their futures. But through all of these challenges, I have seen much to be hopeful about; glimmer of lights shimmering through the dark. I have seen women leaders rising up across the African continent and around the world. They have served on the frontlines, leading their governments’ responses and caring for the vulnerable in their communities. We have shown a spotlight over some of these the COVID-19 heroines over the past few months but there are many more whose works go unsung. To them I say, we see you, we appreciate you; and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I have also been humbled to see the work of our inaugural cohorts of our Amujae leaders who began their journey together in March just before the pandemic hit our continent. They are now a family of sisters who have supported one another through this unprecedented year and provided inspiration to the next generation of women leaders coming up behind them.
As we look ahead to 2021 with hope on the horizon, we have an opportunity to harness the energy that has helped through this devastating period to build back better, to create a more inclusive, equitable world. This past year has been challenging, but it has also shown us the greatness that can be achieved when we worked together towards a common goal. Together, we can push back the frontier of possibilities, striving to create a future that is better than our past. There is still much to do. But for now, I wish you a happy and hopeful new year.
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