Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Leonard.
Leah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Like most of us, my journey has had its fair share of twists and turns. In 2009, I volunteered to teach and travel in Tanzania, East Africa. I discovered firsthand the disparity between public and private elementary education there:
– Private elementary schools teach in both Swahili and English, while public schools only teach in Swahili.
– Secondary school is always taught in English.
– You can only attend if you pass a huge exam in 7th grade, otherwise your education is over. So not fair!
My local teacher friends and an entire community of parents felt the same way. Boom: purpose ignited. This led to a beautiful 13-year collaboration with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, teachers, parents, and donors. Together, we built and opened a new ‘charter’ public elementary school on land the village had set aside: Kisimani School. Local teachers teach in English, preparing students to continue their education, and the school is thriving beyond all expectations!
Today, Kisimani School is ranked #1 academically in the region and has maintained an astounding 100% graduation rate 5 years in a row and counting. Talk about growth, right? I get asked all the time: How did you do it? Well, I trusted that the community I was collaborating with knew what it needed best. And I trusted my intuition to show me the next right step. Did I have a million dollars? No. Did I have unlimited time? No. Did I want to give? Yes.
So, I considered my motivation and core values, pointed myself toward the true north, and made the leap! Did we know 13 years ago that we would make such an impact on 10,000+ lives halfway across the world? Nope! When I went to Tanzania, I went with an open heart, an open mind, and no agenda. The rest took care of itself. (Including a hefty learning curve on my part.) When the why is big enough, the ‘how’ will present itself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Creativity, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy have so much in common, in my opinion. Bringing an idea to life, enrolling others in your vision for something you believe in but have no evidence of yet, and betting on yourself to be the one that stewards this vision into reality – it can be daunting. I navigate imposter syndrome almost daily and have to laugh and remind myself that we all deal with that – it’s just part of being human.
If I’m not asking myself, “Who am I to be taking all of this on? Does my voice really matter here?” then I’m not stretching and growing. It takes courage to put yourself out there and believe that you have what it takes to bring something new to life and to navigate the unknowns of the process with grace.
Remembering to take the work I do seriously, but never to take myself too seriously always helps me snap out of it when I start down that “Who am I to be doing this?” train of thought. A good laugh, and lightening up always make it a little easier to stay the course.
Bumping up against everything you do not yet know can be a tricky path to walk on – and if I had seen what was coming my way when we got started, I probably never would have started! Having a learner’s mindset and willingness to acknowledge when I was out of my depth, or needed to either up-skill or bring in support has been a huge foundational piece in my ability to grow, seek out new challenges, and hopefully put my own gifts to use for the greater good.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MOVED Consulting and Travel?
These days, I hear a lot of discourse around values-aligned work and envisioning new pathways for philanthropy, and in the middle of the conversation are regular folks wondering, ‘How can I help?’ and ‘Will my efforts really make a difference’? There are so many tears in the fabric of the world today, and I believe that most of us want to play our own part in stitching them up. But it can feel overwhelming, and difficult for most of us to prioritize where we focus our attention and resources.
Following the success and scale of our story at Kisimani School in Tanzania, I realized that I could either continue to contribute within the limits of my abilities as one individual or find a way to engage and empower others to imagine how they might help repair the world in their own way while doing no harm to those they are intending to help. I am always learning and launched MOVED in order to invite others to learn alongside me – I can’t wait to see what they will do.
Through MOVED Consulting’s programs and travel experiences, I help regular people identify their most abundant ‘giving currency’ – and set them on the path to spending it generously. I believe that there is a philanthropist in all of us and the traditional archetypes of what it looks like to ‘give back’ aren’t always one size fits all.
It’s important to empower ALL of us to know which of our giving currency accounts are ‘flush’, so we can get out there and participate in positive change exactly where we’re meant to, and do so in a way that honors the human dignity of everyone involved. We have two travel experiences to Tanzania this year coming up, as well as brand new workshops, group programs, and coaching offerings to activate our most generous selves – and spend that ‘giving currency’ where it matters most.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
So many!
Podcasts:
– Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher
– The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish
– On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Books:
– the Go-Giver by Bob Burg
– the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
– Great Leaders Ask Great Questions by John Maxwell
– Uncharitable by Dan Pallotta
– The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
I also swear by my BestSelf Planner, and ClickUp for project management to help keep my multi-passionate, ADHD brain organized! I love the Calm app for guided meditation, and ThinkUp for hearing positive self-talk and affirmations in my own voice. Our wellness community at Arbonne always keeps me on track with a healthy lifestyle that requires zero extra brainpower, so I can just fuel up with clean nutrition and get on with my goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: leahleonard.me
- Instagram: @leahwagnerleonard
- Facebook: @leahwagnerleonard
- Linkedin: @leahwagnerleonard
- Other: www.friendsofkisimani.org
Image Credits
Laura Penner, Living Potential Photography, and Jewel Afflerbaugh (Essence Sessions)
