Alisa M. Roadcup l Executive Director, Heshima Kenya
What inspired you to become a champion of Women Power?
I grew up Boulder, Colorado, surrounded by hippies and artists, as well as more conservative ways of thinking. My father was a minister, and I was proud of my family, with our generational legacy of service to others, and to God. But growing up in that tradition, I experienced a subtle dismissal of women that felt relentless. It was painful to be told that women were limited in how they could lead and show up in the world. I kept hoping that others would see the injustice, too. As a young woman, my personal mantra became, “If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.” I knew there was a better way, and I wanted to find that way. I began to seek out women leaders whose writing and thought leadership inspired me - women like bell hooks, Judith Simmer-Brown, Jamia Wilson, Katie Hnida, Anne K. Ream, Courtney Martin and Flannery O’Connor. Their presence and words nurtured and challenged me. My graduate studies in comparative religions led to human rights, and women’s rights, specifically. So upon completion of grad school, I went to work for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign, the first global women’s rights campaign. We took on issues like rape as a weapon of war and sexual violence against indigenous women. Since then, my career has been focused on the promotion and protection of women’s human rights and gender equality. I imagine a day when all women’s voices are not only heard, but also sought out, and respected.
What do you love about what you do?
When a refugee girl comes to Heshima Kenya, she is completely broken and alone. Through our community of sisterhood, education, and love, I see a powerful transformation. On my quarterly travels to Nairobi, I see first-hand the girls’ healing and recovery process. To witness a young woman who has overcome such tremendous odds, blossom into a confident leader, is what I love most about what I do. It’s a joy and privilege. Every day.
What are you looking forward to in the year ahead?
I was recently accepted into the International Summer School in Forced Migration at Oxford University, a course intensive that takes a theoretical approach to reflection on the challenges of the global refugee crisis. I am honored to be accepted and look forward to learning from exceptional practitioners’ in my field, and from around the world. In May, I’ll graduate from the Emerging Leaders Program at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. I’ve learned so much from every one of my cohort members. Each are uniquely steeped in our own area of expertise, and we all have extremely diverse interests. Though our program is coming to a close, I have a feeling we will all remain close even after we’ve completed the program.
Why do you support liftUPlift?
I support liftUPlift because when you empower a girl, you empower an entire community and generations beyond. When a young woman is given the tools to be financially independent and the support of loving community, she is given the greatest opportunity: to become a leader in her own right.