The Impact Compass

Episode 12: Youth Mental Health with Tom Osborn

Across the world, more than 250 million young people are facing mental health issues. 1 in 2 young people in Kenya are facing mental health issues primarily anxiety and depression. This should be declared a national disaster!  Youth mental health crisis should be a #1 public health priority! While it is impressive that young people are increasingly talking about mental health, they face high barriers to care, provider shortage, including severe service shortages (1 expert per 1 million people in Kenya), stigma, and underfunding. A novel solution is changing this… The Shamiri Institute has developed a solution for young people by young people to solve the mental health crisis.  At the core of this is Founder Tom Osborn who is a multiple award winner including the Forbes 30 Under 30 [https://www.forbes.com/consent/ketch/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2026/], 2026 Elevate Prize [https://elevateprize.org/] and a Fellow at TED [https://www.ted.com/participate/ted-fellows-program], Ashoka [https://www.ashoka.org/en-us], Echoing Green [https://echoinggreen.org/], Mulago [https://www.mulagofoundation.org/our-fellowships] etc.  Learning from his own experiences in high school, being bundled out of his own innovation that he started at barely 18 years, he weathered challenges ending up at Harvard and today has authored over 50 peer-reviewed papers in publications including in the JAMA Psychiatry [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry] and The Lancet. [https://www.thelancet.com/]  Through the Shamiri Institute, Tom is addressing youth mental health in Kenya and Africa through a combination of innovative approaches that will brigge the gap in mental health access for young people. These approaches include training of young people to offer peer based support, leveraging technology to increase access and rigorous research to build evidence for mental health intervention in Africa, acknowledging that current models are not built for the realities of the continent.  The Shamiri Institute is on the ascendancy and aims to reach 1,000,000 young people per year by 2031. You can learn more about Tom and this impressive work at www.shamiri.co [http://www.shamiri.co] or in the socials @TomOsborn

Episode 11: Development/ Fundraising with Cher-Wen DeWitt

2025 threw a curveball to the non-profit sector. The dismantling of USAID changed the funding landscape across the globe. Organizations had to pivot, and fundraising had to change. For people working in fundraising/ development, pressure mounted calling for new approaches.  In this episode, we get down with Cher-Wen Dewitt to talk about pivot in the funding landscape and what we can hope for the future. Cher-Wen is a cross-functional social impact strategist and philanthropic advisor with over 15 years of multi-sector roles in various organizations.  Current Director of Development at Imagine Worldwide, she is also a board member of Fundibots, Akirachix, and also served on the board of NEID (Network of Engaged International Donors). As a Global Health Corps Fellow, she has served with PIH in Rwanda, One Acre Fund, Flippable, and Segal Family Foundation. At the core of fundraising is a realisation that it is about people and relationships. Those on the donor/ funder side are people like us and what they’re yearning for is an understanding of what they do, their priorities, and how that can match that of a prospective innovator. When those things align, then funding can be unlocked. Conventional fundraising tip is to have a perfect pitch. The temptation is that when we meet a new prospect, we spew this memorized pitch and hardly stop to allow the other person to ask questions. She advises that we aim for a conversation.  Make the encounter human. “Do not waste an in-person opportunity with something that can be communicated in a document”, she says. This, among other nuggets, is what you can expect in this episode as you cut your teeth as an effective fundraiser and development professional. Let’s know what you think.

Episode 10: Leadership Transitions with Liz Jarman

According to McKinsey & Entrepreneur, nearly 1 in 2 leadership transitions fail within the first two years, and over half of new CEOs don’t make it past 18 months. The gravity of leadership transition is aptly captured by Liz when she says, “when transitions go wrong, it’s not just the new leader who struggles, the whole organisation suffers. Team performance drops, disengagement rises, and momentum stalls. This is why CEO transitions matter so much and why boards must step up. Succession isn’t just administrative. It’s strategic. It’s legacy-defining. It is a high stakes game!” Having served as the CEO of Living Goods [https://livinggoods.org/] and now running a successful enterprise Volante [https://volante.co.ke/], Liz walks us through her journey as CEO, her role in developing people and leading a successful leadership transition. A risk taker and always embracing change, she oversaw the growth of Living Goods [https://livinggoods.org/] to multiple countries, and a major shift in strategy that defines the organization today.  In thinking about transition, Liz asserts that thinking about transition should be at the start of the job! “The best CEOs think about this at the beginning because it defines the kind of legacy you want to leave”, she quips.  Looking at the organization cycles such as strategic plan cycles, funding cycles etc could be good markers on how to time a leadership transition. It is great to leave when things are going well. The process is as important as the plan. She advises. Think about the decisions to be made, by when, and if possible create sufficient time to plan and execute.  Get an external facilitator to help navigate the sensitive conversations. When the candidate is eventually found, give them a break before they step into the role. On the same note, normalize succession planning in the organization so that conversations on transition take place at all levels.  Stepping into being a CEO is tough so be deliberate in providing support to the new leader.  For those currently playing the role, be intentional about curving out time for reflection, develop a support circle of peer leaders that you check in with regularly, take up physical exercise, listen and talk to people, save for the transition and when the time comes, you can look back to that time with pride. You can connect with Liz to hear more on this and get support from the range of services she provides on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-jarman-1a39418/] or  liz.jarman@volante.co.ke [liz.jarman@volante.co.ke]

Episode 9: Inclusive Health and Education with Maria Omare

More than a billion people live with a disability globally, and this number is increasing. In this episode, we talk to Maria Omare, who is the Founder and Executive Director of The Action Foundation [https://theactionfoundationkenya.org/].  Maria founded The Action Foundation as a college student and has dedicated her life to working with and improving the lives of people with disabilities. Founded 15 years ago, The Action Foundation today serves communities across Kenya working closely with the government at national and sub-national levels to create systems that enable people with disabilities to participate in public life, receive essential public services and live more fulfilling lives. The many successes have come from building allies in government, increasing community awareness and participation, and building a movement of disability advocates from the ground up. Maria is transforming disability work in the region and creating systems that deliver for people with disabilities. Acknowledging the challenges that come with founding an organization and leading the work, she advises people embarking on this journey to be fully aware of their “why”. It is the “why” that will carry you through moments of loneliness, times when money is not coming through, and when you are just about to give up, your “why” shall remain your true North Star. As Nietzsche said … “he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how” With stubborn optimism, she concludes that…. “It is possible to change our communities and fix some of the challenges that we are experiencing within our lifetimes. We are the ones the world has been waiting for.  No one is coming to solve any problems for us. Let’s not allow cynicism to disillusion us or believe that nothing can change and that things will always remain the same. With the right attitude, the right dream, knowing why you are doing what you are doing and with the right kind of support, we can create a better world”. To learn more about the incredible work that Maria and The Action Foundation are doing, you can connect with Maria on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-omare-34948735/] or visit their website www.https://theactionfoundationkenya.org/ [about:blank]

Episode 8: Sabbaticals, Extended Leave and Career Breaks - A Deep Dive

In this episode, I am sharing my reflections from the sabbatical that I have recently taken from my work. My insights also drew inspiration from an article in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), “The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals [https://hbr.org/2023/02/research-the-transformative-power-of-sabbaticals]” by Kira Schabram, Matt Bloom, and DJ DiDonna, as well as “The Sabbatical Project [https://thesabbaticalproject.org/].” The episode explores in detail what it means to go on a sabbatical, how to make sabbaticals more meaningful, and how organizations can make this an important practice that helps staff renew, grow, and give back to the organization. Being on the job for a long period of time may lead to cynicism, business as usual, or burnout. Sabbatical or extended leave can be a powerful tool for dealing with these, as well as enabling employees to become more productive and contribute to longevity. Three types of sabbatical exist, which can yield different results for employees. Working holidays, free dives, and quests. By being intentional on sabbatical or extended leave, organisations can reduce burnout and increase productivity and retention. Whether this benefit should be available to all staff or not is a question of debate - the bottom line is, a sabbatical is important.  Organisations are key to making sabbaticals a reality for staff. Taking a break from work shouldn’t be a choice between being employed and not. As DJ DiDonna aptly captures it … “a sabbatical is more than a vacation, it’s a sacred human ritual for what you want to do differently in life—even if for just a little while” You can also learn more by listening to TEDx Talks [https://youtube.com/@tedx?si=KDgy1PthnhXK7CHI] on this subject. References  The Sabbatical Project - https://thesabbaticalproject.org/ [https://thesabbaticalproject.org/] Harvard Business Review - The Transforming Power of Sabbaticals - https://hbr.org/2023/02/research-the-transformative-power-of-sabbaticals [https://hbr.org/2023/02/research-the-transformative-power-of-sabbaticals] TEDx - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp7_mXYIH4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRp7_mXYIH4]