81. The Story of Rising Above the Storms - Alphonsine Anderson and Devin Hood

Meet Alphonsine. She may be the world's bravest sister. During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, her parents and two siblings were killed in the conflict leaving her to raise three younger siblings under the age of 10. It's a harrowing story of survival, chasing educational dreams and eventually landing her dream job at Cisco. Today, she's talking about paying her good fortune forward through a new nonprofit benefiting Rwandan children, and she's even brought a board member into the discussion. Love and hope reign supreme in this chat.

Episode Highlights

• Alphonsine’s Story (5:00)
• Alphonsine’s resilience and how she rose above the storm (9:00)
• Alphonsine’s education and journey to the United States (14:00)
• “Education is a top priority for me because of what it has done for me.” (15:50)
• The founding story and mission of Rising Above the Storms (17:30)
• The story behind the name of Rising Above the Storms (20:30)
• Devin’s connection to the mission and how she became involved (22:00)
• Rising Above the Storm’s digital strategy and what Devin is bringing to the organization (27:00)
• Start with your audience. Hone in on how to market to them (29:00)
• How COVID pushed them to move into the digital space to create a virtual fundraising event (30:00)
• An overview of the programs within Rising Above the Storms and how they change lives through a message of hope, advocacy for orphans, and empowerment through education (33:00)
• Impactful stories of philanthropy in Alphonsine and Devin’s lives (40:00)
• Alphonsine’s One Good Thing: You don’t have to change the world. You don’t have to change a town. Have an impact on 1 person.
• Devin’s One Good Thing: Networking is the single most important thing you can do to get knowledge and awareness out there. Be vulnerable and network.

For more information and episode details visit: www.weareforgood.com/episode/81

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