The Power of Community: Konseye Members Reflect on a Year of Impact (PART 4)

Hello Friends,

Happy Monday! As we continue our December focus on community, we’ve been celebrating the incredible journeys of our Konseye members, each of whom reminded us how vision and mentorship can drive meaningful impact. This week, we’re turning the spotlight to Akinwande Olubodun and Barbara (Babi) Amaral who are shaping change in their unique ways, from driving economic growth to championing sustainability.

Meet Babi Amaral (Brazil) - CEO, Make Space Project

Any exciting projects you’ve worked on or are currently working on?

I have been working on my project - Make Space - which is a women-led organization telling inspiring stories about sustainability leaders around the world, and promoting holistic leadership development. The premier event of our pilot episode was held on December 21, 2024 and we received helpful feedback from other sustainability leaders.

What’s been your highlight of 2024?

Launching Make Space! We have been working on it for the past year and a half, and in 2024 we launched the project during two events. One in person in Brazil and the other was an international virtual launch. I was also hired to be a trip leader, taking teenage students to travel around the world, visiting different countries and doing community service.

Why is mentoring important to you?

Mentoring helps me to get a clearer vision on topics that I am struggling with. Having the perspective of someone with more experience, allows me to learn faster, and reduce the mistakes I could make.

What’s your personal motto you live by?

I have two personal mottos:

1. Never do to others what you don't want them doing to you. - my mother used to say that when I was younger, and I take it very seriously.

2. Be the change you want to see in the world - This quote by Gandhi is a bit cliché, but it resonates with me a lot and who I want to become to make the world a better place.

Meet Akinwande Olubodun (Nigeria) - Food Science & Engineering Professional

Any exciting projects you’ve worked on or are currently working on?

I have been working on a project called Save Our Nation, which is anchored on Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). This initiative addresses the root causes of illegal migration, particularly from developing countries, where limited opportunities and poor economic conditions drive people to seek better lives abroad. I believe that creating jobs and improving economic indicators, which lead to higher quality of life, can help reduce indiscriminate emigration. Depopulating these nations of their skilled minds poses a significant setback to their development. To address this, I launched a farm project as a starting point to achieve SDG 8, with plans to scale up operations and eventually explore the broader agricultural value chain.

What’s been your highlight of 2024?

I have been on the Save Our Nation project for over a year and was not making headway with getting people onboard. I had discussed the issues of investment and food security with friends and while some were open to collaborating on the idea of a farm project others were not interested based on their experiences or noncommittal. Then suddenly around midyear, interest turned to action and this action became a means to achieving my project. I am excited because the success of this farm will encourage others to invest in agro-allied industries, affect food security, and create the necessary industries and infrastructure.

Why is mentoring important to you?

Mentoring makes your journey and life easier, opens your eyes to see things, you get to make fewer mistakes because there are people who have done that for you. Mentoring also helps you make connections.

What’s your personal motto you live by?

‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’ and ‘When there’s life, there’s hope.’ These guiding principles inspire me to navigate challenges with determination and remain motivated, no matter the obstacles. For mentoring, I will say “In the multitude of counsel, there is safety”, found in Proverbs 11:14. Information and knowledge are a step in living fulfilled lives, so if you get this right, chances of making mistakes are reduced.

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I really enjoyed reading Akinwande and Babi’s reflections has been truly uplifting. What stood out to me is their unwavering dedication to creating solutions for challenges that matter—whether it’s Akinwande’s commitment to economic growth and food security or Babi’s efforts to amplify sustainability through her Make Space project. Also, their personal mottos, Babi’s call to “be the change you want to see” and Akinwande’s belief that “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” speak to the mindset needed to navigate obstacles and stay the course. Mentorship, too, emerges as a common thread in their journeys, reminding us that having the right guidance can turn struggles into stepping stones and dreams into action.

As we enter the final stretch of the year, with holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa around the corner, I am sending the warmest of all wishes to everyone celebrating and reflecting on the year. This time of the year can also be very difficult for some people so let’s keep everyone in our hearts and spread as much kindness as possible. The first person I would like you to spread kindness to is - yourself. Regardless of how you mark this season, I encourage you to pause amidst the hustle and bustle and ask yourself: “What did I feel most proud of in 2024?” Take a moment to reflect, be grateful, and most importantly, be proud of yourself.

See you next week, and remember: with the right network, anything is possible.™

Adejoké

Team Konseye