“It is scary to fail—but it is even scarier to fail, fall, and not get up.”— Papa Ray, Training Manager, CorpsAfrica/Ghana
Day Two of the CorpsAfrica All-Country Conference 2025 embraced vulnerability, honesty, and growth. If Day One was about bold declarations and Ubuntu-inspired leadership, Day Two was about introspection and co-creation — embracing the complexities of youth-led service, and leaning into the lessons found in both triumphs and setbacks.
From insightful plenaries to honest dialogue around failure, trust, and sustainability, Tuesday proved that building Africa’s future means learning out loud.
Morning Plenaries: Philanthropy, Failure & Forward Motion
The day opened with the engaging session, “Cultivating a Culture of Philanthropy,” led by MK Richardson and Samora Otieno. Participants explored how fundraising is more than a job title — it’s a shared responsibility and an extension of our storytelling. Every member of the CorpsAfrica community, from Volunteer to Board Chair, plays a role in building lasting relationships and mobilizing support.
That spirit of ownership carried into the second plenary — “Failing Forward.” One of the most talked-about sessions of the day, this candid “FailFest” invited leaders to share personal moments of missed deadlines, difficult calls, and lessons learned the hard way.
“It is scary to fail—but it is even scarier to fail, fall, and not get up.” — Papa Ray, Training Manager, CorpsAfrica/Ghana
“Be uncomfortable. You will make mistakes, but you will get up. Think about how you can forge forward. The entire universe will conspire with you to achieve your goals.” — Heywot Kidane, Director, CorpsAfrica/Ethiopia
What emerged wasn’t a fear of failure, but a renewed belief in resilience, reflection, and reinvention.
Midday Breakouts: From Reflection to Reinvention
Before lunch, participants moved into a series of targeted breakout sessions — diving into themes central to the CorpsAfrica journey, including government partnerships, post-service opportunities, and fundraising models.
What’s Next After Service? Exploring pathways for alumni — from entrepreneurship and advocacy to careers in development.
Partnering with Governments Lessons from Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda on formalizing partnerships that deepen impact.
Project Funding & Resource Mobilization Creative strategies for leveraging community contributions, partnerships, and local support.
Other sessions tackled topics like disaster response, volunteer trust-building, and leadership from the field, led by Volunteers and staff who brought both heart and hard data to the conversation.
Afternoon Sparks: Innovation in Communication & Impact
In the afternoon, the energy shifted toward storytelling, measurement, and long-term sustainability:
The Power of Telling Our Stories In a memorable fireside chat, Lara Stein, Founder of TEDx and CorpsAfrica Board Member, joined Nadia Abdalla to explore how storytelling bridges values, vision, and visibility. Participants reflected on the art of shaping narratives that can inspire not only communities, but policy, funding, and future partnerships.
Why All the Surveys? Demystifying the purpose of CorpsAfrica’s data tools and how metrics help volunteers tell more powerful impact stories.
Effective Youth Engagement in Rural Communities Strategies from Rwanda, Malawi, and HQ for involving youth as co-designers and co-leaders of local development.
Other engaging sessions included:
- Digital Storytelling for Social Impact
- Fostering a Culture of Growth
- Ensuring Project Sustainability
Together, these sessions revealed how CorpsAfrica continues to evolve as a living, learning organization — one that listens, iterates, and grows stronger with every cohort.
CorpsAfrica Live: Unpacking Service with Liz Fanning and Volunteers
The day closed with a truly interactive highlight: CorpsAfrica Live, a powerful plenary hosted by Liz Fanning, Founder and CEO. But this wasn’t a typical keynote — it was a live, evolving conversation. Liz invited two Volunteers at a time to the stage to reflect on their journeys, share community insights, and unpack what service has meant to them — the challenges, the growth, the moments that changed everything.
The format gave the audience a real-time window into the lived experience of being a CorpsAfrica Volunteer — bringing to life the joy, humility, and deep emotional commitment it takes to lead from within a community.
It wasn’t just storytelling. It was story-sharing, raw, reflective, and deeply human.
Our MCs: The Pulse of the Conference
Throughout the day, the atmosphere never dipped — thanks to the infectious energy of MCs Lotan Salapei (Kenya) and Nelly Rwagitera (Rwanda). Their chemistry, humor, and heart kept the room alive between sessions, with music that brought people to their feet and energizers that turned strangers into teammates.
Whether leading mid-day dance breaks or drawing laughter from an early-morning crowd, they created a rhythm that made the day feel less like a conference and more like a community reunion.
Final Thoughts: Failing Forward, Sharing Boldly
Day Two wasn’t about answers — it was about asking better questions. What does it mean to own your journey? To fail well? To share your voice and use it to raise others?
The takeaway was this: progress isn’t linear, and leadership isn’t perfect. But when you show up with curiosity, courage, and connection, the path forward becomes clearer.
“Be uncomfortable… think about how you can forge forward.” – Heywot Kidane
By embracing discomfort, sharing missteps, and learning together, the CorpsAfrica community is modeling the kind of leadership the world needs more of — honest, humble, and unstoppable.