I am so proud to be contributing to a team that pushes women, including ourselves, to be the changes they want to see in the world. My appreciation goes to my Resonate family who are helping me as I continue to realize my full potential.

Storytelling is a great tool for marketing. But it’s also useful for internal communication. 

We spoke to Resonate participant Fortunee Yarambabariye, and Jackson Vugayabagabo, the Country Director of the scholarship program Fortunee is enrolled in. Here’s what both of them had to say about her personal transformation.

Abahizi Dushyigikirane means “Together we accomplish more” in Kinyarwanda. It is also the namesake and organizational philosophy of one of Resonate’s partners, Abahizi Rwanda.

This is my story of why I do what I do. After attending the training by Resonate on storytelling and presentation, I received valuable skills and was able to touch a few judge’s hearts.

Being a kid who grew up in urban areas, I never knew anything about rural places. They were places I would see on TV and life would continue. I grew up in a family where I was taught that everyone was equal and my sister and I would perform household chores on the same level. In fact, I am a much better cook than my sister. We all went to school and had the same rights. At school I would study with boys and girls; we even had more girls compared to boys, and girls occupied the top places.

Born into a culture that defines girls as timid, reserved, and withdrawn, I found myself to be a misfit. I was the first girl in my family, and the second among six children. I was taught to be responsible for all the household chores, including taking care of my big brother as well as my younger ones.

A few weeks ago, I joined the Resonate team as a Trainer. My first training was so memorable that I wanted to document it in a blog, and to share the impact that working with these wonderful young women had on me.

At Resonate, we host workshops with women and girls so they can tell their own story. It’s sometimes hard, without having been in one of our workshops, to understand what a catalytic impact that this simple skill can have. Learning to tell your own story helps you to understand the values that drive you, the strength you’ve demonstrated, and the great potential you still have, no matter what age you are.