The Impossible Yes

THE IMPOSSIBLE YES

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

These wise words, attributed to Nelson Mandela, have been a guiding principle for women through the ages and continue to ring true today. Women possess the uncanny ability to stare what is impossible in the face, smile, and make it happen.

When Dr. Terry Neese received a call from the White House in 2006 to travel to Afghanistan and create a business training program for Afghan women, it felt impossible. She did it anyway. When one year later she was asked to create that same program in Rwanda and bring together Afghan and Rwandan women for an in-person education and mentorship experience in the U.S., it felt impossible. She did it anyway.

Sixteen years later, the impossible has become reality as the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women (IEEW), the organization born out of Dr. Neese’s first impossible “yes,” has graduated more than 1,000 women from our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program. IEEW’s mission is to educate and empower women around the world economically, socially, and politically. We are doing that through PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS, an educational program targeting female entrepreneurs. PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS comprises four primary components: classroom training, mentorship, leadership development, and paying it forward.

The classroom training focuses on a broad range of business topics, including operations, financial management, sales and marketing, and business planning. Each student is given the option to be assigned a mentor, an American business woman or man, who provides additional coaching and support throughout the program. The top students from the classroom training are invited to the US to attend Leadership Development, a program that provides additional classroom learning, coaching, mentorship, and first hand exposure to businesses. Each of these is aimed at enabling women to grow and scale their own businesses while contributing to their local and national economies. Our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduates have employed an estimated 16,000 other women and men through their businesses.

These women are continuing the tradition of saying “yes” to what seems impossible. For example, one of our most recent graduates, Alfa, now owns and manages her own construction business in Kigali, Rwanda. She was told by so many people that construction is a man’s industry and she wouldn’t belong. She did it anyway. Or Afsaneh, who founded an IT company in Kabul, Afghanistan. In a male-dominated field, she wanted to create a company that would cater specifically to women and ensures that women have access to the technical support they need to run their businesses, stay connected to their networks, and thrive personally. Or Judith, who fought in hand-to-hand combat during the Rwandan genocide and not only survived but is now running her own eco-tour company in Rwanda that economically empowers youth. These women have not only created success in their own lives, but they are finding ways to pay it forward to other women.

All PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS graduates become part of our Alumni Networks in Afghanistan and Rwanda, which provide a space and community for women business owners to build relationships, learn from each other, form partnerships, and work together to make their economies more inclusive. Many graduates have become involved politically, focusing their efforts on developing policies that benefit women business owners. Others find ways to use their voice to advocate for women’s rights.

There have been so many positive changes for women in both countries over the past 20 years. And though the situation in Afghanistan since August 2021 has been devastating for women, we still celebrate what they achieved and know they will rise again. We are inspired by these women every single day. They are doing the impossible. They are defying the limits placed on them. They are changing history. And it all started with one impossible “yes.”

It takes us all to make a difference. Those of us who have found success have an opportunity to say “yes” to pay it forward. We would love to have you join us in this important work of empowering women, and there are numerous ways to do so. Each year, we seek mentors for our PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program. This creates an opportunity to share professional expertise with another woman and build an incredible relationship with someone from a different country and culture. We also look for sponsors who are willing to financially support our work, as this enables us to reach even more women. For those who don’t have the time or resources, we would love for you to use your voice to share our work with others.

If you are interested in learning more or getting connected, please contact Anna Rohwer at arohwer@ieew.org.

Anna Rohwer, Director of Global Operations Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women