Behind the scenes: The story of our latest Global Impact Fellowship cohort

June 22, 2026

Over the last three months, visionary organisations from around the world came together with a shared mission: to embed, build, and measure the essential skills that individuals need to thrive.

Behind the time zones and the digital screens, lies deeply moving stories of global peer learning, cross-cultural connection, and collective growth.Today we want to take you behind the scenes and share some of those highlights from this past cohort.

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Using the Universal Framework to solve local problems

The Global Impact Fellowship brings together incredibly diverse cohorts, and the May 2026 cohort was no exception. Leaders joined from North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

We often talk about the Universal Framework in the context of what organisations teach their beneficiaries. But as a Fellow, leaders also have the opportunity to actively develop their own essential skills.

The standout moment of the entire 16 weeks was the sheer openness and collaboration during online training sessions. Despite working in vastly different environments, from rural East Africa to European sports hubs and emergency relief sectors, Fellows leaned into their use of Creativity. In particular Step 11: Seeking Perspectives: I seek different perspectives to develop my ideas.

The Creativity Skills Icon - Creativity Step 11

This essential skill step is all about actively seeking different perspectives to look at a problem in a new way. A perspective is simply how someone understands the world based on their unique experiences and values.

Using this skill step helped the fellows to improve their programmes by:

Spotting blind spots: Listening to peers from completely different cultures and contexts helped fellows uncover hidden biases and spot challenges they might have otherwise missed.
Stronger, inclusive programmes: By welcoming fresh viewpoints, leaders were able to build much more robust, well-rounded solutions for their communities.

Ultimately, they proved that the best way to improve your own thinking is to widen it.

A picture of Collins Otieno from Mukuru Shujaa, Kenya. He is wearing a white shirt and glasses and is smiling calmly.

"The space was safe to share fears, anxieties and struggles but also to share aspirations, everyone was always kind enough to support and affirm... Out of the fellowship, I now have a Social Emotional Learning teaching and learning resource that is anchored on the evidence-based Universal Framework. I can now confidently support young people and report confidently to stakeholders and donors."
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– Collins Otieno Ojwang,
Mukuru Shujaa, Kenya

An image of Bella Bassey from Beautiful Brains Help Foundation, Nigeria. She is waring a sophisticated black office suit, with straitened black hair and is gazing calmly and proudly towards the camera.

"This fellowship has been a very valuable experience for us... We also appreciate being part of a global community where we can learn from others and share insights from our own context."
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– Bella Bassey,
Beautiful Brains Help Foundation, Nigeria

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When language bridges a gap: Spotlight on "Shujaa"

During an early session, as leaders were sharing their organisational missions, a beautiful synergy emerged between two teams thousands of miles apart. While introducing Mukuru Shujaa (a grassroots youth empowerment organisation in Kenya), the group paused on the word Shujaa. In Swahili, Shujaa translates to "hero," "warrior," or "brave person."

Instantly, Fellows with roots in Arabic culture smiled and pointed out a connection: the Swahili word originates from the Arabic word شجاع (Shuja' / Shojaa), which means exactly the same thing: brave, courageous, and valiant.

It was a profound, unscripted moment. It reminded everyone in the virtual room that despite the geographical distance, their core identities and purposes were speaking the exact same language. They were all working to build the next generation of "Shujaas."

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What Our Fellows Are Saying

As this cohort completed their Fellowship journey and secured their official Skills Builder Impact Level Accreditation, they shared reflections on what they achieved and what they are most proud of:

An image of Florence Thomas John from Asante Africa Foundation, Tanzania. She is wearing a pink blazer with a white tip and smart watch and is smiling brightly.

"Through role plays, peer mentoring, and reflection, learners now apply Leadership, Communication, and Collaboration in real sessions in a more structured way... I am proud of how we are making the programme more practical for rural contexts by linking learning to real-life situations."

– Florence Thomas John,
Asante Africa Foundation, Tanzania

An image of Claude Nimbona from Action for Save Humanity in Emergency, Uganda. He is wearing a dark navy-blue suit with a sky blue shirt and is smiling coolly at the camera.

"I’m most proud of seeing the real impact on people’s lives like participants using what they learned in farming and finances. Watching them grow more confident and take action felt really rewarding."

– Claude Nimbona,
Action for Save Humanity in Emergency, Uganda

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Celebrating our Graduates

Please join us in celebrating the extraordinary organisations that successfully completed this cohort:

These organisations are now armed with a universal language for essential skills, a certified Impact Level accreditation, and a global network of peers. We cannot wait to see how they continue to change lives, one skill at a time.

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