News
Washington D.C. — Since 1940, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) has strengthened international relationships between the United States and various foreign bodies. Each year 5,000 international participants visit the United States where they connect with professional counterparts, visit U.S. public and private sector organizations, and engage in cultural activities.
From IVLP, the IVLP Impact Awards were born. The initiative seeks to provide support to recent participants as they share knowledge, strengthen the IVLP network, and create positive change. Awarded alumni are provided with small grants up to $5,000 to implement community action projects in their home countries. The projects are inspired by and build upon their exchange experiences and promote innovative solutions to shared challenges.
Cultural Vistas is proud to announce that nine of its 2023 IVLP alumni were selected to receive IVLP Impact Awards from the U.S. Department of State. Congratulations to the recipients! The selected Cultural Vistas alumni are identified below.
Ayouba Orou Gounou Guene (Benin)
Project: Building Community Resilience Through Positive Interpretations of Religion
Ayouba Orou Gounou Guene is a 29-year-old activist from Segbana in the Alibori department of Benin. He focuses on peace issues, social cohesion, and gender equality. Specifically, he advocates for the sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescents. After graduating from high school, he studied Public Law in the Law, Political Science and International Relations Department at the University of Parakou. Ayouba then joined forces with other youth leaders to create the Barika Association, where he serves as president.
Ayouba utilizes social media networks to carry out campaigns focused on peace promotion and social cohesion. These include training young emerging leaders in sensitive communication skills and the fight against disinformation. He has implemented community dialogue on the prevention of inter-community conflicts, defending the rights of girls, women and young people through advocacy, awareness-raising, intergenerational dialogues, digital campaigns, and thematic radio programs, also working to combat forced and/or early marriage of girls, female genital mutilation and all forms of gender-based violence.
Sothea Mao (Cambodia)
Project: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Cambodia
Mao Sothea is founder and CEO of SHE Agrocam Products Co., Ltd. She also serves as the Vice-President of the Cambodia Food Manufacturing Association and holds a board membership in the Cashew Nut Federation. She brings a wealth of expertise in international trade, sales and marketing, and business management, cultivated through a distinguished career including more than 13 years of experience in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods industries. Her experience encompasses food manufacturing, export and logistics, trading (both export and import), human resources management, and product development. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).
Ruth Seifu Mola (Ethiopia)
Project: Capacitating the Community to Engage in Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Through Providing Safe Shelter to GBV Survivors
Ruth Seifu is the head of the field unit in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Aysaita. She previously worked with UNHCR in protection, registration, and resettlement roles in different parts of the country. She has been engaged in emergency responses in IDP, refugee, and mixed migrations. Ruth has worked on durable solutions, social cohesion activity planning, implementations, and advocacy for migrants to lead a better life. She has served her community by engaging in voluntary work connected to community mobilization, capacity building, peacebuilding, good governance, and democracy in different parts of the country.
She is a fellow of the Ethiopian Christian Lawyer’s Fellowship and Advocates African. She has an educational background in protection, diplomacy, advocacy, disaster preparedness and emergency management, planning and international human rights law, political science and international relations, management, and leadership respectively. She was selected as an Ethiopian Generation Change Fellow by the United States Institute of Peace in 2020.
Nicolette Bryan (Jamaica)
Project: Harnessing the Power of Membership for Social Transformation
Nicolette is a LGBTQ+ and women’s rights advocate who has dedicated her career to the intersection of advocacy, social justice, digital media, social platform management, and project management. Renowned for adeptness in crafting compelling narratives and seamlessly integrating digital strategies, Nicolette also brings a wealth of marketing and communications expertise to the table. Her leadership hallmark is a distinctive blend of clarity, creativity, and collaboration, consistently propelling SOGIE (through innovative strategies and value-added content. As a trailblazer in remote work dynamics, Nicolette has navigated the intricacies of orchestrating success within global teams. Her extensive experience reflects a deep understanding of both the evolving marketing and advocacy landscapes, and her track record is a testament to the commitment to staying ahead of the curve.
Misbah Faiz (Pakistan)
Project: Job Creation for Underprivileged Females in Pakistan
Misbah Faiz is currently pursuing her PhD in Human Resources and Entrepreneurship from the National University of Sciences & Technology. Her career accomplishments have included training 2,100 students on freelancing platforms so that they could learn to earn from home and starting a platform that to date has connected more than 700 females with employers. She worked as a project manager at UET on a project to develop a device that stops electricity theft. She was actively involved with GIZ to establish a strong connection between the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector and related industries.
Paula Tesine (Papua New Guinea)
Project: Financial Sustainability and Navigating Food Security in Middle to Low Income Households in Urban Papua New Guinea
Paula Tesine recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Medical Sciences from the University of Papua New Guinea. She is an intermediate-level medical researcher and has been working with the Vector Borne Disease Unit of the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research for the past five years. Paula’s primary interest is in the investigation of antimalarial pharmacology for preventing, managing and eliminating malaria in young children, pregnant women and postpartum women, the populations most vulnerable to the disease.
Laura Lasance (The Netherlands)
Project: Social Entrepreneurship Impact and Investability Assessment and Training Blueprint for Creatives
Laura Lasance is a seasoned professional with close to 15 years of international executive leadership experience in the field of human rights and sustainable development. She works as a senior consultant at Lasance Consultancy, Residencies & Retreats, where her expertise in leadership, change management, and performance management is applied towards strategic organizational and program assignments for non-profits, governments, and social enterprises. Laura is currently building an interdisciplinary space for curious social minds. Her mission is to cultivate a collaborative breeding ground where socially engaged creatives, the arts and humanities can thrive.
Nastya Popandopulos (Ukraine)
Project: From Trauma to Triumph – Harnessing the Power of Horses & Healing for War-Affected Children
Nastya Popandopulos is the Executive Director of Victory Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to the psycho-emotional recovery of veterans and children impacted by war, employing hippotherapy and animal therapy. With a profound commitment to serving those affected by war, Nastya plays a pivotal role in orchestrating programs aimed at restoring well-being and resilience in communities. In addition to her role at Victory Center, Nastya is a co-founder of PR Army, an initiative that offers global media an accurate portrayal of the ongoing war by amplifying the voices of Ukrainian experts, authorities, and witnesses.
Her background in journalism and public relations, acquired during her studies at university, laid the foundation for her versatile and impactful career in communications. She honed her skills as a public relations specialist in the technology sector. Driven by a passion for advocating for the voices of the marginalized and those affected by war, Nastya continues to foster healing, understanding, and positive change in her community and beyond.
Victoria Ngono (Zimbabwe)
Project: Bridging the Skills Gap: AI Solutions for Zimbabwe’s Education-to-Workforce Pipeline
Victoria Nxumalo is an award-winning ICT professional and entrepreneur specializing in digital transformation and digital skills training. Victoria is the Founder & Executive Director of the Girls in STEM Trust, an education non-profit organization that educates, advocates for, and empowers young women and girls in Africa. Her work also focuses on collaboration with organizations that support social and business entrepreneurship and youth development. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Camden Education Trust Ireland and The Girls Table Zimbabwe. She is also the co-founder of Byo Tech Hub in Zimbabwe and LearnHub in Kigali.