Resilience From Within

Our impact model doesn't start with capital. It starts with calm. In our work with female entrepreneurs in last-mile communities, we've found that the greatest barrier to sustainable growth is not a lack of skill, but a lack of inner fortitude to withstand the pressures of business. So, we start here: in a circle, with mindfulness. We don't hand out business plans first. We provide the tools to quiet the internal "noise" of self-doubt and anxiety. The result is: women who can: ✅ Price their products with confidence. ✅ Navigate customer conflicts with clarity. ✅ Make strategic decisions from a place of stability, not stress. A participant from our Gulu program shared this insight: “I didn’t know how much noise I carried inside. Now, I know how to pause and choose how I respond, even in the market.” This is the ROI of investing in human resilience. It's not a "soft skill"; it is the fundamental building block for a stronger business, a stronger family, and a stronger community. It’s dignity, not dependency. This is the work Resilience From Within is proud to champion. #SocialImpact #SustainableDevelopment #CSR #ImpactInvesting #HumanCenteredDesign #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #Mindfulness #NonProfit #Uganda

This is Filda. Her smile tells a story of ownership, pride, and determination. At Resilience From Within, co-investment means the community is part of the building process, not as recipients, but as active partners. Fildar is a member of the Lacac Pe Lony group. She worked alongside her team to help construct this milling house. They brought their own time, labor, and belief into creating something that would serve not only their group but also the wider community. Today, when Filda stands in this space, she feels responsible for its success. She knows her effort helped make it possible. Her joy is rooted in that deep sense of contribution and shared purpose. This is what happens when women are given the space to lead and grow. They take ownership seriously. They strengthen their communities from the inside out. Want to support the next women’s groups starting their journey? Donate to help seed another community-led business: https://lnkd.in/dreZEVkt #ResilienceFromWithin #CommunityLed #WomenEmpowerment #SocialEnterprise #Uganda #Gulu #AshokaWinner #Ownership #Dignity #InnerStrength #MindfulEntrepreneurship

We’re honored to be recognized by Ashoka as one of the 11 winners of the Power of Local Challenge! This recognition shines a spotlight on the determination of rural women in Northern Uganda who are leading with vision, healing, and ingenuity. Our mindful entrepreneurship approach rooted in lived experience is not just a model. It’s a movement rooted in the wisdom of communities whose voices are too often left out of the development table. Thank you, Ashoka, for believing in locally-led transformation. #PowerOfLocal #ResilienceFromWithin #SocialImpact #CommunityLed #AshokaFellows #MindfulEntrepreneurship #WomenLedChange #Gulu #Uganda

I am filled with profound gratitude and excitement to share that Resilience From Within (RFW), a journey we officially began just a few short months ago at the end of 2024, has received global recognition as a WINNER in Ashoka's Power of Local Challenge! To be selected from over 900 initiatives worldwide is a humbling moment, not just for me, but for the entire community we walk alongside in Northern Uganda. When I started RFW, it was driven by a single, persistent question: Why, after so much time and effort, does deep poverty still grip our region? The answer, I learned by listening, wasn't just about resources. It was about healing the inner wounds left by conflict and building the trust and self-belief needed for communities to truly own their futures. That’s why we built RFW differently. We decided to root our work in "Inner Strength for Outer Change." Our model uniquely integrates mindfulness practices with a community co-investment approach to building shared social enterprises. We believe in nurturing resilience first, then building businesses. Ashoka's recognition validates this deeply held belief. They saw the power in a model that moves beyond traditional aid to foster genuine local ownership, builds human dignity alongside economic growth, and proves that lasting change must be cultivated from within. This incredible honor gives us the momentum to scale our impact. But more than that, it reaffirms my own path. It tells me that a quiet idea, born from lived experience and a deep love for one's people, can resonate on a global stage. Thank you to everyone who has offered guidance and support on this journey so far. This is just the beginning. Still reflecting on this recognition… and I’d be remiss not to acknowledge Gretchen Ki Steidle, whose work with Global Grassroots laid the foundation for the kind of inner transformation we continue at Resilience From Within. #ResilienceFromWithin #Ashoka #SocialImpact #FounderJourney #Mindfulness #SocialEnterprise #Uganda #CommunityLed

ANNOUNCEMENT: Resilience From Within Named a Global Winner in Ashoka's Power of Local Challenge! I am incredibly humbled and thrilled to announce that Resilience From Within (RFW) has been selected as one of the 11 global WINNERS in Ashoka's Power of Local Challenge. Out of more than 900 applicants worldwide, our young organization, rooted right here in Northern Uganda, stood out. This prestigious recognition from Ashoka affirms the power and innovation of our core model: building "Inner Strength for Outer Change." Our approach was recognized for its unique integration of mindfulness practices, which address the deep need for inner resilience and trauma healing in a post-conflict context. This is combined with our strategy of community co-investment, which moves beyond traditional aid to empower women as true owners and leaders of their own sustainable social enterprises. This is the story of the Laca Pe Lony women, who co-invested their own labor to build their mill house and now manage a thriving business. It's the story of creating sustainable livelihoods, fostering genuine community ownership, and building human dignity alongside economic growth. We invite you to learn more about our transformative, community-led model and follow our journey as we build on this incredible momentum. Follow our journey and see what's next: https://lnkd.in/djPxbhBP Support our mission: https://lnkd.in/dreZEVkt #Ashoka #SocialImpact #Mindfulness #SocialEnterprise #Uganda hashtag #CommunityLed #WomenEmpowerment #Resilience

“I was spending UGX 12,000 every week, not to mill maize, but just to reach the mill.” Meet Awoo Joyce, 53, and a mother of 7, who used to travel to Unyama trading center, 5 kilometers away, to grind her maize. With a knee problem, she couldn’t walk that far. So, she paid UGX 4,000 ($1.05) per boda-boda trip, three times a week. That’s UGX 12,000 ($3.15) weekly just for transport, a heavy cost for anyone, but especially in a community where most families survive on less than UGX 50,000 ($14) per month. Since the Lacac Pe Lony maize mill became operational, Joyce now walks a short distance within her own community. “I save money, time, and my health. It’s a big relief.” This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about restoring dignity, independence, and equity through local solutions. 💛 When women lead and communities design their own answers, every step forward matters. Support the next local solution: https://lnkd.in/dreZEVkt 🔁 Share Joyce’s story if you believe no one should have to pay a price for distance. #ResilienceFromWithin #SocialImpact #PovertyMatters #CommunityLed #MindfulEntrepreneurship #Uganda #GrassrootsLeadership #WomenVoices #LocallyLedDevelopment

This is what transformation looks like. One certificate. One smile. One proud AST graduate sharing her achievement with her community. This moment captures more than the end of a training, it marks the beginning of something deeply rooted. After completing our Mindful Entrepreneurship training, this participant from the Lacac Pe Lony group held her certificate high, not just for herself, but for everyone who walked this journey with her. Through breathing exercises, self-awareness practices, and business training rooted in empathy and agency, these women are leading their own change. This graduation wasn’t just about what was taught. It was about what was remembered: That healing and leadership are already within. Sometimes, they just need the right space to rise. This is why we do the work. Read more stories of impact in our Blog: https://lnkd.in/dC394Y2U 💬 What does empowerment look like to you? Share your thoughts. #ResilienceFromWithin #MindfulEntrepreneurship #GraduationDay #CommunityPride #WomenLeadChange #SocialImpact #EmotionalIntelligence #GrassrootsLeadership #Uganda #HealingThroughBusiness

This month, we published our very first newsletter. Did you miss it? Inside, we shared something powerful: a living example of what happens when communities are trusted to lead. After completing our mindfulness-based entrepreneurship training, the Lacac Pe Lony women’s group identified a critical gap: the distance to the maize milling center. But here’s what made this different: they didn’t just receive support. They co-invested. They offered their labor, their savings, even their own materials to bring their vision to life. Today, their maize mill is operational, and it’s not just a structure. It’s a collective achievement. 💬 When communities design their own solutions and invest in them, success doesn’t just happen; it lasts. 👉 If you believe in shared responsibility and local wisdom, read the full story in our May newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dQsRZ5fU 💛 Want to support the next women-led solution? Donate here: https://lnkd.in/dreZEVkt 🔁 And if this story resonates, share it with your network. That’s how grassroots power grows. #ResilienceFromWithin #NewsletterLaunch #CommunityLedDevelopment #WomenEmpowerment #MindfulEntrepreneurship #GrassrootsLeadership #LocalWisdom #NorthernUganda #SocialImpact #SustainableChange

What happens when women lead and communities define their own path? We’re proud to launch the official website of Resilience From Within (RFW), a space shaped by stories from the ground, not the boardroom. 🌍 Explore how our grassroots approach in Northern Uganda is building inner strength for outer change through mindfulness, entrepreneurship, and women-led social enterprises. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d8ybQy5X 🙌 Whether you’re a changemaker, donor, friend, or dreamer—we invite you to explore, connect, and walk with us. #ResilienceFromWithin #WebsiteLaunch #WomenLedChange #SocialEnterprise #MindfulEntrepreneurship #LocallyLedDevelopment #GrassrootsLeadership #NorthernUganda #CommunityDevelopment #ImpactThatLasts

Some images need no faces to tell a powerful story. This first photo captures the essence of a shared moment: hands united, launching the Lacac Pe Lony community maize mill. It speaks of collaboration, determination, and a vision realized—a vision driven by the women themselves after months of planning, training, and physical labor. Then came a quiet surprise: a signpost, handcrafted by the group, honoring RFW’s support with the words “Funded with Grant from RFW," in their own words. We didn’t request it. It was their gesture, their voice, their appreciation. And that’s what makes it so meaningful. At Resilience From Within, our role is catalytic—we train, we listen, we walk alongside. But the vision, the choices, and the success? That’s theirs. 🌾 Congratulations to the Lacac Pe Lony women’s group on this incredible milestone. Your work is inspiring, and your impact will echo through this community for years to come. We’re now preparing to support our next women-led group—empowering them to design their own solution, just like this one. 👉 If you believe in grassroots leadership and community-built change, please consider donating here: https://lnkd.in/dreZEVkt 🔁 And if this story moved you, share it to help us reach more hearts, partners, and future collaborators. Every step matters. Every voice counts. And every act of solidarity builds the future. #ResilienceFromWithin #CommunityLed #SocialEnterprise #WomenEmpowerment #LaunchDay #LacacPeLony #Partnership #GrassrootsLeadership #Gratitude #NorthernUganda #SocialImpact #SustainableDevelopment