Change Narratives

September is here, and everyone is talking about locking in for the final stretch of the year.But what if locking in didn’t have to mean doing everything alone?In this short bonus episode, we reflect on one of the biggest ideas from our recent conversation with Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi: the role friendship and professional networks can play in helping us build, create opportunities and make an impact.We also look back at what we learned about working with donors without losing sight of your mission, and give a little preview of what’s coming next on Change Narratives as we turn to another social unit that shapes a changemaker: education.If you haven’t listened to Parts 1, 2 and 3 of our conversation with Precious, this is a good time to catch up.And as we head into the last few months of the year, here’s the question we’re thinking about:What are you locking in to build — and who are you building it with?Follow and subscribe to Change Narratives so you don’t miss the next conversation.

Every organisation talks about scaling. Few talk honestly about what it takes.In Part 3, Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi shares how DO Take Action has expanded its work across multiple donors while staying true to its mission. We discuss flexibility, innovation, procurement, trade, policy, and why solving real problems is what earns long-term support.The conversation ends with Precious's vision for the future of DO Take Action and the practical steps needed to create opportunities for women at scale.

What if women aren't being held back by ambition, but by systems that weren't designed with them in mind?In Part 2 of our conversation with Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of DO Take Action, we explore what justice really looks like in practice.From care justice and gender pay to programme design and digital learning, Precious shares how DO Take Action has built its work around the realities women face every day, not assumptions about what they need.We also discuss why listening comes before designing solutions, how research shaped every stage of their programmes, and why a hybrid learning model helped more women access training and continue learning beyond the classroom.Whether you work in development, policy, or social impact—or you're simply interested in building better systems—this episode offers practical lessons on creating solutions that put people first.

Are we getting women’s economic empowerment wrong?It’s a question that stopped me in my tracks during this conversation.When we say we’re empowering women, what do we really mean? Is it grants? Skills training? Startup kits? Or have we been overlooking the opportunities that create lasting economic change?In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with my friend Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi, Executive Director of DO Take Action, to unpack why she believes procurement is one of the most overlooked pathways to women’s economic empowerment.Drawing on her work with UN Women and partners across Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, and Côte d’Ivoire, Precious shares how research challenged her own assumptions and led her to rethink what empowerment should look like. We talk about why women contribute so much to our economies yet remain largely excluded from procurement opportunities, the myths that continue to hold women back, and why changing systems requires more than training women—it also means working with policymakers and the institutions that shape opportunity.She also shares one of my favourite stories from the episode: how a facilitator from one of their earliest training programmes eventually became a Director General and is now helping champion women’s participation in procurement at the national level. It’s a reminder that when people believe in a vision, change has a way of coming full circle.This isn’t just a conversation about procurement. It’s a conversation about questioning assumptions, challenging systems, and creating opportunities that last.Watch Part 1 and let me know what resonated with you.Follow Change Narratives for more conversations with people changing systems across Africa.🌍 www.changenarratives.org 🔗 https://linktr.ee/changenarratives25#ChangeNarratives #WomensEconomicEmpowerment #Procurement #PublicPolicy #SocialImpact #Leadership #Africa #DOTakeAction

In this final part of the conversation, Sampson Kofi Adotey Jr. reflects on how his journey translates into impact.He discusses his work across global health, policy, and storytelling, including contributions to policy shifts and initiatives across multiple countries. He also shares his approach to learning, emphasizing the importance of responding to need rather than pursuing qualifications for their own sake.Through personal experiences and professional insights, this episode explores how becoming is shaped over time, and how that process leads to meaningful impact.At the centre of the conversation is a simple but important question: What is your story?This is Part 3 of a three-part conversation. Follow us on our platforms and feel free to like, comment, and repost:https://linktr.ee/changenarratives25?utm_source=linktree_profile_sharehttps://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBIWTrCXC3SK2yfbB0Ewww.changenarratives.orgSeason 2: The Making of a Changemaker