Leadership News from TIP Global Health

Since founding TIP Global Health (then The Ihangane Project) in 2008, I have always considered our organization to be a vehicle for elevating the visibility of community-driven solutions that are scalable and can achieve long standing good health outcomes. We have always  been committed to equalizing traditional power dynamics that are inherent in Global Health in Africa. To further this commitment, I am excited to share the news with you today that I am shifting my role from Executive Director to co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and that Dr. Diana Nambatya Nsubuga, our current Africa Regional Director, will become my partner co-CEO. Collectively, Dr. Diana and I bring together a formidable set of complementary skills that will set the organization up for success in this phase of growth.

I am eager to have an equal partner in this leadership journey, and I have never been more sure that Dr. Diana is this person. I believe passionately in the role of the provider-patient relationship as the cornerstone for transformational change at an individual, interpersonal, and systemic level. My expertise lies in my decades of experience as a frontline health worker ensuring high quality and engaging care for traditionally marginalized communities, particularly those struggling with socioeconomic barriers to good health. Dr. Diana, as a Public Health professional with decades of experience in East Africa and broad view of health systems across SSA through her work with the Africa CDC, brings invaluable system-level expertise. She is a strong advocate for what we believe in as an organization, and she is a humble learner who is also able to establish a strong operations system on the ground. Our combined expertise and passion for both individual and system-level change in the health sector sets us up to successfully achieve our vision of a world where effective and engaging primary care is delivered everywhere.

TIP Global Health has grown from a grassroots organization based in one community in rural Rwanda to one that works across Rwanda, has entered Burundi, and will soon expand to Somalia. Our model has proven its relevance in the United States, with projects implemented from the urban setting of Detroit, Michigan to the agricultural communities of the Central Coast of California. Together, we are creating equitable, inclusive health systems across the globe that place relationships at the center of care. This evolution of our leadership structure reflects the evolution of our influence across the globe. Our work transcends borders, planting the seeds for globally inclusive health systems.

It is you who make our work possible. Please consider a gift today to support the bright future of TIP Global Health and assist Dr. Diana, myself, and the entire TIP Global Health team in this critical on-the-ground system-changing work. We hope you will be a part of this monumental change!

Thank you –

Dr. Wendy Leonard
Co-CEO, TIP Global Health

Letter From Dr. Diana Nambatya Nsubuga, TIP Global Health co-CEO:

I was born in a small, close-knit community nestled in the heart of a village. I had dreams of impacting communities and making my family proud, despite my family’s financial struggles. Education appeared unreachable to me, with local cust

oms favoring boys schooling while girls were often traded for bride price. I was fortunate that th

e women of the community, who I prefer to call my community mothers, came together with my parents to ensure I was given a chance to go through school and be protected from the negative

cultural practices such as wedding off young girls for dowry. Their unity and solidarity symbolize their wealth far beyond financial means.

Over the years, my journey was not without challenges. But my parents and my community mothers continued to support me in many ways towards my goal of completing school. They believed in me, took a chance on me, encouraged me when I was faced with obstacles, provided a warm meal when my family struggled to put food on the table, and sacrificed a book, a pen, a pencil, and so many other things while becoming my second family.

To my community mothers: I know it has been tough for you over the years – with the insecurities and machetes that have claimed many! I am grateful that the TIP Global Health Board of Directors and Dr. Wendy Leonard have stood with us during the most challenging of times marked by brutal attacks and rebel assaults.

I have now marked many milestones – becoming the first graduate from my village to being named co-CEO at TIP Global Health – and my family and community mothers smile with pride! Today, as I embark on this new role, I honor my mother for building such strong relationships with my many community mothers. It is the unity and unwavering support of my mother and remarkable community mothers that has been a driving force for me and allowed me to rise above my circumstances. The story of how they came together to ensure my education became a symbol of their resilience and strength, a story passed down from generation to generation as a reminder of the power of women coming together for a common agenda! Collaborating with my community mothers has been a pleasure, as together, we continue reaching many other young women like me in the village and giving them a chance like what I was so fortunate to receive.

I am excited about this opportunity to continue leading the scale up of TIP, as the team comes together to impact 10 million lives in 10 countries in the next period of 10 years. I hope you will join me in this effort and make a donation to help us reach our goals.

Thank you for your support of TIP Global Health,

Dr. Diana Nambatya Nsubuga
Co-CEO, TIP Global Health

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