At imagine1day we believe in the power of people to be leaders, who can create new futures never before possible.

That belief has been the cornerstone of our success and, over the next three days, we begin putting it into action on our largest scale yet. With our partners Lightyear Leadership, we are training 370 people in leadership across three regions of Ethiopia.

We are giving educators, senior government officials, NGOs and other influencers the tools to set visions unconstrained by the past, and enroll others in that vision.

18 Lightyear Leaders raised $10,000 each to make this monumental training a reality. Mallory Littell, from Houston, Texas, was one of them:

“Lightyear has been so impactful in my life. This is a way for me to share it back in a way I know will make a big difference for this organization and the country of Ethiopia.

“I hope from the training the participants will gain the ability to relate to themselves as the person to carry forward their legacy and the legacy of Ethiopia being a country of leaders and a country of educated people.

“They are the people to carry that legacy and create that. I want them to be able to take on that responsibility and own it as theirs.”

Lightyear Leadership founder Susanne Conrad during the first day of leadership training in Ethiopia.

Lightyear Leadership founder Susanne Conrad during the first day of leadership training in Ethiopia.

imagine1day has incorporated leadership development in our program since we began 10 years ago. We know that by investing in people, we can achieve sustainable and transformational change.

Susanne Conrad, founder of Lightyear Leadership, says development begins with the individual.

“As I develop as an individual, the same things I need to discover and activate are, holistically, not that different from what a nation has to do.

“They can make the difference for their own lives, for their family, for their communities and their country. They, through the process of becoming a man or women of their word, can set a vision for their own lives and also for these bigger goals and visions that imagine1day has been a part of for 10 years.”

A decade ago, imagine1day committed itself to ensuring quality education in Ethiopia. Over the next three days we are developing a collective of leaders and taking a bold step closer towards making that day a reality.