Welcome to the second edition of our Global Good News series! Each month, we share inspiring stories of progress made possible by the incredible Rise Up Leaders in our global network and supporters like you. This edition takes us back to our roots. In 2010, Rise Up launched our very first Accelerator in Alexandria, Egypt, bringing together bold local leaders from Liberia, Malawi, and Ethiopia with a shared vision for a brighter world. The impact was transformative, improving millions of lives and laying the foundation for the global movement we’ve grown over the past 16 years.
Among our first cohort of Rise Up Leaders were Aisha Cooper Bruce, then Program Director at HOPE, and Rosana Schaack, then Executive Director of THINK. Their participation would not only change the course of their organizations but also secure a historic victory for children across Liberia.
At the time, Liberia was still recovering from 14 years of civil conflict. Girls faced staggering levels of violence, limited access to education, and harmful traditional practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation. The Children’s Act, drafted in 2007, promised to protect children’s rights but had stalled in the Senate for years. This landmark legislation would guarantee every Liberian child the right to education, health care, and protection from violence – with specific provisions to safeguard girls.
“Achieving gender equality and justice requires more than changes to laws. The laws need to be meaningfully implemented,” Aisha told Rise Up. “Through its leaders and grants, Rise Up has increased resources and support to women rights organizations, enabling them to influence and strengthen local, regional, and national legislation and policy frameworks around the globe.”
With support from Rise Up, Aisha and Rosana formed a strategic partnership, combining THINK’s experience in adolescent girls’ health with HOPE’s expertise in youth empowerment and communications. They developed a multi-faceted advocacy campaign: engaging Liberian Senators directly, mobilizing more than 70 adolescent girls and youth activists, collaborating with the Child Protection network, and partnering with UNICEF and the Ministry of Gender and Development. Their strategy centered on ensuring that girls themselves could speak out, advocate for their rights, and influence decision-makers – a model of empowerment that Rise Up has championed ever since.
Because of Aisha and Rosana’s tireless advocacy, the Senate passed the Children’s Act in September 2011, securing protections for more than 2 million children. This landmark achievement became a cornerstone for Rise Up’s global approach: investing in local leaders, amplifying the voices of those who are most directly affected, and advancing policies that create large-scale change.
Over a decade after our first Accelerator, Rise Up has grown into a global movement of over 800 leaders who have successfully advocated for 218+ new and improved laws and policies, positively impacting over 172 million people around the world – and we’re just getting started.
