Rachel O. S. Edmund – CSO Champion
“I remember my teachers always indicated that I talked too much on my report card. Perhaps that was an indication of who I was meant to become.”
Rachel O. S. Edmund wears many hats. She is an author, philanthropist, pastor, motivational speaker, blogger, activist, advocate and so much more.
Things for Edmund were not always on the up and up. Unfortunately, she has had experiences with abuse throughout her life. “Having endured these atrocities, I lost my voice as I tried to navigate life. I could not speak for myself and always looked to others for assistance and strength.”
In 2015, single motherhood brought struggle and Edmund sought assistance from the government, only to find there was no help for people in her situation.
The Global Network for the Advancement of Single Mothers (GNASM) started as a simple Facebook group. Inspired by the burn of strife and the desire for the warmth of community, Edmund decided no one should struggle alone. Their vision is to create a global village for single mothers where they are adequately supported in all spheres of their lives moving them from surviving to thriving.
GNASM has intentionally incorporated 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into their model. This can be seen through the development of programs and the execution of organisational goals.
Running an NGO that assists people in need is not easy as the organisation has had to rely on itself for funding. The downside to this can be clearly seen since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We struggled with being able to execute plans for programs we wanted to engage in but we persevered with the staff we had and our wits and faith. We have a deep desire to change our world which continues to drive everything that we do and this is what has kept us going regardless of the hardships that we faced. To me this is what it means to be a good, and even legendary community leader.
I have learned many lessons and continue to learn daily from my work with GNASM. The biggest lessons that I have learnt are:
- The vision isn’t given to everyone. It was given to the one capable of executing it.
- You will encounter obstacles but those obstacles are meant to propel you further.
- There is no shame in asking for help.
- Although it is a lot of hard work you must always remember to take time for yourself to maintain good mental health. Wuk doh dead but you can.”
Above all, having patience with yourself and celebrating all your wins no matter how small can help keep you in the right headspace to move forward.”
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Connect with GNASM online.
