Taking a Leap of Faith

The next chapter of the Re-Awakening

Five months after returning from the program, and after much reflection, consultation (putting my Mentors to good use), projection, and with recalling how so many of stories that the successful businesswomen we interacted with on the program started with “I took a leap of faith…”, I decided it was time that I took mine - I resigned from my thriving engineering career! Not because I hated, or even disliked my job, but more so because there was something inside of me that was just saying that Now is the Time! Now is the time to live my passion. Now is the time to take the risk. Now is the time to give back. Now is the time to my learnings into practice. Now is just the Time! 

My plan was to initially dedicate myself more “full-time” to my passion, the NPO WomEng (previously known as SAWomEng) that had played such a big role in my life over the last 7 years – joining first as a beneficiary, then very soon becoming a founding member of one of the core divisions, GirlEng, and at the time of resigning, being in the role of Managing Director of the organisation. But for the last 7 years, it was always as a volunteer, over and above my studies, and then my full time job as an engineer – even managing and growing an entire division while living and working abroad in Germany! 

The decision was made in a big part so that I could call on my learnings from the program and take the NPO to the next level. Realising that if, over the last 8 years we could achieve what we did as volunteers, imagine what potential for growth and expansion lie ahead if even just a few months I could dedicate myself more “full-time” to the organization? This was also largely part of my commitment to “paying it forward”. 

Looking back, the decision was certainly not in vain. Since resigning in October 2013, the impact of not just dedicating more focused time, but going in with a new mindset, leveraging off the learnings, networks and inspiration from the program, have been astounding. Everything from a significant increase in funds and sponsorship raised, to our global expansion starting with the launch of our first programs in Kenya in 2014 (hence dropping the “SA” in SAWomEng!), to literally spear-heading an overhaul in the operational structure and running of the organization, all significantly increasing the reach and depth of the work we do! And it hasn’t even been a full year yet! I remain excited and know that there are only greater things to come in this space…