This month for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we are recognizing and celebrating the amazing contributions of women supporting Venture37 projects around the world.

Each week, we’ll introduce you to an employee who was nominated by her colleagues for her demonstrated added value to the team. Often in roles that are out of the traditional limelight, these women are creating impact through demonstrated leadership on a daily basis. Please join us in celebrating these talented women!


Nour Nasrallah
Nour is an administrative assistant supporting finance, human resources and grants for the USAID-funded LINQ project in Lebanon. With a passion for environmental sustainability, she also makes sure LINQ activities adhere to USAID environmental standards.
 
Here is what LINQ teammates have to say about Nour: “With her professionalism, positive attitude, ability to multi-task and determination, working with Nour is a fun and enriching experience. Though her contributions to LINQ, Nour’s talents and passion are making a difference in the world and we know Nour’s career will continue to be filled with great success. It is a delight to celebrate her! Thank you, Nour!”


Felicidade Tivane
Felicidade Tivane is a field facilitator with the USAID-funded RAMA-BC project in Mozambique. In this role, she helps small-scale farmers increase their profit through adoption of new agricultural technologies. Felicidade currently lives in Buzi district of Sofala province, a region hit hard by natural disasters since 2019, including Cyclone Chalane and Eloise.
 
“My own home was so flooded that I had to take refuge on a secure roof nearby with my children. All my household goods acquired through hard work were ruined, but I thank God as my family and I got through intact. God has given me the power to overcome these challenges with courage and strength and together with my family we are adapting to the difficult conditions. I can say that we are resilient, and we seek to transmit that resilience to others.”


Worknesh Yenesew is an office assistant and cleaner for the PAID project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
 
“We are so proud of our teammate, Worknesh. For the last four years, she has proven to be trustworthy, hardworking, efficient, and always ready to help. Her efforts help us achieve our project goals on a daily basis. She is also an amazing mother, and someone with a great sense of humor. We appreciate you, Worknesh!”



Zizi Gelenidze
Meet Zizi Gelenidze from Tblisi, Georgia. The USDA-funded SQIL project benefits from Zizi’s outstanding administrative and technical talents as the Administrative and Human Resources Manager. With over 20 years of professional experience, two completed degrees with honors, and her ongoing MBA coursework at the top-rated Caucasus University of Georgia, she is known for her deeply valuable expertise in international development.
 
Here is what her manager says about Zizi:
“Zizi diligently attends to details, pursues quality and takes responsibility achieving results with little oversight. Her motivation and team spirit contributes towards successful implementation of the project technical activities. Thank you, Zizi!”


Viola Millinga
Viola Januarius Millinga supports the Land O`Lakes Venture37 projects in Tanzania, including the PAID project and Dairy Nourishes Africa (DNA). During her tenure with Venture37 since 2011, Viola has been promoted from administrative assistant to accountant due to her continuous high level of professionalism, integrity and hard work.
 
Here is what Viola’s colleagues say about her:
 
“Viola has supported the work of other colleagues and ensured they execute their duties as required, all while baring a very kind smile along the way. She is a great mentor to new staff joining Venture37 and is extremely diligent on all issues of procurement, compliance, and finance policies. Viola has become a key part of the institutional knowledge at Venture37 and continues to improve her personal skills while providing positive contributions to the work across all the projects with which she works.”


Betty Chirwa
Betty Chirwa is the procurement and administrative specialist for the CAT Project in Malawi. Betty has been instrumental to three projects in Malawi since joining the Venture37 team in year 1. Over her tenure, Betty has been promoted to her current role due to her work ethic, willingness to learn and commitment to the projects.
 
“We would like to recognize Betty for all the great work she has done for all our 3 projects in Malawi. She is a team player and is always willing to go the extra mile. She has been instrumental in the setup of our new CAT project – leading in high value procurements and providing administrative assistance during project start up workshops and meetings. Thank you, Betty!”