Atlas Corps volunteers are essential to the organization for making sure things run smoothly. Today, we would like to talk more about Atlas Corps Group Captains. Our Group Captains facilitate monthly peer coaching groups as part of our new Virtual Leadership Institute, an online learning community for global social change leaders from around the world.
Meet Sunga Kufeyani, Atlas Corps Alumna from Malawi and an excellent Group Captain for the Atlas Corps Virtual Leadership Institute. During the Fellowship, Sunga served at Philanthropy University as a Volunteer Program Coordinator.
Now, Sunga is a co-founder and COO of a nonprofit organization called Loving Arms, a Malawian nonprofit organization that works with young people in education. Loving Arms is committed to supporting girls from Malawi, especially Nambuma, Dowa to continue to pursue their education by providing scholarships and community involvement and mobilization by leveraging the presence of mother groups. Sunga also serves as a Secretary for the Youth Leadership Council for Global Fund for Children & Board Director for Ufulu Groups. This organization empowers vulnerable and under-resourced single parents through skills training and dignified work.
Why did you decide to volunteer for Atlas Corps as a Group Captain?
My Fellowship with Atlas Corps helped me grow as a person, professional, and leader. I learned, gained a lot from this experience that volunteering as a Group Captain was an easy yes for me to give back for all the benefits I enjoyed during and after my Fellowship. Also, the prospect of working with a group of highly motivated social change leaders was challenging to say no.
How has volunteering with Atlas Corps impacted you?
I have enjoyed working with my group. I look forward to it actually; creating a seamless virtual community is difficult, but through this experience, I have been able to practice my facilitation skills while keeping my team engaged. I have also enjoyed learning some new tricks and skills to apply to my organization’s program design process through the Atlas Virtual Institute Curriculum.
What message would you like to send to individuals who are thinking of volunteering with Atlas Corps as a Group Captain?
Just do it. Be apply to be a Group Captain. It is a fantastic experience. My team and I joke about me becoming a president, and you know one day I might be, so apart from learning, leading, you are gaining a great network and a group of cheerleaders who will support you on your journey too. It is more about you again than it is about them.
Atlas Corps Scholar Emmanuel (Cohort 1, Mali) says, “Regarding the Virtual Leadership Institute, it is an amazing experience to me. I have learned a lot and keep learning more things to reinforce myself as a leader to improve a project with high social impact. Sunga is a wonderful Group Captain. I appreciate her passion and leadership skills in managing our group. Sunga’s energy illuminates the group.”
Our Palestinian Scholar Rasha (Cohort 1) shares, “I got lucky to be part of the Atlas Corps experience and to be among this divers people from around the world. This has made me recognize that we need the inclusion and diversity thoughts in the world to face the new challenges in whatever context we talk about. The coach Sunga has been supportive and encouraging to myself and the group making it easier to connect and build network with other members of the group.”
Another Palestinian Scholar Ibrahim (Cohort 1) shares, “Joining the Virtual Leadership Institute is an amazing experience for me, it is challenging the norm and the set of concepts sacked in over the years. I am blessed for having Sunga as our group captain. She is very committed, friendly, loving, and with great experience that helped me a lot to navigate in the program. She is very inspiring for me as a person who is leading a change movement to help girls attain and pursue education. I believe by completing the program I will be more able to lead a change for young people around me by sharing knowledge and adapting to worldwide inspirations.”
Thank you, Sunga and our hundreds of volunteers who help achieve the Atlas Corps mission every day. Learn more about becoming a volunteer at volunteer.atlascorps.org.
