Two weeks ago, I was in Uganda with a client to lead a workshop on partnering with government to scale. More on that later.
When I got home, I was exhausted but I had that annoying wake-up call - courtesy of one very determined mosquito - which I am sure many of you can relate to.
Despite nets on the windows, closed doors, and the usual pre-bed spray, it somehow found its way in.
At 3 a.m., it was buzzing - persistent, irritating, and impossible to ignore. Not enough of a nuisance to get up and disturb my husband (and the cat), but just enough to keep me awake, thinking.
In that half-asleep frustration, I couldn’t help but think back to workshop I’d just led. The discussion about scaling impact through partnership with government centred around - how long it takes, how many setbacks there are, how much patience and tenacity it demands.
What really struck me was the quiet determination of the team.
They know the work is hard.
They know things go wrong.
But they keep showing up because the need is too great, and the potential impact too meaningful to stop.
And that’s when the mosquito analogy hit home.
It’s easy to feel small when the problems are vast.
But small, persistent, and focused effort - day after day -can be deeply disruptive.
That’s what social change so often looks like.
The models that work are rarely perfect - they’re good enough, simple enough, cheap enough to move forward and keep going.
And it’s the people behind them, with their steady tenacity, who make all the difference.
So here’s to the mosquitoes among us -
the ones who buzz, persist, and refuse to give up until real change happens.
Staying Connected to the Work
That same trip to Uganda reminded me why it’s so important to see the work, not just talk about it.
As part of the workshop, I was invited to visit one of the schools where the organisation supports.
I’d read the reports and reviewed the data. But being there - watching teachers and children in action - made everything click.
It wasn’t a big site visit or donor tour; it was real, everyday impact in motion.
What struck me most was the continuity.
These were communities I knew - the same ones we’d worked in at Living Goods but now the focus had shifted from health to education. The same children community health workers once visited at home were now in classrooms, learning.
Seeing that connection between different sectors and the ripple effect of persistent local effort brought the strategy conversations to life.
It reminded me that even as advisors or leaders, it’s easy to get caught up in frameworks and plans. But the real clarity often comes when you’re on the ground - when you see the why behind the work.
Whether you’re leading a team, scaling a model, or supporting others to do so - it helps to step out of the office every so often.
Reconnect with the work, feel the need again, and remember what you’re trying to change.
It’s grounding. It’s humbling. And it keeps you buzzing for all the right reasons.
A few days later, another client was visiting Nairobi. I asked with this reminder fresh in my mind - if she had time to see some of the work her organisation supports.
She smiled and said, “Sadly, not this time - my priority is spending time with my team. We’ve had several new joiners.”
That resonated. It’s a familiar tension - there’s never enough time to do it all. But one thing I learnt early on as CEO was how powerful it is to carve out time to connect with the work itself - or, when that’s not possible, with the people closest to it.
As we talked, she reflected that on her next visit, if there wasn’t time to travel to the field, she’d try something different - perhaps a small listening dinner with local partners.
Not a grand event, just a moment to pause and hear directly from those living the mission every day.
Because even when schedules are tight, finding creative ways to stay close to the work changes how you lead.
It’s one of the best investments of time a leader can make. .
Where Persistence Meets Purpose
It struck me that the mosquito and the field visit had more in common than I first thought.
Both were reminders in very different ways - of what persistence and connection really mean.
The mosquito showed me how small, focused effort can have an outsized impact when it refuses to give up.
The field visit reminded me why that effort matters - why we keep showing up, despite the exhaustion, the setbacks, and the slow progress.
Whether we’re in a school in rural Uganda, a boardroom in Nairobi, or working late on a proposal, staying close to the why behind the work keeps us going.
It fuels resilience and keeps the mission alive.
Because change doesn’t come from grand strategies alone.
It comes from the people and the leaders - who keep buzzing, learning, and showing up, again and again, until real change happens.
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
