Priscilla Plummer: From Entrepreneur to Global Advocate for Women in Southern Africa

My Entrepreneurial Roots

I was born and raised in the United States, where I spent the early part of my career helping small businesses and startups grow. Always entrepreneurial at heart, I thrived in fast-paced cities like San Francisco and New York City, constantly on the move with an eye on productivity. I eventually became the publisher of the only national women’s sports magazine in the country, founded by the legendary Billie Jean King. It was during this time that I began to hear the stories of the women who had paved the way for me, women who had fought for legislation and cultural shifts that allowed me to believe I could do anything a boy could do.

The Shift Toward Empowering Women Globally

I realized how much I owed to these pioneering women and began thinking about how I could help others, especially women who were still facing immense challenges. As I became more aware of gender and income disparities around the world, I felt compelled to help. I decided to leave my job and move to Kenya, hoping to use my skills to support female entrepreneurs in developing countries.

My first step was simple: I needed to learn. I spent six months traveling across Kenya, riding in old country buses, squeezed in with people, listening to the stories of women who faced unimaginable challenges just to earn a livelihood. I sat with them under trees, on stoops, and in urban spaces, slowly gaining insight into the cultural context that shaped their lives.

Unexpected Lessons in Mozambique

From Kenya, I moved on to graduate school, studying international development with a focus on women. A couple of years later, I found myself in northern Mozambique, ready to put my learning into action. I envisioned a program that would train and inspire women, connecting them with microloans to support their entrepreneurial endeavors. But when I arrived, I quickly learned that the reality on the ground was vastly different.

There were no female entrepreneurs. The challenges were centered around subsistence farming, and I had no skills in agriculture or farming. This was one of the hardest times of my life. I felt prepared to help, but I didn’t know where to begin.

Listening and Learning

During this time, I worked on a USAID water project, which had been designed in the U.S. with the goal of digging wells and installing pumps in rural villages. Early on, a Harvard professor came to conduct community buy-ins for the project. He had overlooked one crucial detail: the women were the ones responsible for water. They were the ones walking miles to fetch it for cooking, cleaning, and bathing their families. They weren’t included in the planning process, and this gap became a turning point for me.

That experience solidified my commitment to listening to women. Instead of trying to impose solutions, I realized that learning from them and gaining their trust was the way forward. Over the next three years, I focused on building relationships, gaining trust, and gathering stories. It was through this process that I understood the true meaning of empowerment.

Building Trust and Changing Lives

As I spent more time in Mozambique, I began to connect with local women. One of the first was a brave woman who came to my door selling handmade clay pots. After buying a pot from her, we exchanged money and laughter, and our friendship grew. Through her, I was introduced to other women, and little by little, I began to gain trust. This process became the foundation for what would eventually become Global Sojourns Giving Circle.

The Power of Relationships

So, through these experiences, I started to think, “Gosh, if I were ever to start an NGO, what would I do? What would I include?” It became clear to me that I would want to focus on women and girls, ensuring the initiative was locally led and that I stuck around long enough to build trust. Relationships would be at the core of everything. Eight years later, I found myself in Zambia, where I started an NGO built on these very principles.

At the heart of our work is a simple but powerful message: . It’s about dignity, relationships, and most importantly, saying . Today, our stories—stories from mentors and alumni—are a testament to the power of this approach.