WOMEN'S GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT FUND - Key Persons
Orphaned at a young age, Bukenya Musa developed an urge to do something to help people suffering in his country. After receiving his Bachelor's degree in journalism and a certificate in counseling he set up a fledgling non-profit in Gulu, northern Uganda. He joined Women's Global Empowerment Fund in the fall of 2007, and his excellent leadership skills and dedication have enabled the organization to loan money to over 1900 women to date. Not only does he act as Program Director in the Gulu office, he is thought of as stable and caring to WGEF clients, always providing encouragement and support.
In addition to his work with WGEF and its clients, Bukenya is working towards a Master's in Business Administration. He completed his degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Makere Univeristy in Kampala, Uganda.
"I will never forget the leader of the office, (Bukenya) who was like a brother to every woman who visits the office. He was encouraging me that, Gladys, you can make it." Gladys Piloya, WGEF client
Job Titles:
- Member of the Resource Development Committee
Milima haikutani lakini binadamu wanakutna. Darcy learned this Swahili saying on her last day of volunteer teaching in Tanzania. It means, The mountains are not connected but human beings are. Darcy firmly believes WGEF's value that all women are connected, and we are here to help each other.
Volunteering a summer in Africa changed Darcy's life. While she lives in Denver among the Rocky Mountains, she will never forget the women of the Maasai village she met in Kilimanjaro or all of the amazing girls and women she connected with in Bagamoyo. Though her experience in Africa was amazing, Darcy never felt like she was doing enough. Upon moving to Denver in 2013, Darcy met Karen and learned about WGEF, which is the exact nonprofit she was looking for to help empower women. Darcy's favorite part of WGEF is how women are provided with leadership skills and resources to empower themselves.
Darcy has a BS from Penn State in Elementary Education and a MS from Stetson University in Educational Leadership and Administration. She spent ten years teaching in PA, FL, and CO along with her time volunteer teaching in Africa. Currently she works for the Colorado Reading Corps program as a Master Coach supporting schools across Denver to boost Literacy rates. When not working or volunteering, Darcy can be found hiking with her adopted lab or running races. One of Darcy's favorite roles as a Board Member is helping to organize WGEF's Colfax Running team. She hopes that you join us in Running Locally and Thinking Globally!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Beauty and Health Director, Marie Claire Magazine / New York City, NY
Erin Huiting is a dedicated advocate for gender equity in local and global communities. She met Karen Sugar in 2009 and was immediately drawn to the WGEF mission, people, and impact of the organization and remained a volunteer for 10+ years. Growing up in Colorado, Erin primarily worked with WGEF in their Denver office, but was fortunate to visit Uganda in 2015 and 2016 to assist staff with new programming and meet WGEF's inspiring community of women and families. During this time, Erin pursued a B.A. in Molecular Biology at Colgate University, and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. She plans to apply her research in microbiology, immunology, and genome engineering to develop tools and therapeutics that better society - whether that be through human healthcare or climate change. In graduate school, Erin is also a leader of a student-led organization Immunologists for Gender Equity that aims to break down the barriers and biases of gender in science. She has continued her involvement with WGEF as a board member for the past 3 years, and applies her expertise in research, project management, and communication to identify and apply for grants, assist with fundraising, and write or promote WGEF programming.
After graduating with an undergraduate degree in social work, Eunice Apiyo returned to her home in northern Uganda working to rebuild her community, helping the women and children of the region recover and reconcile.
Eunice received her degree from Kyambogo University, she speaks several tribal languages, enabling her provide the critical communication necessary for our clients to succeed and feel comfortable. She has excellent management and
leadership skills and has been an integral part of our organization since being hired in 2008.
Eunice works with all of our clients, provides training, attends repayment meetings, manages the office, coordinates events and programming, and is a shining, bright, energetic young woman who our clients can trust and admire.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Chairman, Dept. of Political Science University of Colorado at Denver / Denver, CO
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder and Director of Women 's Global Empowerment Fund
K.L. Sugar is the Founder and Director of Women's Global Empowerment Fund. Currently based in Denver and Los Angeles, Sugar and her mission extend internationally, providing tools and programs creating economic, social and political empowerment to women and families. The mission of WGEF stems from a life-long commitment to human rights and social justice along with her interest in gender justice, microfinance and its potential for transformation, which she studied in depth, along with gender and development, while earning her Master's degree from the University of Colorado in 2008.
Her Master's thesis was titled The Power and Possibility of Microfinance where she examined the outcomes of pairing microfinance with critical social programming. Supporting this idea became the foundation of developing her own model called Credit Plus, and in 2008 she launched Women's Global Empowerment Fund. She drew from her previous work experience with homeless women and families in Atlanta, and as a community organizer for reproductive health care in Colorado, to unite her passion and education to evoke global change.
Sugar has dedicated her life to helping solve social justice issues, strongly emphasizing her dedication to equality and human rights. Although her focus has tended to women's issues, she is a firm believer in defending the rights of all human beings. In addition to her work with her nonprofit, her commitment continues as a faculty member and Instructor at the University of Colorado, teaching topics of global gender issues, human rights and international development, educating and introducing students to social justice issues and globalization.
In Sugar's words, "I have worked with, and studied poverty issues almost all of my adult life, but really began to focus on the issues around global poverty, the dire consequences of globalization and injustice in the Global South, and how it is connected and interrelated to the western world. The continued marginalization and oppression of women and families around the globe is the issue which inspired me to act, and through economic, social programs and leadership development, I founded WGEF, an innovative vehicle in which to make a difference."
Sugar's guiding belief is that women must have a seat at the policy table, political and social agency; her definition of empowerment is recognized as unique and valuable:
Job Titles:
- Member of the Resource Development Committee
Laura Turner is currently a Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher at a Denver Public School. Laura is also earning her Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado-Denver. Laura began volunteering with Women's Global Empowerment Fund (WGEF) in 2012. She was initially drawn to volunteer with WGEF because their mission of achieving women's empowerment through microfinance was in alignment with Laura's interest in feminist and gender studies. Laura is inspired by WGEF's commitment to making systemic social and economic change for women in Gulu, Uganda. Unlike some other NGOs which come in with their own agenda, Laura values how the voices of participants in WGEF are always fundamental to decision making about programing. Ugandan women advocate for the issues they see in their community and WGEF is responsive in creating programs to meet those needs. In particular Laura values WGEF's drama festival where women use theater as a vehicle to express criticism of the patriarchal status quo.
Leah Rausch is passionate about supporting sustainable and robust community development, both in Colorado and abroad. She is currently the Director of Rural Partnerships at Community Resource Center, a nonprofit management support organization in Denver. Leah works with rural nonprofit professionals across Colorado to increase access to high quality professional development, networking, and funding opportunities. Leah graduated from the University of Denver with a BA in International Studies and Spanish with an emphasis on community development and gender equality. During her tenure at the University of Denver, Leah was a Communications & Development intern with WGEF and has stayed on in various capacities - as volunteer, board member, and problem solver - ever since. Leah brings expertise in volunteer coordination and recruitment, project management, facilitation, grantwriting, marketing and social media to Women's Global.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Executive Director, RedLine Gallery / Denver, CO
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Executive Director, Fundacion Paraguaya / Asuncion, Paraguay
Mike Powl is the current Board Chair for Women's Global Empowerment fund and has been involved with the organization since its inception in 2007. Mike first met Karen Sugar in 2007 and was involved in helping to secure its first $10,000 investment in that year. He was fortunate enough to travel to Gulu in Northern Uganda in November of 2008 to witness the program in action and its powerful impact in the community as well as experience the program's very first Drama Festival.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Board Chair for Women 's Global Empowerment
Mike Powl is the current Board Chair for Women's Global Empowerment fund and has been involved with the organization since its inception in 2007. Mike first met Karen Sugar in 2007 and was involved in helping to secure its first $10,000 investment in that year. He was fortunate enough to travel to Gulu in Northern Uganda in November of 2008 to witness the program in action and its powerful impact in the community as well as experience the program's very first Drama Festival.
Molly Diachok-Mugglestone owns MDM Public Affairs Consulting where she provides political and campaign strategy for environmentally based clients. She has owned MDM for four years and has worked on issues ranging from Colorado River protection, public lands advocacy and regional transportation planning. She started her career in public affairs in Denver, working in legislative affairs for the Colorado Association of Family and Children's Agencies (CAFCA) and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. While working for CAFCA, she earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver where she focused on policy, lobbying and non-profit management. After working in Denver as a lobbyist and advocate she moved to DC in 2001 and lobbied Congress and the Administration for the Center for Reproductive Rights. From there she went to work in higher education and was a marketing and recruitment manager for American University School of Public Affairs. Wanting to get back to their roots and live in the mountains they love, she and her husband moved to Gunnison, CO 10 years ago. In Gunnison, Molly has been an adjunct professor at Western State Colorado University, the Director of the County Substance Abuse Prevention Project and she currently serves her clients through MDM Public Affairs.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Executive Director, Supporting Opportunities for Ugandans to Learn ( S.O.U.L. ) Foundation / Denver, CO