The Ripple Effect of the GLS in South Africa | If You Want to Change the World, Educate Women & the Next Generation

“Education is one of the most powerful weapons we can use to change a country.” – Nelson Mandela

Janine Couchman and her husband Gerry run the Willow Creek Association in South Africa, and have been spearheading the Global Leadership Summit in the region for the last 12 years. Over time, they’ve seen incredible impact on entire communities, and are excited about bringing this event to even more leaders in years to come.

For Janine, she is most passionate about bringing the GLS to more women as well as the next generation of leaders. She believes in the education and untapped potential of women and youth, that when tapped, could create exponential change in our world.

Untapped Potential

“I think the education of leaders is critical,” Janine explains. “In my country in particular, unfortunately, leadership is a huge challenge because we have a government that is corrupt. And I think that if the leaders who are in position right now were educated properly and had received leadership training like the GLS offers, things could be different. Teachers have been promoted to principles, but they haven’t received the skills that would help them run a school effectively and efficiently. There are leadership development holes in so many places.”

Shrinking the Gap

The GLS is a tool God is using across all sectors in South Africa. In the beginning, it was focused primarily on church leaders, but gradually NGOs and business leaders began attending as well. Janine believes that in order to improve schools’ effectiveness, you need to improve the leadership. Her efforts to bring students and more leaders from the education sector is having an incredible impact.

“We are seeing a lot of younger leaders and students attend the GLS. And 50 percent are girls, which is incredible,” Janine says. Through the GLS, the education gap in South Africa is shrinking. But there’s more to be done, specifically in terms of the education of women.

“If I had the ability to change one thing in the world, I think I would change educating women globally,” Janine shares. “If women were more educated, we would see change in communities and countries like we have never seen before. I love the fact that 50 percent of our audience in South Africa are women. That is very encouraging. My dream would be to see more women equipped to reach their potential,  which we know is a challenge.”

As a woman and a leader in South Africa, Janine feels empathy for women who experience the challenge in a world that doesn’t readily accept their leadership gift. “I have been given the gift of leadership,” Janine shares. “It has been a struggle for me. I have had to fight to be allowed to lead and use the gifts that I have been given. But because I have been on that journey, I have a heart for women who I know are struggling with the same issues. It isn’t as much of a struggle as it used to be, but having to fight so much gives me compassion for women because I know what they struggle with.”

The Ripple Effect of the GLS

One of the regular attendees of the GLS in South Africa is a woman named Louis van Rhyne. She recognized a need to transform the education system in South Africa, so she took action and founded an organization called Symphonia.

By partnering with business leaders from the community, and connecting them with schools to coach, mentor and teach leadership skills, they are seeing an increase in graduation percentages and the level of education that children are receiving.

Through networking at the GLS, an attendee with a similar vision for education in South Africa began partnering with Symphonia. Together, they are changing the education system—they are transforming school communities; they fix things, paint and get local businesses involved. The program is rolling across the country. And what started in Cape Town is now being picked up in other parts of the country.

The government’s education department is reaching out to them saying, “Please, help us.”

It’s the ripple effect of the GLS.

The Next Generation is at Stake

The GLS is not only impacting business leader and educational leaders, but it is ultimately impacting the next generation. “I think that one thing we have to remember is that there’s a generation after us and we have to do all we can to give them the opportunity to become stronger leaders,” Janine explains. “It’s not just about us. We think we are the church now, but the church is following us. If more leaders would come together and make a conscious effort to do leadership development for the next generations, we will see a big change in the world.

“I think the more leaders we reach, the more churches will change, communities will change and countries will change. As Christians, that is part of the tradition—seeing more and more people living devoted lives, living their potential and reaching the broken and lost.

“We’re making a difference in our broken world.”

Thank you for Creating a Ripple Effect in South Africa

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“For South Africa, we would like to thank you for your dedication and faithful commitment to helping the WCA roll the GLS to the world,” Janine shares. “If not for your contribution this wouldn’t be possible.

“Without strong leadership there cannot be country change, community change and we cannot fix this broken world. Ethical leadership is so vital. So in South Africa, we want to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for all that you are doing and all that you will do. We trust for 2016 that we will see an incredible growth as God uses the GLS to change our broken world. Thank you.”

To continue to support leaders like Janine in South Africa, consider a gift towards the Global Leadership Development Fund
at www.willowcreek.com