Young Women Empowered in the Dominican Republic Through Unique Partnerships Formed at the GLS

The Global Leadership Network’s premier two-day leadership event of the year has been held annually in August for the last 25+ years. Recognized as one of the largest leadership events of its kind, The Global Leadership Summit (GLS) brings leaders and aspiring leaders together from around the world.

More Than an Event—A Catalyst for Change

One of the things that makes the GLS unique are the leaders from around the world who are part of a diverse audience of curious, growth-minded, change-driven people with a vision for positive transformation in their communities. Through the GLS, many of these leaders form new connections across borders and build relationships around common causes that make our world a better place.

Teen pregnancies impact close to 25% of teens and more than a million households are run by single moms.

One cause that has drawn a group of leaders together centers around empowering young women in the Dominican Republic (DR), where sex trafficking is prevalent and teen pregnancy rates rank among some of the highest in the world. Drawn together to address this need, GLS attendees, Carlos Pimental, country leader for the GLS in the DR, as well as Canadian GLS partners, Graeme and Claudybel Gordon, and Canadian businesswomen, Norma Barber and her daughter, Amanda Hentges, these leaders have come together to invest in and empower young women in the DR through the nonprofit, Proinfancia and the project, Days For Girls DR.

“One of the biggest issues we’re facing in the DR is teen pregnancy,” said Carlos Pimental, country leader for the GLS in the DR since 2014. “The DR has the worst numbers in Western Hemisphere. Teen pregnancies impact close to 25% of teens and more than a million households are run by single moms. It creates a very sad cycle of poverty. There is a huge breakdown in the structure of families. Then you add in the lack of opportunity for education. It’s a difficult issue to overcome.”

Facing the challenge, these leaders have come together around a solution. By providing women’s health and hygiene education, menstrual health kits, and job opportunities, together they are making way for more young women to realize their value in society, subsequently helping to break the cycle of poverty. “For many years, I’ve had concern about teen pregnancy and trafficking in the DR,” said Carlos. “I’m the father of four and my second child is my wonderful, beautiful daughter. I think about her and her dreams. Then I think about all the girls who have unfulfilled dreams because they’ve had to miss school due to menstruation or teen pregnancy.”

Watch what happened out of this beautiful, God-ordained connection.

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A God Ordained-Connection

Carlos first met longtime GLS attendees, Norma Barber at the GLS for the first time in 2015. He later met Canadian GLS partners, Graeme and Claudybel Gordon at the GLS in 2017. Together with a passion for empowering young women in the DR, this God-ordained connection grew into a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” to serve 250,000 young women across the country.

With a passion to partner with local leaders and be a catalyst for change, Norma and her daughter Amanda Hentges have been heavily involved in ministry work in the DR for a number of years. While visiting various projects they’re involved with in the DR, Norma and Amanda started to wonder about how young women managed their cycles to stay in school. With open hearts to God’s leading, they went on a journey to help bring the Days For Girls project to the DR.

Graeme and Claudybel are also heavily involved in ministry work in the DR. Now living in Canada, Claudybel is originally from the DR, and remains connected to her home country through family and various programs she and her husband support, now including the Days For Girls DR project.

As a growing group, these passionate leaders have a vision for the DR that far exceeds anything they could do on their own. “The GLS is a platform providing an opportunity for leaders to come together, bring solutions, share ideas, and solve problems, real problems,” said Carlos. “It was a God appointment that we all met. It is out of connections like this when leaders get together to look for solutions.”

Connection Forms Vision for a Big Hairy Audacious Goal

While on one of their trips to the DR, Norma and Amanda realized the need for menstrual supplies to keep girls in school. So, Amanda returned home to research reusable menstrual supplies, and was thrilled to discover Days For Girls International, founded by Celeste Mergens and located in Bellingham, Washington. After learning from Celeste and her team, Norma and Amanda were excited about the opportunity to bring supplies back to the DR on their next several trips, peaking Carlos’ curiosity.

Not long thereafter, they brought Carlos to Canada to spend the day with Celeste, and together they envisioned what it might look like to reach all the girls ages 13-18 with women’s health education and Days For Girls health kits. “When I met Carlos, I got a sense that he would be an amazing partner,” said Norma. “My goal is to be a catalyst between philanthropic funders and charitable endeavors. I sensed in Carlos that he was also catalyst leader. I remember asking him, ‘Carlos, all these goals we have, how are we going to do it?’ And he said, ‘Norma, I have people.’ Carlos is the real deal! He has people, and we’re all a part of it. As a community, we’re not scared to try something big.”

Their spark grew into flame when they were able to bring a regional manufacturing location to the DR in 2018, which now provides job opportunities to local women. “They were making the Days For Girls kits in a little garage, so when we had the opportunity to bring the kit making to the DR among an already established group of women, the women were keen for the work and the chance to serve,” Norma explained.

I was originally thinking we would reach 100 kids. Now we’re thinking about the entire country!

God connected the dots, and the Days For Girls DR project brought life back into the nonprofit, Proinfancia, and that launched the continuation of their journey to serve girls across the DR.

Together Carlos, Norma, Amanda, Graeme, Claudybel, an amazing local team, and a group of incredible ambassadors, they are providing menstrual support to help keep young women in school more consistently. Additionally, at local manufacturing facilities in both Sosúa and Santo Domingo, women are being employed to sew washable, reusable menstrual products for the Days For Girls DR program (among other programs).

Girls hold up their kits in the DR

“There is a sense of calling and a vision God has given us for transformation, and to be a blessing to others in the DR,” said Carlos. “This is why I’ve spent the last 30 years serving in the context of Christian ministry work. When we started, I was originally thinking we would reach 100 kids. Then Norma brought up the idea of starting a second ministry office for Days For Girls in the DR. That’s the great thing about vision casting. We started sharing the vision with others, and they were also inspired. We purchased our first industrial machines and the work really got started. Now we’re thinking about the entire country! We have what Jim Collins calls a BHAG—a big hairy audacious goal.”

We are actively seeking to reach 250,000 girls in the DR in the next few years!

“We are actively seeking to reach 250,000 girls in the DR in the next few years!” Norma exclaimed. “Now that the Days For Girls health kits can be made in country, our hope is to make at least 4,000 kits per month to allow us to reach the 250,000 girls in five years or less! Through these efforts, we hope more girls will stay in school, enjoy their youth, and have babies when they decide they are ready. We hope our girls will be the DR leaders of the future rather than living in poverty because they had a baby before they planned.”

Everyday their vision grows as the Days For Girls DR project educates young women, encourages girls to complete their schooling, and lowers the rate of teen pregnancy.

“We’re going to add some amazing facilities,” said Carlos. “We’re signing agreements with Rotary Clubs as well as the Department of Justice in the DR. We’re not only working with local churches but also prison ministries. It’s about more than learning how to sew and providing hygiene kits, it’s also about dignity. It’s about bringing hope, opportunity, and job opportunities. It has been real journey. In fact, we had somebody close to our vice president in the nation visit our small shop at the garage. We casted the vision. God is putting things together and making connections. When you connect people, the Holy Spirit does the rest. I love to see the story unfold as these girls are empowered. We just do our part.”

In partnership to the GLS, the ambassadors of women’s health who teach the programs are gaining leadership development training and being empowered; they are invited to attend the GLS and also be part of a monthly leadership academy. “The leadership content from the Global Leadership Network is going to be essential in training over 200 ambassadors who will carry the legacy moving forward. These ambassadors are also part of a three-year leadership academy. It’s a great opportunity for them. They really are the ones who have caught the vision for Days for Girls DR the most. They are excited about how good it is for their communities and churches. That’s part of the beauty. You can see their passion as they teach and connect with the girls. It’s amazing.”

Empowering the Next Generation Through Leadership

The vision for changing the culture, and empowering servant leadership in the DR is close to Carlos’ heart, especially as he thinks of his own children. “I have four children,” said Carlos. “I’m thinking about them and the next generation. My country needs a whole new culture of servant leadership. I dream about servant leaders being influencers for change in whatever position God places them.

When you connect people, the Holy Spirit does the rest.

“One of the most inspiring ideas that I’ve had is about the potential for the GLS to impact society to inspire change. My passion is to make sure that every leader in the DR really understands this. The GLS is a great opportunity to develop the leadership gift God gives you and use it wherever you are.”

Carlos’ vision comes to life in partnerships like Days For Girls DR, where young women are discovering their calling. Yet, outcomes like this would not be possible without another partnership—the generous GLS audience who gives to support the translation efforts to bring this event around the world. “We feel very lucky to have the GLS in Spanish,” said Carlos. “I know it’s a huge difficulty to execute this and a very expensive part of the program, so we are so thankful to the Global Leadership Network for making it possible. With this generous support, it is my intention to make the GLS really accessible to the next generation. I want to start when they are young—12, 13, and 14—so they can start dreaming and developing their leadership potential and embrace great causes. My hope is that they will lead us in the right direction for the good of our people and for the glory of our God.”

If you have ever donated a gift above and beyond the ticket cost, you too are part of ripple effect stories like this one. Thank you! Learn more about the impact of the GLS around the world at GlobalLeadership.org/Stories.