Meet Five World Pulse Changemakers: Women Leaders Transforming Communities

From Sudan to Nigeria to Lebanon to South Africa to India to Bangladesh, women across the world are creating incredible change in their communities and beyond.

And every day, changemakers log on to World Pulse to share their grassroots initiatives, build connections, and find the support they need to sustain movements for change. Through their leadership and vision, World Pulse Featured Changemakers Nadra AlMahdi, Amah Nwankwo, Hawraa Ghandour, Dolly Mthembu, and Nidhi Solanki are creating a sanctuary for survivors, reclaiming polluted cities, amplifying silenced voices, healing generational wounds, and opening pathways for marginalized girls. Here are their stories.

In Sudan, Nadra AlMahdi creates a sanctuary for women fleeing war

When war erupted in Sudan, Nadra AlMahdi witnessed the silent suffering of displaced women. Many faced violence, exploitation, and exile without support. She founded the Noura Initiative to offer dignity and hope to women who had nowhere else to turn.

Noura provides housing, medical care, counseling, and legal assistance. It also helps women start small businesses and connects them with immigration and resettlement services. Survivors who once endured exploitation are now reunited with family, receiving care, and earning livelihoods that restore their independence.

"What inspired me was the harsh reality Sudanese women faced in exile after the outbreak of war," Nadra shares. "I felt it was my duty to take action, not just with words, but with action."

Nadra logs on to World Pulse to find solidarity and connect Sudanese women’s struggles to a global movement.

“Through World Pulse, I found sisters on the same path—women who believe in change as I do,” she says. “These connections became bridges of hope, across which we exchanged experiences, support, and inspiration. It has always been beneficial for my initiative, and to see that what we sow with words can bear fruit for Sudanese women.”

Nadra now seeks partnerships with humanitarian organizations, global donors, and journalists to expand Noura into a full-scale organization reaching even more women in crisis.

Connect with Nadra AlMahdi. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Nigeria, Amah Nwankwo mobilizes youth to reclaim Lagos

Overflowing drains and clogged waterways worsen flooding and disease in Lagos’ vulnerable neighborhoods. Amah Nwankwo believed the city’s most overlooked people—unemployed young men known as “area boys”—could be the very agents of environmental renewal.

Through Clean Lagos, Empower Lagos, Amah equips these youth with training, protective gear, and weekly stipends, transforming them into sanitation champions. They clear canals, restore waterfronts, and reduce flood risks. The initiative also leads community efforts like “Adopt a Gutter” to ensure residents maintain progress long-term.

“This initiative is important to me because it speaks directly to restoration and dignity,” Amah reflects. “Beyond the dirt and blocked drainages are young, unemployed men who are often ignored, criminalized, or written off.”

Amah logs on to World Pulse to amplify these solutions and share her impact with a global network.

“World Pulse has given a voice to this idea and financially honored the initiative”, she says. “Through this platform, I’ve found visibility, validation, and the encouragement to keep building something that can truly change lives.”

She’s working toward clearing 50 canals and training 1,000 youth, and exploring new recycling models to turn plastic waste into useful products and community rewards.

Connect with Amah Nwankwo. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In Lebanon, Hawraa Ghandour amplifies whispers from conflict zones

In South Lebanon, Hawraa Ghandour turned personal pain into a collective movement for peace. After years of conflict and loss, she created Whispers in the World’s Ears, a project that gives women in conflict zones a safe space to share their stories and visions for healing.

The initiative hosts storytelling workshops, listening circles, and digital campaigns in Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestine. Women who once felt silenced are now finding solidarity, rebuilding confidence, and inspiring others. Plans for a women-led podcast will carry these voices even further, reframing them as leaders of peace rather than victims of war.

“I realized how powerful and sacred our whispers can be—especially when they speak of peace, survival, and hope,” Hawraa explains. “This project is my way of turning personal pain into collective healing.”

Hawraa logs on to World Pulse to raise her voice and connect with community mentors.

“World Pulse has been an essential space for me to share my story, mentor others, and connect with women worldwide who face similar challenges,” she says. “Here, I can lift others as I rise, turning personal triumph into collective empowerment. When women connect, they change pain into power.”

Hawraa seeks partners in peacebuilding, trauma healing, and digital storytelling to help her reach more than 1,000 women and youth.

Connect with Hawraa Ghandour. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In South Africa, Dolly Mthembu weaves ancestral wisdom into healing

For Dolly Mthembu, leadership begins with healing. She founded Rooted Voices: Healing Through Story and Spirit in South Africa to address the intergenerational wounds carried by women and youth.

Rooted Voices offers story circles, mentorship pods, and cultural dialogues rooted in Indigenous knowledge and spiritual practice. Participants reclaim storytelling as a tool for healing and build the emotional clarity needed for strong leadership. Women have found the courage to reconcile family relationships and start new community initiatives inspired by their stories.

“Rooted Voices was born from a deep yearning to disrupt silence around generational pain, especially the mother wound, and to reclaim storytelling as a sacred tool for healing,” Dolly shares.

Dolly logs on to World Pulse to affirm her vision and strengthen her voice for global healing.

“World Pulse has been more than a platform—it has been a mirror, amplifier, and archive for my voice,” she says. “Through its community and storytelling ethos, I’ve found both affirmation and strategic clarity to shape my initiatives with emotional sovereignty and global resonance.”

Her vision is to document cultural stories, preserve wisdom in a digital archive, and expand her circles to reach many more communities.

Connect with Dolly Mthembu. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

In India, Nidhi Solanki helps girls choose their futures

Growing up in India, Nidhi Solanki experienced what it meant to have potential but lack guidance. While her brother’s education was prioritized, she had no mentor to show her options. That memory inspired Sangini, a mentorship initiative for adolescent girls from marginalized communities.

Sangini (meaning “female companion” in Hindi) provides academic planning, life skills, and career awareness. Through participatory sessions, role-model talks, and family engagement, girls learn about opportunities beyond secondary school and co-create roadmaps for their futures.

“Through this project, I want to support girls who have enormous potential but end up living lives they did not choose simply because they never knew their options,” Nidhi explains.

Nidhi logs on to World Pulse to share ideas and find encouragement that turns visions into action.

“World Pulse has supported me in many ways—through financial and community support,” she says. “Community support has been the fundamental reason behind my even wanting to try it. Otherwise, this project would have been lying somewhere as a file on my laptop had it not been for World Pulse.”

Through the platform, Nidhi has also connected with mentors and learned frameworks that strengthen Sangini, bringing new possibilities to girls who might otherwise be left behind.

Connect with Nidhi Solanki. Follow her impact journey and cheer her on.

Share Your Vision. Become a Changemaker.

These five women remind us that lasting change begins locally, grows through connection, and flourishes when women find encouragement, strength, and support in one another.

Get Involved

Do you have a vision for change? Share your initiative on World Pulse for a chance to be a Featured Changemaker!