The IHA North Compass: So Where Are We Headed Anyways?

Every year begins with questions

Not the loud ones about goals and numbers, but the quieter ones we carry into January - Are we still building the right thing? Are we listening well enough? Are we moving with intention, or just momentum?

Over time, I have learned that every journey needs a reference point.
Not a destination, but a direction.

That is what a north compass is

It does not tell you how fast to move, how smooth the road will be, or how long the journey will take. It simply answers one essential question: Which way is true?

For Us, 2026 is more about alignment. Less about noise and more about direction. Because inspiration is not about reacting to every shift in the wind it is about returning, again and again, to what points north.

For Inspire Her Afrika, our north compass has always been clear: women, purpose, dignity, and growth. Even when the terrain changes. 

Our north has never been abstract.
It has names. Faces. Stories.

It looks like the young woman who joins our programs unsure if her voice belongs in professional rooms and leaves knowing it does.
It looks like mentors who show up consistently, without applause, choosing investment over recognition.
It looks like building systems slowly, sometimes imperfectly, but always with dignity at the center.

Again our compass is "Women. Purpose. Growth. Community."

These are not values we revisit when convenient, they are the compass we consult when the road bends.

A compass becomes most useful when landmarks disappear. When resources feel thin. When shortcuts present themselves dressed as opportunity. When distraction feels easier than discipline,  when certainty fades, when shortcuts tempt you away from your values. In those moments, direction matters more than momentum.

As CEO, my responsibility in 2026 is not to have every answer. It is to protect our direction. To lead with clarity when the path feels blurred. To choose integrity when ease is tempting. And to remain accountable to the women we serve even when the work happens quietly.

If you are stepping into this year unsure of what comes next, know this: you do not need a complete map. You need a compass. One value you refuse to compromise. One truth that keeps you steady. One reason you continue, even when certainty is absent.

Direction will carry us where clarity cannot.

In 2026, Inspire Her Afrika walks forward with steady hands and clear hearts guided by an unwavering north.