Every good story begins with a contrast. Leave No Girl Behind International began in the hearts of two sisters, Haseena Patel and Shameema Patel, when they recognised, through their own experiences, how important it was that girls’ voices were heard and that girls received a space to BE their potential.
The sisters began to mentor girls and, in 2010, they started co-authoring a book – Leave No Girl Behind: How to Help Girls Become the Change in Their World. Their intention was to get advice for girls from successful women worldwide. During this time, Haseena had a conversation with Dr. Wayne Dyer, calling in to his radio show, and the focus shifted to how girls’ empowerment was a path to shifting the consciousness on our planet.
The book was birthed into the world in 2012 with this new trajectory. Haseena and Shameema had their first annual girls’ empowerment event in the same year. In 2013, Leave No Girl Behind International (LNGBI) was registered as a non-profit in South Africa.
With support in many ways from local and international community, the organisation developed programs, empowering girls in local schools as well as students internationally. Girls received leadership training, mentorship, networking opportunities, community service opportunities, spaces to showcase their talents, gatherings to discuss their challenges, and exposure to cultural diversity. Girls discovered there was a thread to unite them even in radically different circumstances, and they learned the magic of working together for causes greater than their own.
Co-creation and collaboration are powerful – Haseena and Shameema are in gratitude for the many beautiful Souls (too many to name), through the years, who have helped them make a difference in hundreds of girls and young women’s lives to date. They are especially appreciative of the amazing Leave No Girl Behind International Advisory Board whose members are always willing to contribute through their time, energy, ideas, skills and great work.
As our world evolves, the organisation also evolves to create transformation and develop female leadership through programs focused on female leadership.
Haseena Patel is a healing breakthrough coach, international speaker, yoga instructor, Akashic Records reader, poet, peace-builder and certified Deeptime Leader from South Africa. Growing up non-white in Apartheid South Africa, she had a calling for contributing to gender equality and a world where reconciliation, peace and unity prevailed. At seventeen, she was part of facilitating discussion groups for racial understanding and inclusivity among youth in her town, as South Africa prepared to become a democratic country. Her path led her to being an educator as an adult where she found there was little support for teen girls needing life-skills, confidence and empowerment.
Together with her sister, Shameema, Haseena founded Leave No Girl Behind International, a non-profit organisation empowering teen girls worldwide through leadership programs. Their organisation has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of girls to date.
Shameema Patel is a healing breakthrough coach, international speaker, author, website designer and consultant based in South Africa. Her journey began when she was diagnosed with a life-changing illness. During her fifteen-year journey to health, she defied the labels she was given and rose above others’ expectations for her. When she couldn’t use her body to accomplish physical tasks, she used her mind and the power of visualisation to restore her mind-body-spirit health, and sheer determination to achieve her degree. Shameema uses this power of transforming vision into visual to help her clients tell their stories and connect with their audience through her website consulting and design work. She has co-authored two books and is co-founder of Leave No Girl Behind International, an organisation that has already empowered hundreds of girls globally through leadership programs.
I want to be a beacon of hope, inspiration, and unity to girls all over the world. As a beacon, I can show the girls all over the world that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and if you are willing to work hard enough for it. I want to show them that every girl’s life is a gift, an opportunity to create the best life for herself and be able to become a bacon of hope – change can only be achieved if you are willing to be the change that you wish to see, for example by being unified with other girls where you can all start a movement.
I encourage girls to be themselves because being authentic has a larger ripple effect throughout your life and it touches so many more people’s hearts than trying to fit into the mold that society has shaped for females. I believe that we are a very strong gender, we are capable of many things that is why I have implemented projects that have contributed to me becoming an Ambassador for the LNGBI organization.
Since the end of 2019 I have been making inspirational videos on topics that inspire me. I share these on my social media pages, specifically Instagram and Facebook. People have left comments, complimenting me, as well as sharing my videos so they have more reach. The two thoughts I keep in mind is to speak from the heart and to speak “everybody’s language” so people can relate to the message and remember it.
Last year was my Matric year, and I was in a leadership position as a prefect as well as being in a position to grow our LNGBI Power Circle at my school. I communicated about topics that the ladies struggled with and topics they wanted to share with each other, such as common interests or advice.
I have attended international Zoom calls for the LNGBI Power Circle that have been bigger opportunities for me to spread my wisdom and socialise with those who want to learn and listen.
Leave No Girl Behind International has led me to unlock my full potential and realise that I have always had the potential to be unstoppable and to change women and girl’s lives. This organisation’s platform for women and girls is phenomenal. I was accepted with open arms by the co-founders Haseena Patel and Shameema Patel, along with other vibrant women who believed and guided me to unlock my confidence and purpose. They all helped me so that I could define who I am, and more importantly they exposed me to a limitless world via technology where I was able to grow outside of my comfort zone. I am still in contact with these vibrant ladies. What stood out for me was their limitless support system which made me trust in their judgments of the world, and in my potential. It’s a safe environment with humble, experienced mentors who want to see you succeed.
You know who you are because there is no one better to know you than YOU. Allow your mind and heart to give the rest of your life the unstoppable power of growing and developing at your own comfortable pace. At the end of the day, you need to be confident and at peace knowing that every day is going to be a graceful opportunity to walk this road of self-discovery and make it the best “road” you will ever walk in life. Hardships will appear in your life and at times you are going to feel like the whole world is against you. You are as strong as you train your mind to be. Allow those difficult moments as training to become resilient to challenges because your biggest lessons will be learned from these situations.
Surround yourself with people who encourage you, guide you and support you through your hardships and victories. The minute you as a woman or girl decide to know what type of people you wish to have in your life, you will attract them and that is when you will have phenomenal humans in your life. Never for one moment think that you deserve less of what you know you want for yourself.
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Phyl’s partnership with South Africa-based Leave No Girl Behind International is training young people in key leadership principles globally. In addition, she holds one of the two U.S. appointments on the Board of Directors for the Leave No Girl Behind International.
Phyl has created a 4-step simple system for how to teach anything to anyone, called T.H.E. P.A.C.T., which is outlined in Phyl’s first book, The Power of T.H.E. P.A.C.T. Her research-based teaching strategies have been published in numerous articles featured in education publications since 2009 and are being successfully used across North America, and in parts of Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and various countries in Africa. She has consulted with and trained thousands of teaching staff around the world.
Becky lives by the mantra “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” Becky currently serves as the Director of Governmental Relations for the New Hampshire School Boards Association. In this role, she works alongside local and state officials to support the passage of strong public education policy and inclusive programming across the state, for ALL students. Prior to 2020, Becky served as a district level Special Education Director for 21 years, after working as a special education teacher administrator in a residential treatment program for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders and Autism.
Becky has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education/General Special Education, a Master’s of Education in Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, and an advanced degree (CAGS) in Educational Leadership. In addition to serving on the board of Leave No Girl Behind International, she also serves on the Board of the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards Program, which recognizes New Hampshire schools and individuals who meet high standards of excellence. She is also a member of the International Association of Special Education (IASE) which provides support and resources to address the identification of special educational needs in developing countries.
Donna Palamar is on the board of Leave No Girl Behind International and is a teacher for the LNGB School of Leadership. She holds a Master Degree in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University and cherishes the journey of life, learning and the pursuit of dark chocolate all over the world.
As an educator, author, international speaker, columnist and coach, Donna is a perpetual optimist dedicated to helping women transform and enjoy all that life has to offer. Donna also describes herself as a modern day Change Agent who celebrates the magic, mystery and mayhem of midlife.
Donna is taking bold action to educate, celebrate, and collaborate with women in all phases of life around the globe to heal, grow and to “Be the best version of yourself possible!”
Sharon Brusch is passionate about serving her community and dedicates a significant amount of her time to volunteering.
She is the Campaign Lead for Bubbles Beyond Borders Antigua and current Board Chair of the Antigua and Barbuda Salvation Army Advisory Board. She is an ACCA Certified Accounting Technician and holds certification in Project Management from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Public Relations from Penn Foster.
She is currently pursing entrepreneurial studies with the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) which supports the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. Sharon is a self-published author, entrepreneur and budding speaker who hopes to use her voice to help underprivileged girls and women achieve their dreams.
Rashida Patel is a Leave No Girl Behind International board member and resident life coach. Through her experience as a wellness coach, professional nurse, tutor and teacher, Rashida has a broad base that enables her to connect with almost anyone.
She serves in an advisory capacity to both the organisation and individual girls seeking personalised coaching and mentoring.
“The most important thing when you’re going through a challenge, is to take care of YOU! You matter! When you feel good, you’re able to give the best of yourself to others.”
A leading-edge voice in neuroscience and GUT-BRAIN integrity, Neurologist Dr. Tom brings his expertise to people suffering with autoimmune conditions and cancer. He is a specialist in brain health and mental stability, loves the sciences of neural mechanisms dictating our habits and behaviors and is passionate about helping us understand the power of the Microbiome in reversing almost everything we call modern disease.
He is also a meditation facilitator, helping people celebrate the struggles in their lives, seeking mind-body clarity. His integrative work helps clarify energy medicine field dynamics and gives practitioners of all kinds new ways to optimize their patients’ abilities to receive the therapy they provide. Within the field as food as leadership, Dr. Tom is passionate about youth empowerment through providing nutrition-filled school lunches, and has worked with the youth in many American schools, guiding them to cope with stress through meditation and yoga.
