The NGO Whisperer® Centre For Social Impact (UK) and Nourishment Vitality

The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellows, Class of 2025

 

Lawrence A.K.T. Bondo Sr., Liberia: “Thank you, Steve Puterman and Sheryl Puterman, for creating meaningful opportunities to support our health and wellness. I have learned so much. You have motivated me to set up an appointment for my health check-up. I have also begun planning my diet more intentionally, exercising regularly, drinking water daily and prioritising relaxation to reduce stress.”

Lawrence A.K.T. Bondo Sr., Liberia: “I normally feel stressed whenever I’m implementing projects. The stress usually stays with me until the end of implementation. This masterclass today helped me to realise that incorporating more stress-free exercises could go a long way in releasing tension and preparing me to begin a new day.”

Vitalis Bruce Ziraba, Uganda: “My takeaway is that there is no gold standard for creating a health and wellness plan. What matters is that it should work for me and my organisation. Thank you for the breathing exercise and the meditation. I felt relieved from stress today.”

CPA Nyakato Mawanda, Kenya: “Great session today- my key takeaway was that embracing self-awareness requires me to build the muscle of actively seeking feedback from trusted sources, so that I can recognise my prejudices and blind spots and work on them to thrive as a healthy individual rather than live in my own bubble. My key takeaway was a powerful reminder that the mind is incredibly influential. As leaders, we need to live consciously and intentionally build our self-awareness so we can truly be present in life.”

Alhassan Iddrisu, Ghana: “What clicked for me today was realising that slowing down isn’t wasting time; it’s one of the smartest things I can do for my focus and productivity. I saw how often I push myself to take on too much, overestimate what I can handle, and underestimate what others are capable of doing without me. This isn’t just about poor planning; it’s about deep-rooted habits and beliefs I’ve carried for years about work, success, and failure.”

Alhassan Iddrisu, Ghana: “Realizing that stress doesn’t always show up in the mind first—it often starts in the body. I’d never fully paid attention to how my body responds to pressure until now: tight shoulders, shallow breathing, irritability… all signs I’ve been ignoring. Key Takeaway: I’m going to incorporate intentional breathing exercises into my daily routine—morning, midday, and evening. Just a few minutes to center myself, check in with my emotions, and respond to stress.”

Kundayi Matarisee, Zimbabwe: “My key takeaway was that the way we start our day (morning ritual) can help prevent stress or create it. We should wake up with enough time to be mindful, eat, relax, and set our intentional plans for the day.”

Chrispinus Wafula Simiyu, Kenya: “My Key takeaway today is Reset. Renew. Release. Every human being needs to rest to function at their full capacity. Rest is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

Rose Kahambu Tuombeane, DRC: “As for me, my Aha moment is about the steps to better boundaries, and which part of me is showing up right now.”

Bibek Kandel FCCA Nepal: “My key takeaway today was understanding the impact of hidden stress, how stress triggers us, how to retrain and rewire our brains, and how to persist in life.

Mary Punnoosee, India: “My aha moment was on focusing my efforts on ‘time awareness’ rather than ‘time management’, being aware of how my body and mind work at different times of the day and setting my work priorities accordingly. “

Chris Jarred:” Today’s class offered practical and insightful tools for managing stress and enhancing overall well-being. My Aha Moment: I realized that breathing is the cornerstone of stress management. It’s something we often take for granted, yet when done consciously and intentionally, it becomes a powerful tool to reset the nervous system, improve clarity, and cultivate inner peace. “

The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellows, Class of 2025

 

Richard Dayo Agbaje, Liberia: Many thanks and appreciation to Sheryl and Steve. I sincerely appreciate the tremendous knowledge I gained from their lessons on health and wellness, which have improved my quality of life and reduced my stress. Once again, I am very grateful.

Richard Dayo Agbaje, Liberia: “Today’s lesson has made me more aware of my eating and sleeping habits and their impact on my health. I am realising that personal transformation is not only possible but realistic. It’s essential to recognise that maintaining good health encompasses more than just food; it also involves factors such as regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and effective stress management.

Many thanks to Steve and Sheryl. I would like to extend my gratitude to our facilitators. I now understand the importance of establishing a health and wellness plan that will benefit me both at home and at the office.”

Pascal Mcwabule DRC: “My key takeaway is to break the cycle truly, first understand your triggers, then develop awareness of your thoughts, live fully in the moment, and finally take action to break the cycle for good.”

Pascal Mcwabulee DRC: “My key takeaway is embracing the practice of full-body meditation, which simultaneously trains both the brain and the body, a powerful way to reconnect and refocus.”

Komlan Timothée Tchangai, Togo: “I learnt that personal transformation begins with awareness. Today, I understood that the secret to wellness lies in balance, moderation, and alignment between what I feel, what I think, and what I do.”

 Chrispinus Wafula Simiyu, Kenya: “My takeaway today is to live your life one habit at a time. Creating healthy habits begins with the right mindset. Every day, we have the power to choose how we nourish our bodies.”

Rashid Mehmood Khan, Pakistan: “My nugget of the day is that organisational wellness boosts productivity: Healthy teams are high-performing teams.”

Today’s Masterclass on Health & Wellness Planning was a powerful reminder that well-being is not a luxury — it’s a responsibility. We explored the importance of creating holistic wellness plans for ourselves, our families, and our organizations.

My Aha Moment: “We often build business plans, career goals, or school schedules — but forget to create a Health & Wellness Plan, which is the foundation of everything else.”

Carolyne Odhiambo-MPRSK Kenya: “I learnt that when we are aware of our experiences, emotions, motives, desires and reactions, we will judge ourselves and others less harshly since we are all unique.”

Richard Dayo Agbaje, Liberia: “My key takeaway from today’s session is the method of learning, which serves as an excellent example of how we can manage stress. I realised that I can effectively handle stress when it arises.”

Chris Wafula Simiyu, Kenya: “Today’s class offered practical and insightful tools for managing stress and enhancing overall well-being. One of my key takeaways was learning the ‘Four-in, Four-out’ slow belly breathing technique, a simple yet powerful practice that promotes calmness and focus by regulating the breath.”

Sisbee : “We, as King’s Hope, were able to join in for 3 weeks, and the team gained a lot for the month. We are grateful to Sheryl and Steve for the insightful masterclass…

My takeaway point today was the need to create a psychologically and physically safe environment for all employees, and that means being intentional in creating positive workplace spaces.

My Aha moment was how a rewards system can make employees feel celebrated and part of an organisation. Thank you”

The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellows, Class of 2024

 

Elvis Nshimba: Democratic Republic of Congo  “I had this [health and wellness] conversation yesterday with our Coordinator. He was worried about the hard work I’m doing currently. This session is helping me to review my daily plan and create time to relax and recharge!”

Isaiah Khasiani: Kenya  “I didn’t know health and wellness is such a significant element in organization management, I am empowered.”

Adrian Katesigwa: Tanzania “This was a wonderful session, I have learnt a lot, and I will be sharing the same with my team, my wife and my kids.

Adrian Katesigwa: Tanzania “Thanks for the formative session, I’m now knowledgeable on how to act and react to different people with different personalities. I will use this knowledge to gradually develop our organisational culture.

Adrian Katesigwa: Tanzania “Today’s session was very useful as usual. For NGOs like ours, which are in the early stages, this session is helping us prepare a Health and Wellness plan that will set a benchmark for when we hire more project staff in the future. I really appreciate you.”

Khasiani Isaiah: Kenya “Developing the right mindset is crucial to our health. Thank you for empowering me about my health.”

Anne Ishaku: Nigeria “Educative and engaging session!”

Vaishali Pai: India “Thank you very much for the wonderful knowledge sharing @⁨Steve Puterman⁩ @sheryl. It will bring about a definite change in the way we think and address issues of everyone, including ours.”

Kalimalwayo Mwakasungula: Malawi “It is clear to me now that I never appreciated how much food connects to the state of my mind and body. Thanks so much, Steve and Sheryl.

Yesigye Bravo: Uganda “The best food is food for the mind! Thank you for the mind-blowing training you have given us.”

The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellows, Class of 2024

 

Loveth Iyonawan: Nigeria “You gave us a life-changing experience. This is transformative. I plan to pass it on to my organization and those I lead. Thank you so much, Steve and Sheryl.”

Vusumuzi Ndlovu: South Africa: “Thank you Steve Puterman and Sheryl Puterman for such a profound presentation that made me look inwardly and change my eating habits … my health is my wealth.”

Ruby Motaung: South Africa “Thank you to Steve and Sheryl for speaking life to me. Change has to start with me!”

Mr. Ts’epang Matsietsa: Lesotho “Sometimes we take things which can support us to perfectly do our job well for granted, like our health. Today I have learned how important it is to take care of our health. This has been one of the most important sessions I have attended!”

Koru Foundation: India“I am going to use today’s learning for personal development as well as to develop moral resources for our organisation.”

Koru Foundation: India “Today’s session changed my understanding and perception of health. Thank you so much.”

Torkwase Kate Yaji: Nigeria “When you achieve self-awareness, you start to manage your emotions and responses to various situations more effectively. That is my Aha moment”.

Torkwase Kate Yaji: Nigeria “I sincerely thank you for the insightful session on food patterns and mindset. Your guidance has been incredibly valuable and enlightening. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping me better understand these important concepts”

Torkwase Kate Yaji: Nigeria “Thank you, Steve and Sheryl! I truly appreciate the positive impact of your sessions. Your guidance and support have been invaluable, making a significant difference in my life. I’m grateful for the time and expertise you’ve shared. Your sessions have been informative, engaging, and empowering, and I’ve learned so much from both of you. I look forward to more sessions with you.”

Luyando Muchimba, The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellow, Class of 2023, Zambia

“Despite my organisation being a mental health one, and everyone working within it having the necessary training, I learned how important it is to have a health and wellness policy for everyone. It is the small things that we often overlook that can make a big difference, and this is something that I realised during the programmes.”

Diana Byali, The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellow, Class of 2023, Uganda

“I came to appreciate that health and wellness are necessities in our daily lives. Prioritising these aspects is especially important at my organisation, Giving Hope Foundation. We have implemented a weekly wellness session at work where we gather to check in on each team member’s well-being and discuss how we can support one another. This initiative has also provided an opportunity for personal growth through a mental wellness programme.”

“The Health and Wellness Masterclass taught me to be intentional about making sure my cup is full before serving others. I joined the fellowship not fully aware that this was a gap I had as a leader. Since applying all that I have learnt – I have noticed a significant improvement in the quality of my work. I am able to identify when I need to take a step back and take care of myself.”

Catherine K. Mongella, The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellow, Class of 2022, United States

 

“The Health and Wellness Masterclass helped me to overcome stress-related issues that I was going through before the Fellowship Programme.”

Yael Uzan-Tidhar, The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellow, Class of 2022, The Kingdom of Eswatini

“The Health and Wellness Masterclass taught me to prioritise self-love. I am now making intentional decisions about my health. Previously I could not sleep well, but now I put everything down when my alarm indicates it’s time to sleep. I have better moods and well-balanced emotions. I am a better person today.”

Kajuju Kimathi, The NGO Whisperer® Global Fellow, Class of 2022, Kenya