From Timid to Empowered: How Molly overcame self-doubt to inspire other women

A woman holds a machete while standing in a forest.

Photo credit: CARE

“When I was growing up, I used to dream of being a youth counselor,” says Molly Birungi, a wife and mother of three living in Buraro Village in western Uganda. “But I didn’t believe in myself – that I could manage and be a leader. I also had a fear of standing in front of people. When I got married, things became worse. I lost those dreams because of the increased workload in my new family, and my husband was not supportive then.”

Molly’s story reflects the loss of agency many women experience in low-income countries, especially once they marry and have children. Widely held gender and social norms often limit women’s opportunities to contribute to family income or strengthen their communities.

But Molly’s story also shows what can happen if women are connected and supported. In 2018, she joined a She Feeds the World project supported by the PepsiCo Foundation, and through leadership training, Molly overcame her confidence issues, eventually becoming a trainer herself. Since then, she has fostered a network of women leaders taking active roles in their homes and community. “These women have gained strength and confidence,” she says. “They have the ability to wow the masses whenever they talk about equality.”

Together, they’re generating effective change, especially for girls in the community. Realizing many girls were missing school regularly, the women conducted an awareness campaign to discourage early marriage and promote education instead. Their campaign led to a 58% increase in girls’ enrollment – from 297 in 2019 to 471 in 2021.

Molly took her ambitions even further, running for public office in a 2021 general election. “The race was not easy,” she says. “But I had prepared myself. The mentoring and trainings I was conducting for She Feeds the World had prepared me to speak in public, and I had all that confidence. Even my husband, after realizing my potential and abilities, became supportive and started to encourage me.” In the end, Molly secured 80% of the vote and won her position as District Representative for the Kakabara Town Council.

“I can now see a future where more women are doing what I and other women leaders have done,” Molly says. “I see this is already happening in my community – women come to ask me what I have done to get where I am, and I share my experiences and inspire them to become leaders and develop themselves further.”

From Timid to Empowered: How Molly overcame self-doubt to inspire other women

Impact Magazine: Issue 31