As you know, FRIDA is unique not only in terms of its grant making approach and being one of the only youth-led young feminist fund in the world but also in the way it works with its different staff members and advisors located in different regions of the world. Our close-knit family consists of so many wonderful people who are working with us from various parts around the globe. In such a scenario, meeting each other in person becomes a rare privilege and much-awaited pleasure. We recently held a Staff and Advisor meet in Belgrade, Serbia and it was one such opportunity for different people to know each other and bond with each other. People who form an integral part of FRIDA family; the ones who make FRIDA so awesome as you see!
FRIDA staff with FRIDA advisors in Belgrade, Serbia
Last month, we organized a staff meeting for all our seven staff members, who have recently joined the FRIDA family. It was an exercise to get to know each other better, build trust, familiarizing with FRIDA’s goals, strategies, vision and mission and simply have fun while brainstorming together on how we can make FRIDA reach greater heights of awesomeness! The staff that is divided by regions, languages and cultures was united by a common passion and zeal to take the young feminist movement forward in the best and most innovative way possible. We understood each other roles and responsibilities came up with ideas on how we can work together in a manner that we learn from each other and understanding teamwork, especially when our staff works from virtual spaces. We also discussed new technologies that we can experiment with and explore more to help bridge distance, space and time between each other. It was a lot of fun, frolic, laughter and learning!
FRIDA staff enjoying time together in Belgrade, Serbia.
The staff meeting was followed by yet another significant step towards getting to know each other in the FRIDA family: the advisor meeting. As you know, FRIDA works with its valuable advisors who support us in providing the right guidance and knowledge of the regions they are based in and best represent. The advisor meeting was a step towards working together to identify gaps in various regions that FRIDA reaches. There were group activities among people from similar regions to brainstorm together on key challenges and opportunities that the young feminist movement face. We discussed each others’ findings and suggested inputs and newer strategic interventions that could help newly formed feminist groups, especially those that do not have any other support or recognition, with FRDIA’s support; not just financially but also in terms of providing capacity building and knowledge expansion.
Advisors sit together to brainstorm on various challenges faced by young feminist movement across different regions.
We hope to continue building such strong alliances and solidarities in the future by coming together in the same space and understanding each other’s activism, politics and contexts better. Till then, watch this interactive video made by Chantal Partamain, one of our advisors from Lebanon, that best describes our grantmaking process and approach.
