At the start of January, our team came together for a two-day annual review and planning meeting. This was a moment to pause, reflect honestly, and make sure we are building the future we truly believe in.
We asked ourselves some hard but necessary questions: What worked well last year? What did not? Where did we stretch ourselves too thin? And most importantly, how do we move forward with clarity now that we have a new Theory of Change guiding our work?
The answer was clear: everything we do in 2026 must align, connect, and deliver real value for adolescent girls and young women.
What We Learned From the Past Year
The review helped us see our impact more clearly. We saw how powerful it is when young women are not only trained, but supported to practice, access opportunities, and take action. Programs that combined skills with mentorship, market access, and safe spaces consistently delivered better outcomes, stronger businesses, increased income, and more confident young women stepping into leadership.
At the same time, we were honest about what did not work as well. Activities that were not fully connected to a clear pathway from learning to earning felt fragmented. We also learned that scale without quality can dilute impact. These insights shaped our decisions for 2026.
Aligning With Our New Theory of Change
Our new Theory of Change is simple but powerful: when young women gain practical skills, access resources, and are protected and supported, they can earn sustainably and lead confidently.
During the planning sessions, every program, activity, and target was tested against this idea. If it didn’t align, we redesigned it. If it didn’t add value, we let it go.
This process led us to sharpen our Blueprint Model — Learn → Earn → Lead — and ensure that every intervention clearly moves participants along this journey.
Making Our Work Count in 2026
The result is a focused and ambitious annual plan that prioritizes depth, quality, and real outcomes.
In 2026, we are investing heavily in economic empowerment through programs like Panda, Panda Digital, Mshiko Clubs, and Going Beyond, each designed to move young women from skills to income, and from income to leadership.
- Panda on the Ground will support young women to start and grow real businesses across sectors like agriculture, beauty, food processing, and value addition, with mentorship, compliance support, and access to markets.
- Panda Digital will scale this impact by reaching thousands of young women online, combining digital learning, mentorship, and a growing digital marketplace, ensuring inclusion even for those with limited connectivity.
- The Panda Event will go beyond a typical conference, intentionally matching women entrepreneurs with real opportunities, partners, and investors.
- Mshiko Clubs will work with adolescent girls in schools, helping them build financial literacy, leadership skills, and early entrepreneurship experience, laying a strong foundation before adulthood.
- Going Beyond will strengthen youth leadership and digital transition for young women entrepreneurs, ensuring their businesses and careers are future-ready.
Across all programs, safeguarding, rights-based education, and monitoring are not add-ons they are built into how we work.
Tackling Barriers Head-On
Economic empowerment cannot succeed if young women are unsafe or unsupported. That is why 2026 also strengthens our work on breaking barriers.
Through initiatives like Plan B and the Panda Digital Movement, we are addressing gender-based violence, sextortion, and exclusion especially for out-of-school girls, young mothers, and women in informal markets. By combining income opportunities with protection, advocacy, and referral pathways, we are reducing risk while increasing resilience.
Growing Stronger Through Partnerships
Another key outcome of our planning was the recognition that scale requires collaboration. In 2026, we are deepening partnerships with government institutions, universities, private sector actors, and youth-led organizations.
Through Stawi Lab, we will invest in strengthening women-led and youth-led organizations by building systems, leadership, and sustainability so impact lasts beyond a single project cycle.
Why This Matters
This annual review reminded us why we do this work. Behind every strategy and target are young women who want the same things many of us take for granted: a stable income, safety, confidence, and a chance to lead their own lives.
Our 2026 plan is not about doing more for the sake of it. It is about doing what works better, smarter, and together.