Lighting the Way Through WILD: A Story Worth the Wait

There’s nothing that gets my adrenaline racing more than feeling the energy of 20 disabled women leaders convening in Eugene, Oregon for MIUSA’s three-week intensive training known as WILD, or the Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability.

Our WILD delegates, selected from hundreds of applicants, came from diverse countries: Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Mozambique, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, Tanzania, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. The women also represented different ages, disabilities, cultures and stages of their leadership trajectory. What unifies them is their passionate spark to ignite change for disabled girls and women in their home countries.

Getting the delegates from their countries to Eugene weighed heavily on my mind. Would these leaders be able to get visas in time? Would they be safe in the United States, in today’s very complex political environment? Would we be able to find enough homestay families who would open up their hearts and homes at this moment in time?

To our great relief, the answers to all of the above were “yes”, giving us the confidence to move ahead full force to bring about a program for which we had been fundraising for three years! Still, we took precautions to protect the safety and security of our delegates, such as limiting our publicity before and during the program.

I’ve been wanting to share this story for so long, and now I finally can.

Magical Moments, Powerful Sparks

Now that all of our delegates have safely returned to their home countries, we are eager to share some of the most transformative moments of the 2025 WILD program – moments or sparks that embody MIUSA’s motto: “Creating a World as it Should Be ®.” The WILD delegates experienced so much during a relatively short time, and each woman found personal meaning or an “aha!” moment from different experiences.

WILD experiences included:

• Meeting local politicians like Eugene’s Mayor and City Manager, sparking ideas about how delegates can connect with their own high-level government officials about improving access in their home communities.
• Candidly discussing life-changing women’s health issues in a safe space with other disabled women. WILD women took part in workshops on reproductive health, birth control, support for survivors of domestic or sexual violence, protection from HIV/AIDS and other STIs. They explored how to make all of these services inclusive of women with disabilities, so that disabled women can take charge of their own futures. Delegates also had the option to join confidential conversations around intimate relationships and partnerships, sexual pleasure, and personal hygiene – a unique and important opportunity to share personal experiences among peers.
• Practicing self-defense techniques like learning how to use one’s body language, facial expression, voice, wheelchair, cane, and bodies to deter an attacker, so that disabled women can feel less vulnerable and more powerful in a world where there is such a high level of abuse towards women and girls with disabilities.
• Traveling independently, sometimes for the first time ever, from international flights to navigating Eugene’s accessible public bus system. Delegates also engaged with members of the local disability community living and working independently. From witnessing a quadriplegic driving their own adapted vehicle to meeting a person with a developmental disability proudly thriving in their job, these everyday examples served as powerful models of what is possible.

• Experiencing the thrill of sports and recreation, whether cycling on electrical assist bikes, tandems, tricycles, or recumbent cycles; playing a heated game of wheelchair rugby with both full-time and first-time wheelchair riders; practicing yoga and exercising in a fully inclusive gym; river rafting, swimming in an accessible community pool; or test-driving all-terrain power wheelchairs at the Oregon Coast. Having fun wasn’t the only goal of these activities (although everyone had a BLAST!). Rather, these activities showed what disability-led advocacy in the U.S. has made possible, so that WILD delegates can create similar opportunities in their own communities.

  

• Networking with professionals from the international development, humanitarian assistance, and philanthropy communities at the Global Disability and Development Institute (GDDI), a 2-day retreat held at a serene garden setting in Eugene’s countryside. Together, WILD delegates and GDDI participants explored how disabled women are driving change across economic empowerment, philanthropy, peace-building, health, and more – not only as beneficiaries, but as leaders and decision-makers.
• The Night of the Candle where we shared an international feast of flavors, based on the delegates’ favorite recipes from home. Without our usual team of interpreters and personal assistants, WILD women relied solely on one another, navigating language and communication with creativity, patience and collaboration. In a smaller, intimate sisterhood, we chopped, stirred, grilled, roasted marshmallows, laughed, danced, and of course, ate delicious food! There were also tears, as we passed around a candle to honor people who have supported us in our lives. We may have stayed up far too late, but when the night ended, we left with full bellies and full hearts.
• Learning the disability advocacy stories of other disabled women, such as U.S. disability rights activists who helped pave the way for laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, and from fellow WILD women themselves. WILD delegates included the first blind woman lawyer from Pakistan, a well-known advocate for people with Down Syndrome in India, a human rights lawyer in Guatemala who is quadriplegic, and others with equally powerful stories to tell. Alumni of previous WILD programs, now in high-level leadership roles, tuned in from their countries to deliver powerful messages for the newest WILD cohort. I teared up as I listened to a moving video message from Mause, our WILD alum from Haiti who now works for UN Women in New York. Her continued leadership, and her embodiment of our “Loud, Proud and Passionate! ®” mantra, made me realize that WILD is truly achieving its mission. (Watch Mause’s video)
• Dreams shining bright at the Community Celebration, “WILD the World!”, an event for MIUSA’s supporters, homestay families, and other community members to meet and celebrate the WILD delegates. Dressed to the nines in their formalwear, including clothing reflecting their cultures, each WILD delegate moved confidently to the beat of high-energy music, in front of more than 100 people, to deliver their powerful messages: Her dream to earn a PhD. Her commitment to fight for environmental justice. Her pride in her work in reproductive rights for disabled women. Each statement was a powerful and affirming message of each woman’s accomplishments and dreams, and their determination to make their dreams come true.After the final powerful speech, WILD women came together on stage, to sing and sign “Go Light Your World”, a soulful anthem led by our talented delegate from Liberia. Later in the evening, event attendees had the opportunity to speak with the WILD delegates one-on-one at exhibit tables, to learn about their work, their organizations, and how these women are changing the lives of others in their home communities. For at least this evening, the world was a place of possibilities, where every person is respected and admired.

Each woman experiences WILD so differently, and yet, many describe gaining similar strengths through the program. A more determined, rights-bearing attitude. A fire to speak up for her rights and push through barriers. A sense of community and sisterhood. A confidence to “infiltrate” spaces where disabled people are underrepresented, without waiting to be invited. A desire to advance in their studies and careers and to set high goals for themselves. WILD women return home, burning brightly and ready for action.

Sometimes the power of these WILD experiences can be hard for me to put into words, but our 2025 WILD delegates had no problem expressing themselves:

“Speaking in front of 100 people at the community event was a great experience for me. It has [built] a strong confidence in me and I now can stand and speak with confidence anywhere – now I am powerful!” – WILD 2025 Delegate from Tanzania

“My time in WILD has led me to question many beliefs, dismantle others, and redefine key aspects of my life. It helped me gain greater clarity about what I want, value it, and commit to a concrete action plan to achieve those goals, both professionally and in my leadership role for other women with disabilities.” – WILD 2025 Delegate from Colombia [translated]

“The self-defense techniques gave me more confidence in protecting my own self, as well as motivated me to pass this knowledge to other women with disabilities.” – WILD 2025 Delegate from Indonesia

For three unforgettable weeks, our WILD women were on top of the world, experiencing a place where possibilities felt endless. Despite global uncertainty, political unrest, economic instability, and funding cuts, our WILD 2025 delegates stayed laser-focused on making the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They embraced new experiences, gained new information, and perhaps most importantly, connected with other disabled women leaders and created friendships to last a lifetime.

Ripple Effects

At the end of these magical weeks, we said our goodbyes at the Eugene airport, sharing hugs, tears and pride as our newest WILD sisters embarked on their long travels home. However, their journey continues!

This fall, our 2025 WILD delegates will lead trainings for 400 women and girls with disabilities across 18 countries. MIUSA equips each WILD delegate with coaching, the WILD Facilitators’ Guide, and a small grant, to adapt the WILD model to local contexts. This year, WILD trainings from Armenia to Zimbabwe will focus on women’s health, gender-based violence, policy and legislation, and career development, and will engage community partners working in these areas for mutual learning. Each training will also include empowerment activities such as yoga, dance, self-defense, art making, and public speaking.

Loud, Proud and Passionate!^®: More Than Just a Phrase

Soon after WILD ended, I received a WhatsApp message from Mily, our fabulous delegate from Mexico. She sent me a photo of her brand-new tattoo: “Loud, Proud and Passionate!”, in elegant script, framed by twinkling stars.

Mily elaborated on the symbolism of her tattoo (by artist Betzaira Ortiz) and its personal meaning to her:

Loud, Proud & Passionate!^®

This tattoo represents the essence of a woman who has learned to embrace herself whole: with her strong voice, her unwavering pride, and her inner fire.

“Loud, Proud & Passionate” isn’t just a phrase, it’s a mantra. It’s the motto of WILD (Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability), the program that changed my life, that reminded me of who I am and all that I can be.

Today I choose to wear it on my skin because WILD transformed me: it made me see my disability not as a burden, but as a strength. It connected me with other incredible women around the world and gave me an even stronger, urgent, and powerful desire to change the world.

Each word is a declaration of existence:
Loud: Because I will no longer be silent.
Proud: Because I am who I am, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Passionate: Because my heart beats strongly for what I love and what I believe in.

The little stars surrounding it aren’t just decoration, they’re symbols of my magic, of the light that so many women with disabilities carry within us, shining even when no one expects us to.

This tattoo is a promise to myself:
I will never again shrink to fit where I don’t belong.
And I will never stop raising my voice, fighting, living with passion. Because the world needs more Loud, Proud, and Passionate women… and I am already one of them.

The Light Continues

Today, when the world feels heavy, when hope flickers, I think of WILD. I remember the sisterhood, the laughter, the transformation. I think about receiving that WhatsApp message, and the beautiful Loud, Proud & Passionate!® tattoo – and I smile.

I am already dreaming about the next WILD.

I feel the shining light of WILD every time I hear from our alumni. From the first WILD in 1997 through today, we have built a critical mass of disabled women leaders in 91 countries. Did I really just say 91 countries? Yes, and I want to shout it from the rooftops!

This WILD community, these women leaders with disabilities from around the world, reach out to us again and again, sharing the ways in which their WILD experience has influenced the trajectory of their lives and accelerated their paths as leaders.

Each time, I realize that, no matter what, we must keep building on the momentum and expanding the impact of WILD. Because the light continues. And it’s only getting brighter.