Abigail joined Young Women’s Freedom Center at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the organization’s accelerated expansion. As Deputy Director, Abigail oversaw operations focusing on organizational health and sustainability. And worked across YWFC to ensure grant deliverables – developing systems to measure long-term impact.
Her connection to the work of YWFC started with the women who raised her, the country they left, and the journey they took here.
In the late 1980s, Abigail’s mother came to America to fulfill a dream of both opportunity and financial independence and freedom from a dictatorship. As a child, Abigail knew that it was not only her duty to excel at school – which she did, earning a BA degree from Duke University and a master’s degree from the University of Denver, but to go back to redress issues in the Gambia.
After college, she was involved in civic engagement work in Egypt, Morocco, and Malawi, working with refugees fleeing persecution and oppressive regimes, and, in the Gambia, working with the U.S. Embassy and the Office of the Mayor on women’s empowerment initiatives. It was during this work that she realized that solving issues in any country required investing in its people and allowing them to build their own solutions. This is why the model of YWFC resonates deeply with her; it is an example of what is possible when you invest in the community, young women, and trans youth of all genders and their self-determination, leadership, and power. She believes this is missing in international civic work and looks forward to supporting the reach of this model across the globe.
Abigail is devoted to social justice, equity, and the liberation of people of color – particularly women and young people. She is excited about her new role as Co-Executive Director of Young Women’s Freedom Center and will continue to support the long-term sustainability of the organization while building with the international community toward liberation.
