As Chair of the Congo Restoration Board of Directors, Dawn McMullan has led the U.S.-funding arm of the organization since 2008.

In partnership with founder Gorethy Nabushosi, they have grown the organization’s reach from caring for 30 orphans, to empowering women, educating girls, and providing college scholarships to young adults. Dawn is a freelance writer/editor and mother to two 20-something boys. She has traveled to Congo three times and can’t wait to get back.

“I thought I understood the transformative power of education. But traveling to Eastern Congo and learning from Mama Gorethy has taken what I thought I knew to an entirely new level.” Dawn is passionate about women’s rights throughout the world and, although well traveled, has never seen women with fewer rights than the DRC. Through education as many levels, she hopes to change that.