When Prossy Nantongo arrived at Coady Institute in 2023, she was already deeply entrenched in the work of social justice in Uganda. As a community development leader who rose from being a beneficiary of support programs herself, her mission was clear: to prepare young women for life after school and empower them with skills, confidence, and networks to advocate for themselves and build sustainable futures.
Coady Institute became an important part of that journey. Through the Diploma in Development Leadership program, Prossy found both a framework and a community that helped her reimagine her approach.
Her efforts with Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM) and Beautiful World Canada have placed her in direct contact with underprivileged girls across Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, and Ethiopia. These girls face challenges such as poverty, limited access to education, early marriage, and social exclusion. As a project manager she is now working on graduate preparation programs. The vocational schools teach tailoring, hairdressing, and trades such as plumbing.
“I really wanted to come out and fight for other girls within my community, within my country, so they get the empowerment that they need and can make decisions on their own without being influenced or forced,” Prossy says.
At Coady, Prossy encountered asset-based community development (ABCD) as more than a concept, it became a guiding principle. The course helped her identify resources that are available within her community and how to utilize those resources instead of looking for donations alone.
“I’m starting with young people that are within my community that have skills and to see how best they can share those skills with other people,” she says. “I’m also able even to save part of my salary to be able to reach out to more girls within the community.”
She is working with 15 women to equip them with skills, and they have been able to create start-up businesses in the area. The group includes women with disabilities, school dropouts, and girls forced into early marriages.
“They’re able to share those skills with people so get something they can do as a living and earn some money to take care of their needs, their family’s needs, and their siblings as well,” she says.
“It is really having a huge impact within the community across Uganda and in Africa in general.”
The support of the Katherine Fleming International Development Award, an annual recognition given by Coady Institute, also played a significant role in her journey.
“It’s inspirational and very touching to know someone like her who stood out to actually support children or women within Africa,” Prossy says. “Today we are imitating his work, and we are able to carry on her work even if she’s not around.”
Prossy reflected on how her approach has changed since her time at Coady, saying the experience has helped her with critical thinking on how to develop sustainable projects and how she can help her community grow.
“The award helped cover my stay and supported my learning,” she says. “More than that, it affirmed that the work I do matters, that my voice, and community are seen.”
As Coady Institute celebrates 25 years of the Katherine Fleming Award and launches new women’s leadership initiatives, stories like Prossy’s illustrate the tangible impact of community-based education and international solidarity.
“We have to stand our ground and have a passion for helping others, for helping the underprivileged people,” she says. “We shouldn’t do something to be proud, to have pride in, but something with passion and to continue doing the work to stay humble and continue serving and to do their best.”
The Katherine Fleming International Development Award is presented annually to an African woman leader in memory of Katherine Fleming a 1985 graduate of St. Francis Xavier University (1985), who dedicated her life’s work to overcoming child poverty in Africa until her death in 1999.
Since 2000, Coady Institute has presented the prestigious award to 25 different recipients during StFX Homecoming celebrations. In 2025, to mark the 25th anniversary of the award, Coady Institute offered the first Katherine Fleming Women’s Leadership Course in partnership with Organization for Women in Self Employment (WISE) Ethiopia in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The award and course are made possible through the generosity of donors. Learn more and donate by going to Katherine Fleming International Development Award.
