Building relationships helps build hope, says Changemaker Kevina Power

Learn more about the Alumni Changemaker Achievement Awards. 

Kevina Power comes from a family dedicated to service. Her mother was a civilian employee of the RCMP for 35 years, her stepfather was a sergeant-major who trained cadets at the RCMP academy in Saskatchewan, and her dad and stepmother are retired teachers. 

Beyond her parents’ jobs, Power remembers that the family sponsored children in developing countries through World Vision, that they would get letters from those kids and, through those communications, “you forge a relationship, and you can see progress, and that brings hope.” 

She now works for the same non-governmental organization and says forging relationships and bringing hope are at the core of what she does. And it’s because of those efforts that she will receive the Global Changemaker award at the Alumni Changemaker Achievement Awards. 

The awards celebrate the exceptional achievements and contributions of graduates who have made significant impacts on the complex challenges facing workplaces, communities and the world while embodying the university's values of caring, courage and creativity. The winners will be honoured in a ceremony on campus during Alumni Weekend. 

Power, who graduated from RRU in 2005 with a Master of Arts in Conflict Analysis and Management and works for World Vision International in Nairobi, Kenya, will be presented the Global Changemaker award, which recognizes an international alum who is driving systemic change in the world, has had an impact on global issues and/or communities as well as influence on policy changes or advocacy efforts at an international level.  

“Power” certainly fits the bill, says Muratha Kinuthia, senior social development specialist with the World Bank, who wrote a letter in support of the RRU nomination noting her work toward public service reform in Kenya.  

“Kevina was crucial in co-ordinating efforts between the Kenyan government, civil society organizations and international partners such as the World Bank,” Kinuthia wrote. “Her strategic thinking and diplomatic skills ensured the program met its objectives while remaining inclusive and transparent.” 

The two also worked together supporting Kenya’s National Civic Education Program and reforms to stabilize the country following 2007-08 post-election violence in Kenya that led to the passing of a “transformational constitution” in 2010, Kinuthia noted, calling Power “not only a changemaker but also a role model.” 

Power — who says she was elated and humbled by the RRU awards, and who will be bringing her mother, Sharon Desfosses, to the ceremony — notes that in addition to her family’s commitment to service, the basis for her work can be found in her previous work with the Canadian Red Cross in Vancouver, which gave her a better understanding of her own community and how that organization responds to disasters both domestically and internationally. “I think that's where the motivation… was rooted there, in the exposure to what you can do as a person in Canada to help people that are in such dire straits,” she says. 

Her current position is global technical director, grant acquisition and management, World Vision International, which she explains involves co-ordinating teams in 70 countries to access funding from a variety of donors — connecting people and organizations that want to help with those who need help. Last year, for instance, the NGO was able to forge partnerships worth more than US$2 billion. 

“I’m not out there delivering food but I'm helping those connections take place,” she explains. “The donors have options, but we want World Vision to be the best option because we definitely have a model that we work with communities for decades.” 

Looking back two decades, she credits her time at RRU — and her cohort — for developing her approach to her work, saying, “Royal Roads opened my mind to the position you should take when you do international development. And in the case of World Vision, where you do it at the community level, you just have to make sure your mind is open, that you're listening from your heart. I really have gratitude towards the preparation I got at Royal Roads.” 
 

The Alumni Changemaker Achievement Awards showcase the diverse talents and accomplishments of RRU's alumni network as they advance the university’s vision to inspire people with the courage to transform the world. The awards reception will be held in the Dogwood Auditorium at RRU. Learn more about Alumni Weekend.