From Day-to-Day to the Bigger Picture: Vivian Victor Kamagenge on Stepping Into Strategic Thinking

Vivian Victor Kamagenge is based in Shinyanga, Tanzania. She works with Water For Good as Community Health Manager, supporting community health, sanitation, and hygiene programmes across the countries where the organisation works, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cambodia, and the Central African Republic.

She works closely with programme teams to strengthen behaviour change and improve sanitation and hygiene practices at the household and institutional level, with the goal of helping communities move beyond Open Defecation Free status toward safely managed sanitation and healthy villages. She also tracks programme data and results to support learning and lasting change.

Vivian joined the Women in WASH & RWSN mentorship programme as a mentee, matched with Robin Lloyd.

Wanting a Fresh Perspective Beyond Day-to-Day Work

Vivian’s motivation for joining centred on growth as a leader and connection to a wider community. “I wanted to grow as a woman leader in the WASH sector and learn from someone with broad experience. I also wanted to get a fresh perspective on my work and my career. The program was a great opportunity to connect with the global people in WASH and RWSN community beyond my day-to-day work.”

A Relationship Built on Genuine Exchange

What made the relationship feel special to Vivian was how supported she felt from the start. “My mentor, Robin Lloyd, was very supportive from the very beginning. He created a safe space where I could openly share both my successes and my challenges.” She points to the quality of the exchange itself. “Our conversations never felt one-sided. They felt like a true exchange of ideas, and I always came out of them with something practical to apply.”

A Shift Toward Strategic Thinking

Vivian describes a specific turning point when Robin encouraged her to step back from day-to-day implementation and look at her work more broadly. “He helped me think about sustainability, the bigger picture and my own growth as a leader. After that conversation I felt more confident sharing my ideas and taking the lead in discussions.”

What Stood Out About Her Mentor

Vivian points to patience and generosity as the qualities that mattered most. “Robin always listened carefully before giving advice, and he encouraged me to find my own answers instead of simply telling me what to do. He was also very approachable and encouraging, which made it easy to learn and grow.”

Rethinking What Mentorship Is

Vivian had previously seen mentorship mainly as receiving advice from someone more experienced. **“Now I see it as a two-way learning journey built on trust, openness and shared experiences. It gave me more confidence and new ideas.** It also inspired me to support and mentor others, especially young women and colleagues in the WASH sector, so they can grow too.”

Her Message to Anyone Considering the Programme

Vivian’s advice is to. “Go for it! Come with an open mind and be honest about what you want to learn and achieve. Mentorship is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. The knowledge, connections and confidence you gain will stay with you long after the programme ends.”

What She Recommends

When asked for a book, tool or resource recommendation, Vivian points to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. “It teaches us to be proactive, to begin with the end in mind, to put first things first, and to seek first to understand before being understood. These habits are very useful in WASH work, where we work with communities, colleagues and partners every day.”