Rudo Kayombo: 25 Years of Faith and Leadership (Part 1)
After 25 years leading major humanitarian and development organisations, Rudo Kayombo finally signed her own name and launched Fahari Kubwinya Splendour. In Part 1 of this two-part interview, Rudo shares the formation of her leadership, the faith that guided her decisions, and the practical lessons she learned running teams across Africa. What we cover in Part 1 • Rudo’s path from lawyer to NGO leader, including UNHCR, World Vision, ONE Campaign, Food for the Hungry, and Habitat for Humanity • Leading large-scale disaster response and scaling teams from 300 to 1,300 staff • Why she repeatedly asks “send me people” and how she develops leaders under pressure • Advice she would give her 30-year-old self on risk, learning, and purpose Notable lines “I was made by God.” “Sometimes when we hold on to something, God will wrestle it out of our hands.” “I came to the job knowing I did not know. And I needed to learn.” About Rudo Kayombo Founder, Fahari Kubwinya Splendour. Former Africa VP at Habitat for Humanity and senior leader at World Vision, ONE Campaign, and Food for the Hungry. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rudo-kayombo-7a7975159 Listen further Full video on YouTube: youtube.com/@humhrcareerinsights Support HUMHR: patreon.com/c/HUMHRCareer More links in the show notes: linktr.ee/humhr Subscribe to HUMHR Career Insights and leave a rating if this episode helped you. Part 2 releases Tuesday, May 19.
Leadership, humanitarian strategy, and career reinvention - Rudo Kayombo spent 25 years building other people’s missions before one morning in October she signed her own name.
In this two-part conversation with Batje Chibafa, Part 1 traces Rudo’s formation arc: the lawyer years, UNHCR, The Musasa Project, saying yes to roles she felt unqualified for, and leading major NGO operations across Africa. Rudo grew World Vision Zimbabwe from 300 to 1,300 staff, served as National Director at World Vision Uganda, was Executive Director Africa at ONE Campaign, led Southern Africa through World Vision’s first Category 3 disaster response, and served as COO at Food for the Hungry across 18 countries. Six months ago she left her role as Africa Vice President at Habitat for Humanity to found Fahari Kubwinya Splendour, a purpose-driven brand and shop in Harare.
What you’ll hear in Part 1 • How faith and calling shaped a leadership journey across NGOs and international aid
• Why she keeps saying “send me people” and how she builds teams under pressure
• The moment she realized she needed to learn on the job - and why that was the right move
• Practical advice she would give her 30-year-old self about risk, mentorship, and purpose
Memorable quotes from Part 1 “I was made by God.”
“Sometimes when we hold on to something, God will wrestle it out of our hands.”
“I came to the job knowing I did not know. And I needed to learn.”
About the guest Rudo Kayombo is Founder of Fahari Kubwinya Splendour and a seasoned NGO executive with leadership roles at World Vision, ONE Campaign, Food for the Hungry, and Habitat for Humanity. Find her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rudo-kayombo-7a7975159
Watch the full video on YouTube: youtube.com/@humhrcareerinsights
Join us on Patreon for early access and bonus content: patreon.com/c/HUMHRCareer
All links and resources: linktr.ee/humhr
Release note Part 2 publishes Tuesday, May 19. Subscribe, rate, and share with someone navigating a career transition.