By Oyella Odong, founder of Lion Voices
What is sustainability? The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the ability to be maintained or continued at a certain rate or level.” It sounds simple — but when applied to business, leadership, or life after adversity, it becomes much deeper. As the founder of Lion Voices CIC — a platform led by people with lived refugee and migrant experience — I’ve come to understand sustainability not as a buzzword, but as a mindset. You could call it a rhythm; a way of living that’s deeply personal.
I was born in a village in Gulu, northern Uganda — a place where sustainability wasn’t a concept, but rather a way of life. I was born over 30 years ago, and back then, Gulu was predominantly a rural village. We lived deep in village; surrounded by land, tradition, and simplicity. My immediate family lived in tune with nature: we walked to fetch water, hunted for food, built our homes from mud, grass, and timber. Life was slow and felt intentional. Nothing was wasted — everything had purpose. But now Gulu is quickly becoming a city, and the small village I called home is moving away from its indigenous way of living. That rhythm — the way we lived — shaped me long before I ever ran a business, and it still grounds how I lead today.
What that way of life taught me — and what still shapes how I lead today — is this: anything worth building takes time.
When I later became a refugee, that lesson became even more important. I lost my home — but more than that, I lost the full context of my story. I was seen through a single lens: “a refugee.” A label. A burden. But I knew I carried something more — something valuable.
That experience taught me another truth: when the world flattens your story, you can either accept the version you’re handed, or you can create space to tell the full one. That’s what led me to start Lion Voices — not just for myself, but for others. What began as a personal need to belong became a platform for others to be seen, heard, and valued on their own terms.
And here’s the part that might resonate with you: if you’ve ever felt like something important is missing — in your sector, your industry, your community — pay attention. That feeling might be a signal. If you see a gap, and you feel it deeply, chances are you’re not the only one. And if you need it, the chances is that someone requires it too.
That’s where businesses, social enterprises, and movements often begin — not with a perfect plan, but by spotting a problem and gap you can’t ignore.
So, when I built Lion Voices, I didn’t set out to just start something. I wanted to build something that could last. And I realised I already had the tools — shaped by my upbringing, grounded in my culture. Slow, steady growth. Community-first thinking. Purpose over performance.
If you’re someone trying to build something meaningful, this could be a product, service, or a space — the principles of sustainability still apply:
- Build slowly and with intention – Back home, nothing was rushed. Not because we lacked ambition — but because we understood that things that last take time. In business, it’s tempting to chase fast growth. But speed without a solid foundation? That’s how things collapse. Ask yourself: Are you building something sustainable — or just fast?
- Design with the future in mind, not just the launch – We planted crops not just for ourselves, but for the next season. We planned for the future. In business, it’s easy to focus on the next quarter or campaign. But at Lion Voices, we invest in infrastructure, trust, and systems that grow with us. Ask yourself: Are you planting for harvest — or just to look busy?
- Collaborate with depth, not just convenience – Community kept us alive — we shared what we had, and we moved together. That principle doesn’t just belong to survival; it belongs to business too. Collaboration shouldn’t be transactional. It should be rooted in trust, values, and mutual support. Especially when you’re starting out, partnerships built on genuine alignment aren’t just good economics — they’re a form of solidarity.
- Your story is your strength – never underestimate the power of your own story — because the most sustainable ideas often come from lived experience. I became a refugee. But I’m not a label. I’m a person — with layers, contradictions, creativity, and resilience. Your story — even the painful parts — is not a weakness. It’s your strength. It’s your insight. It’s your edge. Ask yourself: Are you hiding your story — or building from it?
I won’t sugar-coat it — building something from the ground up is hard. There’s doubt. Burnout. Imposter syndrome. Some days, you’ll feel like walking away. That’s why you need a reason that runs deeper than profit. You need a why that can carry you through the hard days — and keep you steady when the excitement fades.
For me, that why is my refugee experience. It doesn’t just sit in the background — it drives me. It taught me how to function under pressure. How to keep showing up, even when the odds feel stacked. That resilience still shows up today — whether it’s training before sunrise, working late into the night, or navigating the weight of leadership.
But I’m also anchored by something quieter: the rhythm of my village. Back home, slow didn’t mean stagnant — it meant steady. It meant things were built to last. It meant knowing when to keep going, and when to pause and ask for help.
If you’re building something of your own — a business, a platform, a new beginning — don’t worry if it feels hard. It’s supposed to. Just make sure your foundation is strong enough to hold you when things get real. Because your pace doesn’t have to be fast — it just has to be true. And here’s a stat that puts it all into perspective: less than 1% of global philanthropic funding goes to refugee-led organisations. That number says everything about why this work matters — and why your work, if it’s rooted in lived experience and long-term purpose, probably matters too.
If you’re trying to grow something — not just for profit, but for purpose — don’t rush. Go back to what you already know. Go back to what raised you. What held you. What got you through.
Ask yourself: Am I growing sustainably? Am I leading with intention? Am I building something that will last — or something I’ll burn out from?
Because sustainability isn’t a checkbox. It’s a mindset. It’s a return. To rhythm. To community. To what matters most.
So maybe sustainability isn’t just about systems or climate goals. Maybe it’s about how we show up for each other. How we lead. How we build things that don’t just survive — but serve.
My journey — from my village in Gulu, to life in exile, to founding Lion Voices — has taught me that sustainability is as much about people as it is about process. About returning to the wisdom that’s always been there: that care is powerful, community is strategy, and slowness is strength.
There’s a quote I carry with me — not just in theory, but to my very core. It’s from Chief Luther Standing Bear: “The elders were wise. They knew that man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard; they knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans, too.” That truth shaped me long before I ever ran a business.
Whatever you’re building — a business, a platform, a sense of belonging — I hope you build it with intention. Because when you lead from where you’ve been, and create what you once needed, it shift to something bigger than you – you build for others!
And that’s what makes it sustainable.
*We strive to do our best when supporting small business and their growth. Our business databases can give you information and data that can help you with advertising, market research, company information, and industry factsheets. If you have already taken the plunge, we would love for you to join us at a seminar, our workshops cover digital marketing, business model canvas and planning, demystifying taxes and intellectual property to name a few. Visit our events page or website for more information.
Small Business Research and Enterprise 