Activist Lisa Shannon says Congo is the worst place in the world to be a woman. But in spite of that, she believes there’s much in Congo worth saving.

Lisa founded the first national grassroots effort to raise awareness and funds for women in Congo through her project Run for Congo Women. They’ve sponsored more than a thousand war-affected Congolese women through the NGO Women for Women International. Lisa has also written a memoir A Thousand Sisters: My Journey Into the Worst Place on Earth to Be a Woman.

A Thousand Sisters is Lisa’s story of how she went from average American to grass roots organizer. She had a successful business, a fiancé, a home, and security — but her life changed forever after watching an Oprah Winfrey exposé on the Congo.