WONDIVA Celebrates 10 Years of Building Women, Community and Purpose
What began on WhatsApp in January 2016 with fewer than 20 women has, over the past decade, grown into a community of more than 3,500 members. Now, as WONDIVA Global Community enters its tenth year, the organisation is bringing its community together for a four-day retreat and anniversary experience centred on gratitude, reflection and renewed purpose.
The anniversary, themed “The Magnificence of God,” will take place from October 28–31, 2026, at Redemption Camp, Ogun State, and will culminate in an anniversary dinner and thanksgiving.
For WONDIVA, the occasion is deliberately about more than marking a date on the calendar.
It is a moment to look back at what has been built, honour the people who have been part of the journey, reflect on the lives that have been influenced along the way and consider what the next decade should look like.
Speaking about the milestone, Nkechi Emmanuel-Layode (SAGENEL), Founder of WONDIVA Global Community, said:
“Ten years gives you the opportunity to pause and look back—not just at what you have done, but at what God has done. WONDIVA started in a very simple way, but over the years, we have seen a community grow, relationships deepen and lives transformed. This anniversary is our opportunity to say thank you, to reconnect with one another and to seek God for what the next chapter should be.”
Founded with a vision to help women understand their identity, recognise their purpose and live with greater intention, WONDIVA has evolved significantly since its beginnings.
What started as a small digital community has developed into a wider ecosystem with different expressions addressing areas including personal development, leadership, relationships, business, career, skills development and spiritual growth.
At the centre of that evolution has been a simple but enduring idea: people become better equipped to influence their world when they first understand who they are and why they are here.
That philosophy has shaped the community’s work for the past decade and continues to influence its approach to leadership and development.
Today, WONDIVA reports more than 3,500 community members, 50+ volunteers and 10+ expressions, reflecting the growth of a community that has continued to expand beyond its original WhatsApp beginnings.
The anniversary retreat will create space for members to step away from the pace of everyday life and intentionally reconnect, with God, with one another and with their sense of purpose.
The four-day experience will feature prayer, worship, healing, sisterhood, reflection, leadership, connection and rejuvenation, before concluding with an anniversary dinner and thanksgiving.
For a community whose story began with a handful of women connecting through a messaging platform, the decision to mark ten years through an immersive retreat is itself significant.
It reflects WONDIVA’s understanding of community not simply as an audience or membership list, but as people who grow, serve, build relationships and journey together.
The anniversary will also provide an opportunity to recognise the many people who have contributed to WONDIVA’s growth over the years, from volunteers and partners to members whose lives and stories have become part of the organisation’s history.
As part of the anniversary activities, WONDIVA is also producing a 10th Anniversary Magazine, while opening opportunities for organisations, brands and individuals to support the celebration through sponsorship, partnerships, advertising and volunteering.
The organisation is additionally using its anniversary year to deepen its investment in leadership development. Its WONDIVA Leadership Institute, now entering its third cohort, is providing free leadership development for both men and women, with training covering areas including purpose, character, competence, communication, entrepreneurship, governance, project management, innovation and the future of leadership.
For WONDIVA, these initiatives point towards a future that extends beyond celebrating what has already been accomplished.
The tenth anniversary is a threshold as much as it is a milestone.
It is a chance to honour the small beginning, acknowledge the distance travelled and ask a more important question: what should the next ten years produce?
As WONDIVA gathers its community in October, the organisation says its focus will remain on building people, strengthening relationships and creating spaces where individuals can discover purpose, develop capacity and use their influence meaningfully.
Ten years after those first women gathered on WhatsApp, WONDIVA is not simply celebrating how far it has come.
It is gathering to give thanks for the journey, and to prepare for what comes next.
About WONDIVA Global Community
WONDIVA Global Community was founded in 2016 by Nkechi Emmanuel-Layode (SAGENEL). What began as a WhatsApp community of fewer than 20 women has grown into a wider community focused on identity, purpose, personal development, leadership and meaningful influence.
WONDIVA currently reports more than 3,500 community members, 50+ volunteers and 10+ expressions.
For enquiries, sponsorship, partnerships and support:
WhatsApp: +234 808 777 6755
Website: WONDIVA Global Community
