At ALA, we believe in the power of organized and purposeful communities to harness the power of connections to achieve greater impact in their work. That is why we have created six sector communities that drive this agenda. Each community provides an ecosystem that enables network members (alumni, thought-leaders, and established changemakers) to connect to each other, share ideas, and collaborate on initiatives that drive meaningful impact in their respective sectors.
One of our sector communities, AL for Governance, focuses on addressing Africa's governance and development challenges by developing a new generation of ethical public leaders. Recently, we launched the Umholi we Africa (UwA) Fellowship, a two-year program designed for network members interested in public service.
The Umholi we Africa Fellowship places young people in Special Advisor roles in a Ministerial office (senior officials) and in intergovernmental organizations, where they have the opportunity to contribute to policy and access to connect with different people to grow their network. These positions work directly with the most senior leaders in the host country and allow for the fellows to be strategic aides that support transformation and effective policy in their countries. We envisage this as a model to “fast-tracking” youth’s opportunities to occupy leadership positions in government.
Umholi we Africa’s Theory of Change
We believe that if high-potential young Africans identify a like-minded community, are able to clearly see the potential to participate and effect policy and identify the opportunity for personal and technical skills growth then they will choose careers in politics and the public sector. And ultimately inspire to change the face of the public sector workforce to one that is diverse, competent, and includes young people.
Meet the Inaugural Umholi we Africa Cohort
Aicha is an ALA alumna from Senegal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in International Relations from Ashoka University, a Liberal Arts college in India. She has worked for various organisations such as #FixPolitics, Impact Hub Dakar, and Suguba. John, an ALA alumnus from Kenya, is currently serves as the Chief of Staff to ALA alumni, Senator Eddy Oketch in Migori County, Kenya. He holds an M.A. in Global Thought (Impact Finance) from Columbia University and an Economics Degree from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. John is a Kofi Annan Scholar and was a 2013 Chuck Green Fellow. Gabriella, an ALA alumna from Namibia, is set to take on the role of Special Advisor to the Deputy Minister of ICT in Namibia. Gabriella has worked for companies such as Vuttomi Liquids, the Center for Analytics and Behavioral Change, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Namibia, and the Programme for Young Politicians in Africa. Gabriella is completing a Bachelor's in Political Science from the University of Namibia. Zecha is an ALA alumnus from Kenya. He is the incoming Special Advisor to the Chief Justice of the Kenya Judiciary. Zecha is a graduate of the Yenching Academy of Peking University, PRC. He holds a master of Economics and Management with a key focus on China studies, a bachelor of Economics in Finance from Wuhan University. He previously worked as the interim head of the China desk in the Absa Bank Kenya. Arlette Akingeneye is a Mastercard Foundation alumna from Rwanda with a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health Policy from Quest University Canada. She is an incoming advisor to the Director of the Women, Gender, Development and Youth Directorate at the African Union. Previously, Arlette worked as a Program Assistant for the Nutrition Program at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and a Research Assistant at the Rwanda Ministry of Health. Morema, an ALA alumnus from Lesotho, is currently serving as the Chief of Staff to Member of Parliament, Hon Mope Khati in Lesotho. He brings a diverse background in startups, having worked in Lesotho, South Africa, and Mauritius, with experience spanning across multiple industries such as energy, education, and technology. Morema is a computer science graduate from the African Leadership University, Mauritius. Leonor is an ALA alumna from Senegal. She is an incoming advisor to the AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace & Security, Madame Bineta Diop. graduated with a degree in Agricultural Sciences and natural resources management from EARTH University. She has also worked as Head of Innovation and Impact department with Kossam Société de Development de l’Elevage, a subsidiary of la Laiterie Du Berger. Utani is an ALA alumnus from Namibia. He currently serves as a Special Advisor for the AU Youth Envoy. Utani holds a Bachelor of Economics Degree from the University of Namibia. He has worked as a Communications and Public Relations Intern at theUnited Nations in Namibia, a Gender and Youth Coordinator at the Solidaridad Network, a Procurement Specialist, and a Consultant. Yesubet is an ALA alumnus from Ethiopia. He currently serves as a special advisor to the African Union Youth Envoy in the Chairperson's Cabinet. He is a Biomedical Engineering graduate from the University of Rochester. Yesubet worked at National Institute of health (NIH), researching on oxygen imaging probe to treat cancer. He also worked at Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) as a technical advisor of Biomedical Equipment Management in Ethiopia. Idris is a Mastercard Foundation alumna from Kenya. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. He currently serves as an Advisor to the AU Youth Envoy. Previously, he produced and reported on current affairs and news pieces for CNN International. He has also worked for Deutsche Welle (DW) as a Junior Correspondent for East Africa.
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