ALA's 2023 Annual Report is here, and we are thrilled to share it with you. The stories in our report highlight the potential of our students, alumni, staff and faculty. We invite you to read about their remarkable work and share their stories with others.
Annual Report Welcome Letter from Hatim Eltayeb, Chief Executive Officer of ALA
Dear Friends,
As we approach the conclusion of another year at the African Leadership Academy (ALA), I am honored to be able to share our progress in this annual report.
2023 has not been an easy year. Regime change has wracked many African states and instability has taken wide root. In my home country of Sudan, leadership failure has plunged the state into intractable civil strife. It will take a decade or longer to recover the losses inflicted on the economy, infrastructure and civil society since the start of this year. A fast-developing situation in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger also puzzles analysts.
At the same time, pressing challenges that require coordinated response continue to mount. The climate crisis accelerates, global trade is destabilized and – one year on from the public launch of ChatGPT – the future of work remains murky. Africans have a great deal of problems to confront, and opportunities to unlock.
And yet, I continue take heart from the stories emerging from our community. When TIME Magazine selects Linda Dounia Rebeiz ‘10 (Senegal) as one of its most influential people in AI, I take heart. When Anzisha fellows continue to create hundreds of jobs for other young Africans, I take heart. When our 1,500 ALA graduates unlock $200M USD in university scholarships and overwhelmingly maintain their professional ties to the continent, I take heart. As you read this report, I hope you too will take heart.
I hope you will also feel invited to engage with the direction of our organization. The need we seek to address remains pressing, and each day we are more confident in the contribution we can make. We are building an institution to last generations, communities that will amplify our impact and ultimately a school that can change the world. I hope you too will find this vision urgent, necessary and compelling.
Six months from now we will celebrate our 15th graduating class; we will have delivered our first generation of ethical and effective African leaders. Your support has made this milestone moment a reality. There are great things still to come and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our shared mission.
In this season of rest, reflection and recuperation, I hope this report will bring encouragement and inspiration.
Hatim Eltayeb
