Blog
Mobilizing Youth For Change Through the Pariah Nation Podcast
“What does it mean when we start our history at slavery?” asks Adnan Shafi ’17, a Kenyan ALA alum who is asking these and other questions on his powerful educational…
Akan Nelson ‘09 is Improving Financial Literacy for Financial Inclusion in Africa
ALA alumnus and former staffulty member Akan Nelson ‘09 and Daniel Osineye’s Evolve Credit recently reached a milestone: securing pre-seed funding of US$300 000, all of which was raised in…
Edgar Edmund Tarimo ‘18 wins €5000 at 2020 ClimateLaunchpad for his recycling company
At the age of 15 Edgar Edmund Tarimo ‘18 saw how floods destroyed more than 700 houses in Dar Es Salaam. Most of the people affected by the floods were…
Ammar Kandil ’10 of Yes Theory partners with Google to release autobiographical film “Free Child”.
Ammar Kandil ‘10, co-founder of Yes Theory shares his inspiring story in a candid interview with Dean Hatim Eltayeb. Ammar Kandil ’10 co-founder of the Yes Theory movement has brought…
Ukairo Ukairo’s quest for African cinematic excellence
Born and raised in Aba, Nigeria, Ukairo Ukairo ’13 grew up in a household that fostered his keen interest in a legal career. His father is a lawyer and human…
ALforEducation’s Little Bets Challenge Highlights Fresh Thinking in Education
On August 20th and 21st, ALA had the honor of hosting its own virtual event, under our educational sector group: AL For Education. Titled “2020: A Year for Action”, the…
Reimagining the Future of Secondary Education in Africa
The Mastercard Foundation’s latest report reveals that for every 100 young people that enter primary education, 9 will go on to tertiary education and 6 will complete it. What solutions…
Entrepreneur and Designer David Lewis ’15 Partners with Bremen Fashion House
Nigerian fashion designer David Lewis ’15 is the founder of Lewini, a design-thinking clothing company reinventing the use of colors in everyday unisex clothing. After his second year of studying…
ALA Alumni Female Vocalist Group, Malkia the Band Performs at UN Women’s International Youth Day 2020
The African Leadership Academy (ALA) student body consists of multi-talented future leaders who come together to exchange ideas and creativity through various cultural and arts events regularly taking place on…
Abii-Tah Bih ‘14 Elected Student Body President at Michigan State University.
African Leadership Academy alumnae, Abii-Tah Bih ‘14, from Cameroon, was elected by The 57th General Assembly of the Associated Students of Michigan State University (MSU) to be the new Undergraduate Student Body President for the 2020-21 academic year. Abii-Tah most recently served as a representative in the General Assembly, for the James Madison College, and has served as chair of the cultural exchange committee and an ASMSU representative in the University Council.
Oyindamola Adefisayo ’08: Scientific Research is Key to Ending COVID-19
Oyindamola Adefisayo ’08, currently doing her Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis at The Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, speaks on the COVID-19 pandemic and how scientific research can contribute towards finding a cure. In analyzing the current pandemic, Oyindamola said, “The success of SARS-CoV-2 as a pathogen leading to a pandemic is based on the fact that it is newly emerged, highly infectious but not extremely lethal especially when compared to other viral infections such as Ebola. These characteristics have led to governments and scientists having to play catch-up as the full impact of the virus only started to become apparent after it had already established a widespread infection across the globe.”
Mary Maker ’19 Supports South Sudanese Refugees with COVID-19 Outreach
Having grown up as a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp, Mary Maker ’19 understands the plight of other refugees who find themselves at heightened risk due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. Currently an undergraduate at St Olaf College in the USA through a scholarship from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Mary has been working with the United Nations Refugees Agency (UNHCR) to organize outreach efforts to deliver essential supplies to refugee camps. Through her efforts, a shipment of sanitizers, soaps and masks was delivered to Kakuma earlier this month.
Maxwell Simba ’19: From Nairobi to Johannesburg via Hollywood
Growing up in small agricultural town called Kitali in northern Rift Valley, Kenya, Maxwell Simba discovered from a young age that that he had a passion for the arts, specifically acting. Today at African Leadership Academy, Maxwell is often found not only flexing his acting muscles with his peers in the Ubuntu Theatre Troupe on campus but also behind the camera documenting events as he aspires to pursue a path in film directing.
The Power of Productive Internships: Okongo Kinyanjui ’14’s TED Journey
Okong’o Kinyanjui has a true passion for TED and the TED Fellows program. Originally from Kenya and currently in his final year of studies at Quest University in Canada, he first interned with TED in 2017. As a Bezos Scholar, and thanks to the partnership between the Bezos Family Foundation and African Leadership Academy, Okong’o was selected to intern at the TED Global conference that took place in Arusha, Tanzania in 2017.
Koffi Emmanuel Sadzi ’17 Takes the Road Less Traveled and Ventures to University in Israel
Koffi Emmanuel Sadzi ’17 from Togo made the daring decision to continue his education in Israel at Tel Aviv University. Koffi, who received the highest scores in A-level Physics in all of South Africa at the 2019 Cambridge International Examinations, is enrolled in the prestigious four-year engineering program at Tel Aviv University.
Noemi Duker ‘17 Wins Business Case Competition with Oberlin College
Speaking about her decision to participate in the competition, Noemi said, “I asked myself, ‘If I were not at ALA would I still have raised my hand and wanted to go for this?’ and I don’t think I would have….I’ve heard the founders of the school saying ‘We should always try to do the hard things and I kept that in mind.”
Khauhelo ‘Mile ’18: Student Leader, Entrepreneur, and Self-Published Poet
Khauhelo ‘Mile ’18 is Chairlady of the ALA Student Government, the leader of multiple student enterprises, and most recently, the author of a self-published book of poetry, Puo Ea Pelo, exploring themes of social justice, sexuality, language, and patriotism.
Tafadzwa Matika ‘10 Leading Change through Public Health and Agriculture
Tafadzwa Matika ’10 always had a passion for pursuing a career in Public Health, but he could hardly imagine combining this journey with a concurrent career path through agriculture. After…
Coca-Cola’s Global Executive Team Engages ALA on Talent Development
On the 7th of November, African Leadership Academy hosted the Coca-Cola Global Executive Team, led by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, James Quincey, for a learning visit centered on…
Spencer Horne ’08’s Cloudline Soars to Quartz Africa Innovators List 2019
This past month has seen ALA alumnus Spencer Horne’s innovative logistics company, Cloudline, win big. The revolutionary startup not only earned Spencer a spot on this year’s Quartz Africa Innovators List but was also announced the winner of Santam’s Safety Ideas Challenge – walking away with R100 000 in incubator funding and seed capital.