Blog
Tapiwa Gambura ’18 – Reclaiming the African Narrative through Film
“I believe that individuals who have ideas can change the world, and I have ideas. How do we ensure that our continent emerges and gains the economic and political independence it deserves? This is what my life’s purpose should be about.”
Ny Ony Razafindratandra ’11 – Telling African Stories through Music
“I feel like music is a tool for me to make positive change on the continent. The highlight of my musical journey was the validation of 4,000 people in a stadium singing my song from top to bottom without me having to sing it… It has been really nice to see how much impact one can have on a younger generation and even the older generation of people just who want to change.”
Brian Waweru ’09 – Driving African Development through Finance
“The formula to success is taking risks. You cannot put yourself in a position to get the desired results if you do not take that first risk. I love my career as an investor; every time we invest in a company or an entrepreneur, we are taking risks. You cannot be successful if you have not taken risks. You cannot be successful if you have not taken risks.”
Aida Ndiaye ’09 – Connecting People, Governments and Technology
“I believe that individuals who have ideas can change the world, and I have ideas. How do we ensure that our continent emerges and gains the economic and political independence it deserves? This is what my life’s purpose should be about.”
Wuntia Gomda ’17 & Jesse Forrester ’17 – Building Climate-Resilient Cities
“As a Kenyan and a Ghanaian, meeting in South Africa for a project that will benefit neither of our countries but other Africans exemplifies the true spirit of Pan-Africanism. We have a target of positively impacting 5,000 people over the next ten years through The Living Machine. We want to see many people grow and have access to quality food and a better lifestyle. The Living Machine is bigger than just the two of us, or even ALA”.
Tiassa Mutunkei ’18 – Tackling Wildlife Exploitation in Africa
“I believe that we as the young generation should come together and take charge of wildlife and wildlands before it’s too late. We are not waiting for older generations to hand it down to us – we will take it, because the time is now. I cannot tell my kids that I’m the reason elephants are extinct. We must all come together to protect our heritage. Animals are Africans too, and we should use our voices to speak up for them.”
Ngor Majak Anyieth ’11 – Educating for Peace in South Sudan
“If you were to Google South Sudan today, all you’ll see is violence and bloodshed. It doesn’t represent the whole picture or the South Sudan I am working towards. I am working to build a network of secondary schools across South Sudan that will use educational spaces for peace-building as well as leadership development for young people.”
Rima Tahini ’10 – Developing Africa’s Next Music Stars
“For me, it’s beyond being in entertainment; it is about building one of the leading industries in Africa today. I hope to see the African music industry grow, and I want the industry to be developed to a place where we have institutions within it and our artists can flourish and have platforms and opportunities. That feeling of seeing someone go from zero to becoming a star is very fulfilling.”
Kwasi Adu-Berchie ’09 – Pursuing a Breakthrough Cure for Cancer
“I am passionate about seeing things through from the beginning to the end. I am interested in finding out if there are affordable ways of treating cancer. I believe that as an engineer I am properly equipped to think creatively about how we can develop these approaches in a cost-effective way so that people living in third world countries can afford it.”
Jihad Hajjouji ’08 – Equipping Education Entrepreneurs for Impact
“I believe that access to quality education can transform lives, and I work with a community of entrepreneurs to make that happen. I really enjoy helping others to fulfill their potential. One of the things that inspires me in working with school leaders across the continent is seeing the impact that they’re able to have against the odds. This idea of maximizing resources to give the best to students is what drives me.”
Spencer Horne ’08 – Building the Supply Chain for Remote Communities
“We have communities that live sometimes in a state of stagnation where it seems that we cannot shift where they are in the cycle of poverty. Any attempt to do that without connecting them to the global economy will not succeed. How could we expect people to pull themselves by the bootstraps, or produce something that someone else will want to buy when they cannot get those goods to local and regional markets?”
Oyindamola Adefisayo ’08 – Combating Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
“Science education on the continent, unfortunately is lacking in many ways. I do not just want to use my research to find new drugs or find new therapies, I want to use it as a space to increase the interest in the sciences and to build capacity for scientific research on the African continent.”
Eddie Ndopu ’08 – Advocating for People Living with Disabilities
“90% of children living with disabilities have never seen the insides of a classroom. I use my life to demonstrate to children with disabilities that they can become the protagonists in the story of their own lives. I have a voice and I get to use my voice in service of things that really matter.”