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Table of Contents
AFLI News
Appointments
Project Pakati
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CEO's Message
 Dear Friends of AFLI,
It gives me enormous pleasure to connect with you all, once again! And, you are in for a treat with this bumper edition of our mid-year newsletter. It wasn’t intentionally planned to be one but turned out to be, given our Fellows’ many stories of impact.
We report on the recently ended first workshop held at Mont Fleur, in Stellenbosch, with our 2019 Associates, which was a powerful experience for the class, and highly engaging - as can be seen from the many pictures in the gallery taken during the event.
I always refer to the AFLI founders’ vision of curating a network of new African leaders that will drive transformation on the continent, together. The story of Bosun Tijani and Yomi Awobokun, both 2017 Fellows, captures the essence of this vision. Bosun is CEO of the CcHUB and an advocate of STEM to drive innovation. Yomi is the CEO of Enyo Retail which now owns 70 petrol stations in Nigeria. They came together to develop STEMCafé – a creativity play space designed to introduce children between the ages 5-18 to STEM in a fun and engaging way in facilities housed at Enyo service stations. According to Yomi, “the immediate trust between the Fellows makes it much easier to work together and do business.” He also says he is working on other partnerships with other Tutu Fellows. So, watch this space!
I wish to applaud the efforts of 2013 Fellow, Hon. January Makamba, the Minister for State in the Vice President's Office for Environment in getting the single-use plastic bags ban passed in Tanzania. Effectively, by virtue of this legislation, Tanzania has banned the production, importation, sale and use of all single-use plastic bags to help tackle pollution from non-biodegradable waste.
And, our Fellows working in the creative economy were not to be outdone! Where to begin?… Dorothy Ghettuba Pala, a 2016 Fellow, was appointed by Netflix as Manager for International Originals. In this role, she will be responsible for bringing African stories to Africa and the world. Hot on the heels of that appointment, President Kenyatta appointed her Chair of the Kenya Film Commission board. MI Abaga, 2017 Fellow and CEO of Chocolate City signed a deal with Warner Music. In 2018, MI released his album, A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl, essentially his reflections from the Tutu programme and what fans refer to as his most profound album to date. Onto our filmmakers…Omoni Oboli premiered her film, Wings of a Dove, which deals with the poignant issue of child marriages and child brides whilst Hopewell Chinono’s documentary on mental illness, State of Mind, which was extremely well received, went on to be nominated for awards at Cannes and at the Heart of England Film Festival.
Linda Kasonde is now the VP of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, whilst Dr Francois Bonnici is now heading the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. And, speaking of social entrepreneurship, Bright Simons was a winner of the 2019 Skoll Award for his mPedigree solution to counterfeit medicines.
As the Fellows rise in their careers and influence, I wish them nothing but the best and trust that they will hold onto the values espoused on the programme.
I think I should stop now so that you may actually read the newsletter for yourselves…
And last but definitely not least, on 11 June 2019, Peter Biar Ajak, a 2016 Fellow, was sentenced in South Sudan to two years in prison for “disturbing the peace”. His crime was for giving an interview to a foreign media house in a ruling that has been condemned by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. He had already been in prison on a different charge since 28 July 2018, and the two years is effective from the date he was initially imprisoned. The Fellows are holding him in their thoughts and seeing how they support his wife and children during this difficult time.
Till next time!
Warm regards,
Jackie
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The Class of 2019 first workshop at Mont Fleur
 The first workshop of the 2019 Archbishop Tutu Leadership Programme was held at the Mont Fleur Conference Centre from the 27th April to the 4th of May, 2019. The 23 Fellowship candidates found it to be a memorable time of learning, introspection, forging deep relationships with peers, and lots of laughter - as can be seen from the gallery of images and the heartfelt letter of gratitude.
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Introducing the Class of 2019 cohort
 For those who may have missed the announcement of the Class of 2019 earlier this year, we recap that announcement here. There were nearly 250 nominees of outstanding quality from more than 30 African countries, from which 23 of Africa’s highest potential young leaders were selected to take part in the Tutu Leadership programme.
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Two Fellows partner on STEM initiative in Nigeria
 2017 Tutu Fellows 'Bosun Tijani and Abayomi Awobokun have joined forces to develop STEMCafe, a creativity play space to introduce children to STEM concepts in a fun and engaging way. 'Bosun started up CcHub, an innovation and technology accelerator, and Abayomi is growing a network of convenience stores across Nigeria through his company, Enyo Retail & Supply, which are being used for the initiative.
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Fellow appointed to chair sports broadcasts hearings
 2006 Fellow Palesa Kadi is chairing hearings by the regulatory body on sport broadcasting rights. The hearings are politically sensitive, as big-draw sports get a lot of their income from expensive pay-to-view channels, but that locks out millions of ordinary South Africans from being able to watch sport that they say should be on free-to-air TV.
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Fellow wins prestigious African Banker award
 2008 Fellow, Mitchell Elegbe, the Group Managing Director of Interswitch Limited, has been awarded the African Banker Icon award, at the 2019 African Banker Awards in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The annual awards have established themselves as the Oscars of African banking.
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International accolades for Fellow's documentary
 The latest film by 2008 Fellow Hopewell Chin'ono titled State of Mind, is being received well. The award-winning Zimbabwean international journalist and film maker shot the documentary, which deals with mental health. It's picking up international award nominations and screening requests.
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Tanzania's Environment Minister bans plastic
 2013 Fellow January Makamba - who is Tanzania's Environment Minister - is championing a ban on the production, importation, sale and use of all single-use plastic bags in Tanzania by next month to tackle pollution from non-biodegradable waste.
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South Sudan sentences Fellow for criticisms
 2016 Tutu Fellow Peter Biar Ajak has been sentenced to two years in prison in South Sudan for giving an interview to international media that was critical of the government. The peace activist and economist was originally held for treason and detained for nearly a year prior to his hearing. His charges were amended to 'disturbing the peace'. His lawyer is contesting the charges and sentence.
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SA President invites Fellow to SADC Saharawi conference
 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa invited 2013 Fellow and human rights activist Catherine Constantinides to attend the SADC Saharawi Solidarity Summit in South Africa in March 2019. Catherine has for years worked on behalf of the Saharawi, who live in territory illegally occupied by Morocco. The summit was attended by several heads of state who expressed their support for decolonisation of the region and self-determination for Western Sahara on the basis of the values and principles that have guided the quest for independence throughout Africa.
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Sage advice to university graduates
 2018 Fellow Judy Sikuza told students at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Humanities graduation ceremony in April that academic success and studying at an Ivy League institution had not prepared her for joblessness. She is the Deputy Executive Director of the Nelson Mandela Rhodes Foundation. It was a humbling lesson.
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Fellow wins Skoll Award for social entrepreneurship
 2010 Fellow Bright Simons has been selected as one of the winners of the 2019 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. The Skoll Foundation supports and invests in social entrepreneurs and innovators solving the world’s most pressing problems. Bright's company, mPedigree, has developed tech to solve counterfeit medicines with a text message.
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Fellow seals deal with Warner Music Group
 2017 Fellow, MC and Chocolate City label executive, MI Abaga, has helped usher in his company’s partnership with Warner Music Group in the US. In the deal, the two companies will enter into an arrangement that sees Warner Music injecting funds into Chocolate City’s operations and also use its extensive network to promote artists on the label.
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Fellow premieres powerful film on child brides
 2018 Tutu Fellow Omoni Oboli has premiered her latest movie, Wings of a Dove, in Los Angeles, California at the Pan African Film Festival. Her movie, which deals with child marriage, brought the audience to its feet for a standing ovation. It is an emotionally-charged story of two young Northern Nigerian girls who are married off to much older men at the age of 13 and 14 years of age, but all they want is the freedom to be children..
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Fellow selected as a champion of Agenda 2063
 2018 Fellow Edzai Zvobwo has been selected as a Champion for Agenda 2063 hosted by the African Union Development Agency - NEPAD. He is one of five distinguished champions recognised for their entrepreneurial actions, resilience, and activities in progressing towards the goal of Agenda 2063. Edzai is the founder of MathsGee.
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Fellow to chair Kenyan national film organisation
 2016 Tutu Fellow Dorothy Ghettuba Pala will be chairing the Board of the Kenya Film Commission for the next three years. She was appointed to the position by President Kenyatta. The commission was established to develop a vibrant local film and TV industry, and to position Kenya as a preferred filming destination as a jobs engine.
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Netflix hires Fellow to head Internationals department
 The global streaming giant, Netflix, has appointed 2016 Fellow, Dorothy Ghettuba, as their Manager for International Originals. The appointment follows Netflix' announcement that it will commission original shows from Africa to increase demand for the platform among viewers from Africa and reduce the cost of access.
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Fellow elected VP of Commonwealth Lawyers' Association
 2014 Fellow Linda Kasonde has been elected to a senior role on the governing body of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. She was elected Vice President for Africa in April at the Commonwealth Law Conference in Livingstone, Zambia. She is also the first woman President of the Zambia Law Association in the country’s post-independence history.
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Two board appointments in Nigeria for 2013 Fellow
 2013 Fellow Ify Malo, who is the CEO of Clean Technology Hub and the Country Campaign Director for Power for All in Nigeria, is sought after. She joins the Advisory Board of Extractive 360 and in April of this year, she joined the newly-constituted six-person board of the Norrenberger Financial Group. .
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Publisher appointed as judge for writing prize
 2008 Fellow Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, who is a leader in the new wave of African publishing houses, has been appointed as one of the judges for the Morland Writing Scholarships. The Morland Writing Scholarship is an award given annually to African writers to enable them to work on a manuscript over a year without worrying about an income.
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Two Fellows appointed to Ugandan tech task force
 Two 2012 Fellows, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, a media executive, and Vincent Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary in the Ugandan Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance, have been appointed by President Yoweri Museveni as part of a team of experts to spearhead Uganda’s journey in the 4th Industrial Revolution. The term refers to emerging technologies such as robotics, AI, IoT and more.
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Fellow appointed as turnaround CEO for telecom
 2017 Fellow Rosy Fynn has been appointed as the new CEO for the 4G mobile broadband service provider, BusyInternet. As CEO, Rosy is coming in to lead a turnaround of the business into a world-class telecoms service provider.
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Fellow appointed to head Schwab Foundation
 2013 Fellow François Bonnici has been appointed to head the Schwab Foundation in Switzerland, one of the leading social entrepreneurship foundations in the world and the sister organization of the WEF. Over the last year, the Schwab Foundation Board has moved to adapt the Foundation’s focus to better deal with the scope and complexity of social challenges.
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Fellow appointed Managing Director of Convergence Finance
 2014 Fellow Ladé Araba has been appointed as the Managing Director, Africa, at Convergence Finance, a global network that generates blended finance data, intelligence, and deal flow to increase private sector investment in developing countries. Araba is also the Co-Founder/President of the Visiola Foundation which empowers African girls and young women through education, training, and mentoring in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields..
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Fellow a board member of Save the Children
 2018 Fellow Temi Marcella Awogboro has been elected as one of the Board Members of Save the Children Africa Advisory Board. Save the Children is a global fund that was established in the United Kingdom in 1919 in order to improve the lives of children. Temi sees her new role as helping facilitate a much-needed innovative approach to addressing children’s rights, particularly in Africa.
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Comprehensive directory of African Leadership initiatives
 AFLI has compiled the first comprehensive pan-African directory of initiatives and organisations promoting and developing young leaders on the continent. The directory is fully searchable, and can filter searches by country, type, or a range of other delimiters.
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Pakati attends 2nd Pan-African Youth Forum
 Project Pakati staff attended the launch of the Africa Union Commission's '1 million by 2021 Initiative' at the 2nd Pan-African Youth Forum in Addis Ababa. The forum was attended by more than 400 youths representing more than 50 African countries. The #1MBY2021 initiative's objectives are to invest in Africa’s youth to break intergenerational poverty; address inequalities; and help the continent achieve the goals set within the vision of Agenda 2063..
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Profiling Youth-Led & Youth-Serving NGOs
 Pakati is developing a directory to assist African NGO's led by and serving the youth of the continent. Called the African Youth-Led and Youth-Serving Organizations Portal, the directory will help these organisations be more easily found and allow them to find partners and to network.
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Former Board member named a UN SDG Advocate
 A former Pakati Youth Advisory Board member, Edward Ndopu, joins a storied group of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocates. UN Secretary General António Guterres announced the new class for 2019, which included Eddie, who served on the Project Pakati Youth Advisory Board from June 2018 - January 2019.
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AFLI's Leadership Directory
AFLI has compiled the first pan-African directory of organisations promoting and developing young leaders. Search our directory by country, type, or a range of other methods.
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Support the African Leadership Institute
If you believe in positively changing the future of Africa, make your tax-deductible donation to support the African Leadership Institute in growing the continent's future leaders.
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