YALI WEST AFRICA COHORT 14 PARTICIPATION

Young African Leaders Initiative – YALI West Africa Cohort 14 Participation

The first Cohort of the second phase of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) West Africa, arrived on the GIMPA Campus in Accra Ghana to begin the 3 weeks intensive onsite training.

Out of about 13,000 applicants,

 

ELIZABETH OFORI, the General Manager of the Lady B Bless Humanitarian Foundation was among the 150 participants from 9 West African countries selected to join the 14th Cohort of the YALI Accra RLC.

The 17-week long training comprises of 2 weeks online training, 3 weeks on site training and 12 weeks of post training activities including mentorship and internship/community service in that succession. The onsite training for the current cohort just came to a successful completion as participants departed to their various countries to continue with post training activities after which successful applicants will graduate to join the growing network of YALI Alumni.

The program was designed with core courses spanning relevant leadership topics like Leadership and Accountability, Ethical Leadership, Contemporary Issues affecting the Sub Region and Gender Equality and Equity. After these core courses, participants are divided into their respective elective tracks for which they signed unto the program; Civic Leadership, Business, and Entrepreneurship and Public Policy and Management. These 3 areas represent the 3 major aspects of a nation’s development and participants received deep and relevant lectures from seasoned and passionate facilitators filled with practical assignments and presentations covering relevant topics affecting the sub-region. The learning here was life-changing.

As a participant in the Civic Leadership Track, Ms.Ofori was trained in the sector of nonprofit management and building a sustainable social enterprise. The West African Civil Society Institute (WACSI) facilitated the whole session on nonprofit management and sustainability. She stated, "The knowledge and skills gained here are so impactful and useful to my work as the General Manager of the Lady B Bless Humanitarian Foundation and I am already geared for action to lead the foundation into higher impact and life-changing moments".

One useful aspect of the YALI program is the network of young, smart and uniquely diverse Africans who share similar passions. It’s a network for life and its value is immense.

Now that the onsite training has ended, the next step is completing all post-training requirement in order to graduate into the prestigious YALI Global Alumni Network.