News
The latest news from the African Leadership Institute and its Fellows. AFLI Fellows are leaders and change-makers, so this section has a lot of news. All text in all of the posts is fully searchable.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
- Category: News
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2015 Tutu Fellow Wiebe Boer has been appointed as the Chief Growth Officer at JIPA Network in the Caribbean. JIPA Network is a healthcare company that collaborates with medical experts to provide healthcare, critical medical services and elective procedures - surgeries that are not emergencies and which can be scheduled - to patients in the United States, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. As the Chief Growth Officer, Wiebe is responsible for developing growth strategies, identifying new business opportunities and market expansion.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2013 Tutu Fellow Jumoke Oduwole JSD has been appointed as the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment in Nigeria by President Bola Tinubu. She is among seven new ministers announced by the president on 23 October 2024, when he reshuffled his cabinet. Upon her confirmation by the Senate as Minister, Jumoke will succeed Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, who has been reassigned as the Minister of State for Finance. She will be taking the helm at the ministry at a time described by The Africa Report as "the worst cost of living crisis in 30 years." She has indicated that she sees her role as ensuring the ministry is a catalyst for economic growth.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2017 Tutu Fellow Bosun Tijani PhD has been appointed as the Co-Chair of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience, effective from 1 November 2024. The ITU is the United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). The aim of the Advisory Body is to promote dialogue and collaboration on improving the resilience of submarine cables, which power global communications and the digital economy. It is tasked with ensuring that the many stakeholders involved collaborate effectively, bringing together governments, regulatory authorities, and industry. The Advisory Body will serve a two-year term.
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- Written by: Judy Malan
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The Tutu Class of 2024 graduated on 8 September 2024 that culminated in a joyful celebration at the Africa Centre in London. The keynote speaker, Moky Makura from AfricaNoFilter, challenged us to examine and take accountability for the stories we tell about the continent – a fitting capstone to a 6 month journey during which we examined and expanded the stories we hold about ourselves, others, and the world at large.
Our exploration meandered along three pathways: Deepening our Roots to build the capacity for self-leadership, connecting to and learning from the Tribes we belong to (especially this one!) so we can grow in how we lead others, and exploring what it means to be a Good Ancestor when it comes to nudging positive and enduring systemic change.
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- Written by: Linda Kasonde
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The International Day of Democracy falls on 15th September every year. It is a time to pause and reflect on how democracy is working in our country. Last year, Zambia was privileged to be chosen as the African host of the Summit for Democracy. At the time, we were riding high on our democratic credentials as one of the few African nations through which change could be effected through the ballot box and having pushed back on creeping authoritarianism during the ten years preceding the 2021 general elections.
During the Summit, I was privileged to speak at a side event at which I highlighted some of the dangerous anti-democratic trends of the period 2011-2021 and ended with an expression of hope for the future, if only the UPND would heed the lessons of the past.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2012 Tutu Fellow Lydie Hakizimana has been selected to participate in the 2024 Rainer Arnhold Fellowship, which is an initiative of the Mulago Foundation. Established in 1993, Mulago is a private foundation which focuses on funding what it refers to as 'high-impact organisations', through grants, debt or equity. In this context, the Rainer Arnhold Fellowship has included Happy Hearts Preschools, of which Lydie is the CEO and Co-Founder, in its 2024 selection. Lydie describes Happy Hearts as "...a network of preschools across Rwanda...[that] help children find their curiosity alongside passionate teachers who are happy to support and guide their journey of discovery."
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- Written by: Sylvia Makario
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It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that I write this tribute for a dear friend and classmate from the 2020 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship cohort - Aminata Wurie - a life whose impact will echo for the rest of our lives.
Aminata was a gracious soul, embodying a silent power that resonated deeply with everyone she met. Though often immersed in her thoughts, tirelessly contemplating ways to uplift and enhance the human capital of our beloved African continent through her company, Posterity Thinkers, those fortunate enough to know her were blessed with her wonderful sense of humor.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2023 Tutu Fellow Patrick Gatonga has been appointed as the Managing Director of Equity Health Insurance - a newly formed company within the Equity Group in Kenya. Equity Group is reported to be seeking to bolster its insurance and healthcare business.
Patrick has served as the Group CEO of ARR Insurance Holdings in Kenya, with a focus on growth, transformation, innovation and digitalisation. He has also worked as the CEO of Jubilee Health Insurance in Kenya, while being a member of the insurance group's Board of Directors in Uganda and Tanzania.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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Plentify, a company that was founded with others by 2016 Tutu Fellow, Jon Kornik, is making an impact by using data to increase power savings and efficiencies for households. In a podcast by Business Day, they report that Plentify has developed - among other smart technologies - a device called HotBot, which can be attached to solar or geyser systems, helping to monitor energy consumption and use and produce savings.
Based in South Africa and the US, Jon says Plentify "...makes affordable, reliable and clean electricity a reality for everyone."
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- Written by: Norman Smit
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2017 Tutu Fellow Mimi Kalinda is launching her new book, Echoes of Influence: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling as a Leadership Strategy.
She says the book is a culmination of her decades-long journey through the world of strategic communication and personal transformation in which she discovered that storytelling is not just an art form but a pivotal strategy in business and leadership.
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James Mwangi appointed as an inaugural member of The Rockefeller Foundation Climate Advisory Council
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2009 Tutu Fellow, James Mwangi has been appointed as an inaugural member of The Rockerfeller Foundation Climate Advisory Council. The 111-year-old philanthropic organisation announced the creation of a new Climate Advisory Council in June 2024.
The council will help advance climate solutions that reduce emissions, and enhance opportunities for communities that are most affected by the effects of global warming. The Advisory Council comprises nine members, who will serve a voluntary two-year term.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2018 Tutu Fellow Chude Jideonwo has been appointed as the first Creative-in-Residence at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The appointment is effective from September 2024.
Chude is an award-winning TV host, filmmaker, media entrepreneur and lawyer who, according to The Street Journal, has built media brands and platforms across the African continent and in the Diaspora. He is the founder of Joy, Inc., an American benefit corporation with a subsidiary in his home country, Nigeria. He is also the executive producer and host of #WithChude, and founder of The Future Project which focuses on inspiring leadership and entrepreneurship.
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- Written by: Tafadzwa Taruvinga
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2023 Tutu Fellow Dr Stella Wairimu Bosire has been appointed the Interim Chairperson of the Board at Amnesty International Kenya, effective 23 May and confirmed on 18 July 2024. She was elected to the Board during the first Annual Delegates Conference in October 2022, and she has served as Vice Chairperson since 2023. Stella is Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Center for Health Systems and Gender Justice and SWB Consulting. She has worked for more than 15 years as a global health, gender and equity advocate.
She is an award-winning expert in working with not-for-profit organisations, especially those in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, adolescent and youth health, and the rights of sexual and gender minority persons.
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- Written by: Judy Malan
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In the embrace of Mont Fleur's natural beauty, the 2024 Tutu Associates embarked on their Fellowship journey from April 21st to 28th. Gathering from 10 different African countries – from the shores of Cote d'Ivoire to the vibrant heart of Nigeria – 24 Associates converged, each bearing a unique mix of experiences and aspirations.
Drawing on this rich diversity, the workshop unfolded as a tapestry of inspiration, weaving together narratives from finance, agriculture, technology, politics, social entrepreneurship, public service, the arts – to name but a few! Guided by the seasoned provocation of AFLI Board Chair Trevor Manuel, the cohort pondered the profound question of their generation's call to leadership – a call not to be taken lightly.
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- Written by: Linda Kasonde
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2014 Tutu Fellow Linda Kasonde, the Executive Director of Chapter One Foundation wrote this essay ahead of Zambia's upcoming 60th anniversary:
“Ubuntungwa” in the Bemba language means “freedom”. You may recall the famous Zambian song by Keith Mlevhu of the same name in which he calls on the youth of this country to be patriotic and to guard the freedom of our country. Mlevhu, who was born in 1950, witnessed Zambia become independent in 1964. One wonders why he saw the need to sing a song about freedom in 1978, some fourteen years later.
Zambia is now approaching sixty years of independence and yet we are still asking the question: are we truly independent?
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- Uzoma Nwagba meets with Nigeria's lending ecosystem
- Three Tutu Fellows Selected for 2024 Forum of Young Global Leaders
- 25 Tutu Fellows at the 2024 Skoll World Forum
- Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg PhD joins the Executive Board of the Global Crop Trust
- The 2024 Tutu Leadership Programme Cohort
- President Tinubu appoints Uzoma Nwagba as the CEO of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation
- Ladé Araba joins African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership as Vice President Financial Services
- Tarek Mouganie PhD chosen as a Yale World Fellow
- Bright Simons selected for 2024 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency
- Succès Masra - the story of a servant leader in Chad