Mombasa, Kenya ~ February 13-16
Collaborating For Good
Some thoughts about the 2020 Reunion
A key challenge faced by organisations, including AFLI, that run leadership programmes relates to maintaining the passion and drive for change that is ignited amongst the Fellows during the programme, post-programme, when participants go back into the world. Additionally, there is the challenge of integrating newly-graduated Fellows into the existing alumni network.
Typically, Fellows are deeply connected only to other Fellows from their cohort (class) but not to Fellows from other years. Indeed, this undermines the very vision of the AFLI founders and the Institute to curate a network of a critical mass of young leaders that will drive Africa’s transformation, together.
The opportunity for the Fellows to convene was provided at the reunion in Mombasa, which was themed Collaborating for Good. The reunion provided the space for the Fellows to reflect on how they can unlock the potential of the network so they can transform the continent together. Old friendships were cemented and new friendships forged.
The full schedule of the Reunion follows below.
Some Pictures From the 2020 Fellows Reunion
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The 2020 AFLI Pan-African Reunion of the Tutu Fellows has been convened with the gracious financial support of the following sponsors:
Table of Contents
Reunion Programme
Programme Directors: 2015 Tutu Fellow Ronnie Osumba and 2010 Tutu Fellow and South Africa Board Member Lorna Macharia
Thursday 13 February 2020
Fellows arrive at the Serena.
16h00 - 16h15 Welcome message by Programme Directors 2015 Tutu Fellow Ronnie Osumba and 2010 Tutu Fellow and South Africa Board Member Lorna Macharia
16h15 - 16h45 The AFLI Story: Milestones and Way Forward - AFLI CEO and 2010 Fellow Jackie Chimhanzi
16h45 - 17h00 The Essence of the Tutu Fellowship - Robin Perks, 2009 Fellow
17h00 -18h00 Drinks reception
18h00 -19h30 Icebreaker & Introductions
Fellows partner with the people they least know. Then, in the tradition of Mont Fleur, Fellows introduce their newly acquainted Fellows.
19h00 - 21h30 Dinner at the Serena Hotel
21h30 onwards Nightcaps and Networking
Friday 14 February 2020
09h00 - 10h00 Breakfast
10h00 - 12h00 Address by guest speaker Boniface Mwangi: How to Speak Courage Fluently
Boniface Mwangi is a world- renowned photographer-cum-activist, senior TED Fellow and author of Unbounded – a poignant and riveting memoir that captures his incredible journey. Boniface is one of the most vocal and courageous Kenyans of his generation. At 36, he has been a guest of the State on many occasions for championing justice and calling out powerful leaders for their wanton corruption and blatant violation of human rights. This has earned him friends and foes, alike. His commitment to promoting social change has also come at a heavy price. As a husband and father, his wife and children have endured hostilities from different quarters. The escalation of these hostilities has seen him being threatened with harm and/or death by powerful forces in government. He has twice won the CNN Multichoice Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award and is the youngest Prince Claus Laureate.
12h00 - 13h30 My Entry into Ethiopian Politics -
2007 Tutu Fellow Yohannes Mezgebe will present his plan to launch his political career in Ethiopia, bring the Fellows into his confidence and invite their feedback, inputs and suggestions. The discussion and ensuing Q&A will be facilitated by Ronak Gopaldas, 2019 Fellow and Director at Signal Risk. Ronak was, Head of Country Risk at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and is a thought-leader whose pieces have been covered in various publications.
13h30 - 14h30 Lunch
14h00 - 17h00 The Fellows’ Community Service - Speed Mentorship Event on Career and Leadership
Fellows to participate in a community service project that involves a series of conversations between them and young women between the ages of 13-30 years old from the leadership incubator, Akili Dada, which was founded by 2018 Fellow, Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg. The aim of the mentorship session is to provide an opportunity for Tutu Fellows to impart their learnings from the Tutu Leadership Fellowship, specifically, and life/career experiences, generally, to a younger generation of leaders. The Tutu Fellows will equally learn from and be inspired by these younger leaders.
17h00 - Break
19h00 - 21h30 Two conversations over dinner: Fulfilling our purpose as Tutu Fellows and driving change in X Sector, AND, Fulfilling our purpose as Tutu Fellows and driving change in Country X
These discussions are intended to result in guidelines that galvanise and guide collaboration, beyond the reunion. Collaborations can either have a sector focus across various African countries or have a specific country focus depending on how the Fellows in the alumni community choose to organize themselves in driving change. These sessions will be moderated by Ada Osakwe, 2014 Fellow (sector focus) and Lynette Ntuli, 2018 Fellow (country focus).
The outputs of these discussions will feed into the Tutu Fellows 2020 Mombasa Declaration.
Saturday 15 February 2020
Breakfast at hotel
09:30 - 10h00 Collaborating for Change: A Case Study of 2 Tutu Fellows Driving Change in Agriculture
2015 Fellow, Martin Mbaya, gives a presentation on his collaborative project with Nuradin Osman, a 2013 Fellow. The project was conceptualized at the 2016 reunion in South Africa. It has since been rolled out successfully and the first cohort graduated in 2019. Martin will share the journey and experience of collaborating with a fellow Fellow and also encourage other Fellows to collaborate.
10h00 - 12h00 Activating the Alumni network
The AFLI Founders’ vision was to curate a values-based network of new African leaders that would drive the transformation of the continent, individually and collectively – in the same way that Martin Mbaya and Nuradin Osman are doing. However, the collaborative aspect of the network is proving to be the most challenging. This session seeks to unpack those challenges and explore how the Fellows can collaborate more effectively, going forward, and how AFLI can provide institutional support. This session will be moderated by Edwin Macharia, 2010 Fellow and Global Managing Partner, Dalberg Global Development Advisors.
12h00 Meet in the lobby of the Serena for the shuttle to the lunch cruise
13h00 - 15h00 Lunch cruise on the Dhow Tamarind.
The lunchtime cruise departs from the Tamarind jetty at.1.00 pm, cruises gently up the Tudor creek to a secluded spot where the Dhow moors. Lunch consists of a delicious Tamarind seafood platter with a selection of Kenya's wonderful seafood or a prime Kenyan fillet steak followed by fresh tropical fruit-salad and rounded off with Kenyan coffee and halwa. The Dhow returns to the jetty at 3.00 pm.
15h00 Shuttles head back to the Serena Hotel
15h30 - 18h00 Free time: Site seeing, water sports and shopping.
18h00 - Convene in the lobby of the Serena Hotel for shuttles to the Vipingo Ridge Resort.
19h00 - 19h30 Centum and the Tutu Fellowship.
2012 Fellow James Mworia, CEO of Centum, to address the Fellows on his experience of the programme and why he has supported the programme as a sponsor. Also, his views on the role he feels that new African leaders can play towards building the Africa we all want and deserve.
19h30 - 21h30 Centum to host a 'nyama choma' Kenyan dinner at Vipingo Ridge Resort.
21h30 - 22h00 Reaffirming commitment as a Tutu Fellow.
Awarding of certificates to the Fellows that pledge the Fellows’ commitment to the values of the Tutu Fellowship. To be awarded by members of the AFLI South Africa Board: Terence Sibiya (2007 Fellow), Lai Yahaya (2008 Fellow), and Lorna Irungu-Macharia (2010 Fellow)
Sunday 16 February, 2020
Fellows depart
Tutu Fellows 2020 Mombasa Declaration
Deliberations and outcomes of this reunion gathering will be recorded and adopted into what will become known as the Tutu Fellows 2020 Mombasa Declaration. The collective network must then subsequently be held to account against the collective vision expressed and the action pledges made.
'If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'
- African Proverb -
Logistical and Other Information
Weather
The climate in Mombasa during February is very hot and humid. Daytime maximum temperatures average around 32°C, whilst at night 23°C is normal.
Attire
Business casual attire will be appropriate. Plan to bring cool/ light clothing. Jeans and shorts may also be worn for the outdoor activities.
Visas
You may need a visa to enter Kenya. For information on passports that don’t require visas and those that do, please visit eVisa. Applications can be made online. Some people may need a referral visa. Referral and Multiple entry visas are processed from Nairobi and it takes approximately 6 weeks. Fellows can confirm if their respective countries are eligible to apply online. The eVisa link offers some guidance on this.
For certain countries such as Libya, Mali and Senegal, applications should be made through the Director of Immigration Services. Others, you can either get a visa on arrival at the airport, or before you travel. To minimize time spent queuing at the airport, if you qualify, get a visa before you travel. You can apply for single entry and transit visas on the e-visas website. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Kenya. Make sure you have two blank pages in your passport on arrival. Also, yellow fever vaccination certificate is required prior to entry to Kenya. (See next)
Vaccinations:Yellow Fever
For travellers from South Africa, a Yellow Fever Vaccination certificate is definitely required. Fellows of other nationalities are urged to make enquiries through the Travel Clinics in their country of residence.
And please DO NOT forget to carry your card as you will be required to take another shot!
Why Valentine's weekend
A brief summary of the reunion planning journey and how we ended up with a reunion on Valentine’s weekend:
- The last pan-African reunion was held just outside Johannesburg in Nov 2016.
- In 2017, Aidan Eyakuze offered to plan the subsequent one in Zanzibar in Feb 2018 to coincide with the Sauti Busara festival which takes place annually in Feb.
- Aidan started planning but the enthusiasm levels, on the part of the Fellows, dropped and the idea was scrapped. However, the need for a reunion for Fellows to connect, remained.
- The planning commenced again early this year and a communique was sent out with options for dates in Nov 2019 as well as Feb 13-16 2020 dates to coincide with the festival in Zanzibar.
- Feb 13-16 2020 in Zanzibar was the preferred option amongst the Fellows who voted.
- Aidan then subsequently advised that Zanzibar was increasingly unsafe and he advised we consider another location.
- Instead of changing BOTH the date AND location, we thought to hold one variable constant and only change the location whilst maintaining the date. Changing both the date and the location would have meant going back to the drawing board.
- We invited Fellows to suggest a new location and Kenya came out tops.
In light of the reunion taking place over the Valentine’s weekend, Fellows are welcome to bring their partners to the reunion.
Accommodation
The reunion will be held at Serena Beach Resort and Spa, situated directly on the white, sandy beach of Shanzu. Serena Beach Resort offers panoramic views over the Indian Ocean. Fellows can dine beside the outdoor pool in the extensive tropical gardens. Note when booking that lunches are provided as part of the reunion. One dinner will take place on the Tamarind Dhow (at your expense) and we'll know the discounted rate for this location soon. The dinner hosted by Centum is complimentary.
Fellows may book at the following hotels:
The Serena Beach Resort and Spa 5 Star Rating
This is where the reunion engagements will take place. Negotiations for discounted rates are taking place. The discounted rates are below. The Serena will keep the block booking for Fellows at the discounted rate until 15 January only. Book under the code - 'Tutu Fellows'. To book, you may contact Julius Okumu on the following email address:
Cancellation Policy
Reservations that are cancelled, reduced in length of stay or reduced in numbers are subject to cancellation and no show fees as follows:
- 0 - 7 days 100% cancellation fee will be applicable.
- 8 - 12days 50% cancellation fee will be applicable.
- 13 - 55 days 25% cancellation fee will be applicable.
Payment - before arrival or upon check-out.
Bed & Breakfast Rates
Single Occupancy @ USD $130 per night inclusive of taxes.
Double Occupancy @ USD $215 per night inclusive of taxes.
Half Board rates are more expensive, because they offer breakfast and lunch or dinner, but since lunches will be provided as part of the reunion, selecting this option isn't recommended. See the note above about dinners.
The Vipingo Ridge
Centum-owned. Thirty minutes away from The Serena. We will provide the discounted rates for Fellows as soon as we get them. 5 Star Rating
PrideInn Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa
Ten minutes away from The Serena. The discounted rates and the booking code will be made known soon. 3.5 Star Rating
Airbnb
You will need to identify the Airbnb property of your choice and book directly
Transport
A set number of shuttles, at designated times, will be provided from the airport to the hotels. Once you have made your flight booking, please contact AFLI. Those arriving outside of those set times, will have to make their own way to their hotel.
Sponsorship
AFLI managed to secure a small grant from The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to sponsor the 2019 Tutu programme. Part of the grant was intended to facilitate the convening of the Fellows at this reunion. GIZ strongly believes in the need for the network to remain connected and active. The GIZ funds will cover the conference facilities and catering during deliberations.
Centum has been a friend to and sponsor of the Tutu Fellowship for a number of years and AFLI is grateful for their support. The CEO, James Mworia, a 2012 Fellow and leading business executive will host a dinner and give a dinner address at Vipingo Ridge, a 30-minute drive from Serena.
Out of pocket expenses
Fellows will be personally responsible for the following expenses:
- Flights
- Accommodation
- Transport to the accommodation, outside of the designated shuttles
- Drinks ordered from the hotel bar outside of the welcome reception and/or anything ordered outside the reunion sessions.
Currency
The Kenyan currency is the Kenyan shillings. All banks change US dollars, euros and UK pounds into Kenyan shillings. Do not exchange currency unless it is at an official bureau or bank. Some hotels operate exchange bureaus that guests can use. The best rates are available at commercial bureaus and banks. ATMs can be found in medium-sized towns, so bring cash and a debit or credit card.
Virtually all banks in Kenya now have ATMs, most of which accept international credit and debit cards. Credit card fraud is common in Nairobi as in many other large cities so follow common sense rules. Ensure that credit card slips are endorsed in your presence. MPESA, a local payment system acceptable to many retailers and vendors is available to Safaricom sim card holders is also widely used within Kenya and can be activated on registration with Safaricom.
Electric Plugs
In Kenya the standard voltage is 240 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Kenya, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 - 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). Kenyan plugs will accept British Type G plugs.
If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V - 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you need a voltage converter in Kenya. You can also consider a combined power plug adapter/voltage converter. Please bring along an adapter with you if you have a different power plug from the one below.
General security information
For travel situation in specific countries, the US Travel Advisories (TAs) to its citizens are used as the standard to assess level of country travel risk, as they are the most robust and frequently-updated travel situation analyses. While planning their travel, participants are advised to read travel advisories for Kenya and to note any suggested precautions. Participants are also advised to take note of any recent events and warnings for Kenya.
Common security threats and risks
Common security risks include theft, crime, civil unrest, demonstrations, kidnapping, carjacking, and terrorism. Kenya in particular (TA level 2: exercise increased caution) has increased risk of terrorist risk having had some specific terrorist incidents, largely in the Northeast region of Kenya. Some regions of the country have increased risk: the TA advises to avoid travel in the northeastern Kenyan counties of Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa, the coastal counties of Tana River and Lamu, and the northern county of Turkana, in their entirety.
It additionally suggests reconsidering travel to Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera at all times due to crime and kidnapping terrorist attacks have occurred, targeting Kenyan and foreign government facilities, tourist locations, transportation hubs, hotels, resorts, markets/shopping malls, and places of worship. Terrorist acts have included armed assaults, suicide operations, bomb/grenade attacks, and kidnappings
Safety and security precautions
All retreat participants are expected to adhere to the following safety and security precautionary measures:
- Stay vigilant
- Stick to main streets when walking or driving around. Avoid short-cuts down alleys and side roads. Keep to the familiar roads and do not be tempted to wander into places that you do not know. Always seek advice about where it is safe to walk
- Carry their mobile phones with them and advise others where they will be, but avoid using it on streets as it could be targeted for theft
- Do not carry large sums of money when shopping and do not wear expensive jewelry etc. Avoid carrying ATM or credit cards unnecessarily
- Know where you are going and map out a safe route to get there and back
- Carry a copy of their passport and visa, leaving originals in a secure location
- Do not accept food and drink from strangers
- Avoid large crowds, strikes, crowds and demonstrations
- If you see an incident in progress, it is usually better not to intervene, but go to a safe place and report the incident to the police
- While travelling in vehicles, keep the doors locked and windows at least 3/4 closed. Congested traffic present opportunities for theft
- While checking in and out of a hotel, keep laptop bags, handbags and small luggage close to you
- Report any instances that have or may impact their safety and security
- Take note of recent events and warnings in Kenya
- Monitor local media in case of developments so plans can be adjusted accordingly
Avoid travelling to aforementioned areas of the Somali border region, the Turkana region and do not to venture to the mentioned neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera within Nairobi. Participants are advised to stay away from large hotels/restaurants at peak times and areas where there are large gatherings of expatriates e.g. shopping malls.
Evacuation plan
Should an immediate departure be required for health and/or safety reasons, participants should make their way to the airport and take the first flight to their country of nationality. In addition, participants should contact the Financing Alliance for Health, other institution of affiliation (if relevant) and the respective embassy of their country of nationality. Contact information for the relevant embassy can be found in the respective country mission websites.
Medical facilities
The closest medical facility in Diani and Nairobi is:
The Nairobi Hospital
Argwings Kodhek Road, Upper Hill, Nairobi.
Link in Google Maps
+254 (0)20 284 5000
Useful contacts
For general enquiries:
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