Kansas State University is proud to announce its selection as an Institute Partner for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Beginning in mid-June, K-State and the Staley School of Leadership will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging Civic Engagement leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024. Since its inception, nearly 6,500 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The cohort of Fellows hosted by K-State and the Staley School will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States.
In this book review, Chibuzor Azubuike takes a deep dive into It Takes a Village: Leading Social Change in Africa (2023) by Nigerian scholar Onyedikachi Ekwerike, Ph.D., who is currently a lecturer at the Institute for Leadership Advancement in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia.
This begins with a foreword from Nyasha GuramatunhuCooper, Ph.D. She writes with the endearment of a mother who is proud of her son’s achievement, and yet firmly charges readers, using parables, to not only read this book but implement Ekwerike’s submission. As a Zimbabwean leadership scholar, she is excited to read a leadership book by a fellow African, given that African scholars are under-represented in leadership curriculum and literature. She, however stated that she could be scared if anyone reads this book and does not take positive actions towards social change.
In the book’s introduction, Ekwerike recounts his own story. Through leading a mental health organization in Nigeria, as well as being part of leadership development programs like the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he realized that there was a need for more in order to do more, which led him to a doctoral program and ultimately to writing this book. He went through the learning process and then wrote this book to teach young people how to learn social change effectively. This book is a product of qualitative research work for his Ph.D. dissertation.
In chapter one, The Problem with Nigeria, Africa, you will notice that Nigeria is crossed out, coupled with the use of illustrations. Both styles are used in Okechukwu Ofili’s books, a Nigerian author who writes with sarcasm. In Ekwerike’s book, Nigeria represents Africa, as he says he is providing a holistic approach, while the context and research for this book is centered in Nigeria, the problems and processes to address those problems apply across the continent. Continue reading “Revealing how to lead change in Africa by Africans: A review of It Takes a Village “→
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a flagship program of the U.S. department of state to support young African leaders. The program includes Entrepreneurship and Public Administration tracks, and the Staley School hosts an annual Civic Leadership Institute.
The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and are doing incredible work to impact lives and transform their communities. In this blog, former Fellow Elizabeth Chunda analyses the employing of new leadership models and styles in advancing the pan-African agenda. She explores ways in which young leaders are advancing pan-Africanism in comparison to generations that have come before them.
Pan-Africanism, which started in the 19th century, is now becoming overly pronounced and appreciated. Pan-Africanism now in modern times differs from Pan-Africanism when it first started, but it still has the same goal: to unify Africa, to bring unity amongst Black people, and to enrich the continent with development. Modern Pan-Africanism has continued to promote solidarity amongst Africans and Black people in general.
Leaders in previous generations were leading the transition and progression of the continent. Their aim was to fight racism, inequality, and colonialism, but they were caught in Neo-colonialism or greed and corruption. Leading then was challenging because of the obstacles in their way; for instance, the previous generations did not have the civic platforms or freedoms of participation compared to the young leaders today. The difference in leadership now and leadership then can be seen in the number of young leaders that are leading. Many young people’s voices are being heard; they are standing up for what they believe in and standing up for what they want for their futures. They are more attached to defending their African heritage and identity, and most of these young leaders are not even aware that they are pushing forward the Pan-African Agenda. Ifor (2016) explained that this movement is not only limited to political development but also individual leadership development and this kind of development undoubtedly will project the continent to first world status.Continue reading “2022 Mandela Washington Fellows: Leading for Pan-Africanism “→
Kansas State University faculty and doctoral students participated in the 25th annual International Leadership Association (ILA) Global Conference. The conference took place online Oct. 3-4, 2023, and in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Oct. 12-15.
The ILA is the largest worldwide professional community committed to leadership scholarship, practice, development, and education. Their mission is to advance leadership knowledge and practice for a better world.
The conference theme, Cultivating Leadership for a Thriving Future, speaks to the essential role leadership educators, practitioners, and researchers play in convening and holding space, fostering rich and open dialogue, and creating opportunities for mutual learning and appreciation of different perspectives and ways of being. Through this kind of leadership, we can build a future based on hope, mutual respect and the common good.
Staley School scholars participated in both the in-person and online sections of the conference. Their scholarship reflects the Staley School of Leadership’s research priorities: advancing leadership learning and development, building civic capacity, and leading change.
“The scholarship presented by K-State students and faculty reflect the kind of collaboration and innovation needed to advance leadership education in higher education and public leadership research and practice,” said Trisha Gott, Ed.D., assistant professor and associate dean of the Staley School of Leadership.
K-State Leadership Communication doctoral students and faculty have been recognized as 2023 recipients of the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) Mini-Grant Awards. These awards provide small grants to support new diversity, equity, and inclusion focused projects or programs. These projects will be featured in an upcoming webinar 2 p.m CST Friday, Sept. 29. You can join by registering here.
The mission of ALE is to strengthen and sustain the expertise of professional leadership educators. Through their awards, these K-State faculty and students have developed programs to implement positive change on specific issues – and empower others to continue to do the same.
Leadership Development Fellowship for Nigerian Female Changemakers
Chibuzor Azubuike is the executive director of Haske Water Aid and Empowerment foundation. She has facilitated and organised several leadership trainings in Nigeria, Africa and the US. Chibuzor has over 12 years of experience in the development sector focusing on clean water provision and women/youth empowerment. She is also a PhD candidate in Leadership Communication and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Staley School of Leadership, Kansas State University.
Andrew Wefald, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University. In that role Andrew teaches leadership classes and conducts research broadly around the topic of leadership. Andrew has published in journals such as the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Journal of Management Inquiry, and the Journal of Organizational Behavior among others. Andrew earned his PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Kansas State University.
This project aimed to develop a culturally relevant leadership development workshop tailored for Nigerian women engaged in catalyzing change. Under the stewardship of Azubuike and Wefald, a hybrid two-day leadership workshop was organized, convening a cohort of thirty Nigerian women occupying leadership roles within small organizations. The Haske Water Aid and Empowerment Foundation provided on-ground support in Nigeria, complemented by a dedicated team of volunteers. Facilitators from both the United States and Nigeria participated, either virtually or in person.
Nigerian women gather around the table for the workshop
The workshop encompassed a diverse range of sessions, including topics such as team dynamics, effective communication, leadership coaching, business acumen, social entrepreneurship skills, and the art of crafting a narrative for change. These subjects were carefully chosen to equip women with the requisite leadership tools and skills vital for excelling within the intricate and traditionally male-dominated landscape.
Following the pilot workshop, a community of practice was established to ensure ongoing support and sustained leadership development. The project’s forward-looking objective is the establishment of a Women Leadership Development Fellowship Program. This initiative is designed to empower and provide support to women holding leadership positions within their organizations, aptly referred to as “change makers” for their pivotal role in reshaping the perception of women in Nigeria from historically passive actors to proactive change agents.
Adaptive Leadership Training: Civil Society groups addressing the challenge of the implementation of the Nigerian National Youth Policy
Anisah Ari serves as an Executive Board Member implementing projects across Africa. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Leadership Communication, with on-going research targeted at exploring emerging leadership practices in conflict ridden context with a focus on hyperlocal efforts. She has over the past 18 years worked in the development sector supporting public and civil society institutions to address multi sector policy and practice issues.
Fifty participants, representing various organizations focused on addressing challenges related to the implementation of the Nigerian National Youth Policy, engaged in a three-day session. The approach encompassed three dimensions: diagnosing technical and adaptive aspects of the challenges, engaging in dialogues to enhance comprehension of these challenges across different regions, and deliberating on available options, including political, economic, and social capital, necessary for progress.
Fifty participants pose for a group photo
At the end of the three-day engagement process, an action plan was developed with the aim to scale the training manual as a tool for other regions, and organizations expanded their network base.
A training manual was developed prior to the training as a tool to scale knowledge and practice to other regions. The outcomes of the three day engagement includes the development of participant action plans, and expanded organizational networks.
Key takeaways from this intervention include the importance of open-mindedness, willingness, and collaborative efforts in collectively addressing complex issues. Additionally, progress is most effectively achieved through contextually beneficial mutual learning, where individuals are intentional about identifying and leveraging strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats.
We extend our gratitude to the Youth Alive Foundation for their invaluable support in facilitating this training. Special thanks are also due to the Association of Leadership Educators for their mini-grant and to Brandon Kliewer, Ph.D., for his intellectual support and guidance throughout this endeavor.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a flagship program of the U.S. department of state to support young African leaders. The program includes Entrepreneurship, and Public Administration tracks, the Staley School hosts a Civic Leadership Institute.
The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and are doing incredible work to impact lives and transform their communities. In this series, former Fellow and now Staley School graduate research assistant, Chibuzor Azubuike, reflects on 2022 Fellows that share common work in education – a critical area of focus for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Agriculture and nutrition change agents making an impact in Africa
Daily meals with nutrients in the right proportion are essential for promoting a healthy lifestyle, sustaining growth and development, and extending life expectancy, while their absence can be detrimental to life. According to the African Development Bank Group, in 2017, more than one-third of stunted children under the age of five lived in Africa. The prevalence of stunting in children under the age of five differs, with Sub-Saharan Africa showing a higher prevalence (33.9%) in comparison with North Africa. Statistics show that the number increased from 50.6 million in 2000 to 58.7 million in 2017. There is a wake-up call for a solution to this menace, hence Sustainable Development Goal 2 focuses on zero hunger by 2030.
Against this backdrop, it is therefore commendable that Addisu Fekadu, Ph.D., from Ethiopia, who is also a researcher and lecturer at Arba Minch University in Ethiopia, focuses on improving the traditional enset processing and fermentation method. He has been intensively applying his research outputs to improve the livelihoods of 20 million enset-growing farmers in Ethiopia. The enset plant has been considered as the tree against hunger and climate resilient food crop in Ethiopia and beyond. Continue reading “2022 Mandela Washington Fellows: Agriculture and nutrition change agents making an impact in Africa”→
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a flagship program of the U.S. department of state to support young African leaders. The program includes Entrepreneurship, and Public Administration tracks, the Staley School hosts a Civic Leadership Institute.
The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and are doing incredible work to impact lives and transform their communities. In this series, former Fellow and now Staley School graduate research assistant, Chibuzor Azubuike, reflects on 2022 Fellows that share common work in education – a critical area of focus for Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), over one-fifth of African children between the ages of 6 and 11 are not in school, while nearly 60% of youth between the ages of 15 and 17 are not enrolled. (Kaledzi 2022) It is this challenge that Sustainable Development Goal 4 addresses, which is quality education.
Aside from education and youth development which are key areas that Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at Staley School are working on, it is interesting to see the impact that Fellows are making in their various countries, in addressing the challenges of inequality. Inequality in various forms, ranging from gender equality to upholding human rights, to mention but a few. The work of these young African leaders fighting the menace caused by inequality in Sub-Sahara Africa would be highlighted below.
Gender inequality SDG 6, aims to tackle gender equality in the world by 2030, to this end we have change makers in their communities contributing their quota to ensure that this goal is realized, like Saykwayee Harmony Henry from Liberia , who is the founder of Kids Development Initiative a program designed to advocate for the rights and privileges of women and children in Liberia and the world. She is also the Communication Director for the National Young Women council of Liberia where she educates and trains more young women to get involved in politics and leadership. The Mandela Washington Fellowships increased her knowledge of fundraising, shifted her ways of thinking positively, and challenged her to keep fighting and work harder for greater success. Her greatest takeaway from the fellowship is “Do the best you can even when no one is watching.”
Saykwayee speaking of the challenges Liberia is faced with and proffering solutions
Ramatoulaye Biteye from Senegal is a young woman who is strongly advocating for women’s and children’s rights and dignities. She focuses on supporting girls to realize their academic pursuits based on the principles of integrity and hard work. She is doing excellent work in her community by fighting against harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation which is common in her society.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a flagship program of the U.S. department of state to support young African leaders. The program includes Entrepreneurship, and Public Administration tracks, the Staley School hosts a Civic Leadership Institute.
The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and are doing incredible work to impact lives and transform their communities. In this series, former Fellow and now Staley School graduate research assistant, Chibuzor Azubuike, reflects on 2022 Fellows that share common work in education – a critical area of focus for Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), over one-fifth of African children between the ages of 6 and 11 are not in school, while nearly 60% of youth between the ages of 15 and 17 are not enrolled. (Kaledzi 2022) It is this challenge that Sustainable Development Goal 4 addresses, which is quality education.
Time out with youth development changemakers from Sub-Saharan Africa
The Mandela Washington Fellowship focuses on empowering young African leaders. Amongst the fellows hosted at Kansas State University Youth Development is a focus of their work. According to the United Nations, Africa has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a high population of youth is an opportunity for the continent’s growth and development if and when the youth are empowered. (Mulikita 2021) Leadership development and civic engagement strategies focus on the importance of including youth in decision-making and building opportunities for youth to work and to innovate. Below we profile some of the work these 2022 Mandela Washington Fellows are doing in the area of Youth Development.
Kiala Pedro Vata from Angola founded an initiative called “Juventude em acção” that drives youth empowerment, civic engagement and youth participation in governance. His goal is to achieve a community where youth are empowered and play an active role in community life and in solving community challenges. His aim is to build a community where public policies are concerted to be more effective to the citizen’s needs and desires. Continue reading “2022 Mandela Washington Fellows: Youth development changemakers”→
In the book’s introduction, Ekwerike recounts his own story. Through leading a mental health organization in Nigeria, as well as being part of leadership development programs like the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he realized that there was a need for more in order to do more, which led him to a doctoral program and ultimately to writing this book. He went through the learning process and then wrote this book to teach young people how to learn social change effectively. This book is a product of qualitative research work for his Ph.D. dissertation. 
