African Leadership Academy

One of my deliverables for PULSE and Project HOPE UK is the launch of a Leadership Academy in Munsieville. The partnership was already fostered by my predecessors. I developed applications with a submission deadline and a curriculum will be developed with Damelin West Rand College around insight gathered from the applications. We plan to start the 6 month course in November.

During my research, I found information on The African Leadership Academy (ALA), reached out and secured a day to visit the campus. I offered the opportunity for some of the Munsieville youth to join Carola and me for the day. This is an excellent opportunity for young Munsieville residents to see the options that are available to them. Two Project HOPE UK Youth Voice Journalism Academy students, Bucs and Palesa, accompanied us on the 30 minute drive to Honeydew.

Only established 4 years ago, this place is impressive. It is a world-class boarding school with 200 students (100 first year, 100 second year) 16 to 19 years of age. Last year, the school had 3000 applicants for 100 spots. The Academy was started by Fred Swanika from Ghana, Chris Bradford from the US, Acha Leke from Cameroon, and Peter Mombaur from Germany/South Africa. The Academy offers a leadership and entrepreneur curriculum as well as African studies and some liberal arts classes such as science and international history. The goal of ALA is to prepare students for access to the top schools in the world. On the most recent Cambridge International AS-Level Exam (CIE) 3 of the top 10 spots were from ALA. 85% of the students cannot afford to pay. It costs $25,000 per student to attend ALA, therefore, the academy relies on its various donors for financial support. 36 of the 55 African countries are represented within the student population.

We sat with faculty to ask questions about the program and learn about the diverse student body. We attended an international history and biology class. Bucs and Palesa were on the microscopes looking at cells from cheek swabs. We toured the campus where the students live for two years and had lunch with some students who have accomplished many things in their communities. Many are running the businesses they started back home while they are away at school.

 



Palesa and Bucs were thoroughly entrenched in biology class. They fit right in!




Carola's going back to her biology roots!

The Project HOPE UK/Damelin College Leadership Academy is in the infantile stages in comparison to this highly organized and successful African Leadership Academy. It certainly inspires me from a design and implementation side and reinforces that access to funding is crucial for sustainability. It also inspired Bucs and Palesa that anything is possible.  In the care ride home Bucs said, “Can I be honest with you? You changed my life.” By this past weekend, Palesa sent Carola an SMS stating that she wanted to build her own Journalism Academy in Munsieville. She, too, was inspired by seeing young adults like her doing so much for their communities. This one day, outside of Munsieville, gave perspective and built hope for just two young people from Munsieville.

Carola and I discussed how important it is to encourage, support, and coach each willing and engaged person from Munsieville. Doing so one person at a time, will, in time, build a generation of confident, knowledgeable, effective leaders for Africa.