Mandela Washington Fellowship – 2022

Richard Kohonou – Benin

Has more than five years’ experience in child protection. Currently, Richard heads the Social Welfare Center of the municipality of Péréré for Benin’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance. His work helps vulnerable people, especially children, by raising community awareness, linking them to psychosocial services, and advocating on their behalf. Richard is also co-founder and president of World Elites’ Promotion (Welp), a youth-led non-governmental organization that strengthens the leadership and entrepreneurship skills of thousands of young Africans. He is an active member of the World Peace Initiative Foundation and leads the Péréré Peace Club’s self-development sessions. Richard holds two bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Applied English from the Université d’Abomey-Calavi; has received postgraduate certification in Project Management, Child Protection, and Human Rights; and has completed courses in Civilian Protection and Gender Postconflict. He received the 2021 Ciwara Prize, the 2020 Best Virtual Innovations Award for COVID-19 Response in Benin, and the 2016 Université d’Abomey-Calavi Student Excellence Award. Richard is committed to his work as a child protection professional and youth activist – after completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, he plans to improve the intervention strategies used by the Social Welfare Center and strengthen Welp.

Beyan Harris – Liberia

Has more than seven years of experience in youth empowerment, community development, civic leadership and competence development, community mobilization, engagement, and advocacy. Currently, Beyan is founder and executive director of the Center for Youth Civic Leadership and Environmental Studies (CYCLES). He is also chief convener of the Youth Environment and Climate Action Summit. He has volunteered with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Liberia for more than five years. Beyan is studying at the University of Liberia, reading Sociology with a concentration in Public Administration. He holds a diploma in Computer Software Operations. Beyan believes that humanity’s existence is inextricably tied to the preservation of the planet and the environment but human activity is causing global warming, climate change, and environmental pollution. He believes there is no better time to lead the process of change in Liberia and on the African continent. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Beyan will work to ensure that CYCLES influences national, regional, and global policy change on climate and environmental justice and to continue leading the empowerment of young people to change their communities in Liberia.

Tannah Sydney Harawa – Malawi

Is a prominent Malawian comedian, actor, social media influencer, and marketer who is currently signed under Imaan Talents. He also works with mHub on a project called Fact Checker Malawi and with SolarAid on a project that provides rural students and teachers with solar lamps to help them with their studies. Tannah holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Pentecostal Life University. In 2019, one of his short films on COVID-19 awareness won an award from UNESCO. Tannah uses his social media influence to encourage good governance and youth participation in sustainable development, and to advocate for the rights of women and girls. He hopes his participation in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders will enhance his ability to motivate young people to make a difference in Malawi.

Anjeelee Beegun – Mauritius

Is a human rights consultant with a special focus on SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression and sex characteristics). Anjeelee is co-founder of RekonekT, a Mauritius-based social work agency dedicated to reconnecting LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic/agender, and other) persons with the various social systems (education, family, and so forth) and catering to their well-being. She has a background in Public Law, in which she holds a master’s degree. She has been involved in the non-profit sector for almost seven years and has served in various organizations in a variety of capacities. She has been working on SOGIESC in Mauritius for more than three years. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Anjeelee plans to further develop RekonekT and, more specifically, to set up an LGBTQIA+ shelter in Mauritius. Drawing on the knowledge and skills she acquired in the Fellowship, she will work with the team at RekonekT to create a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community, where they can receive holistic support and care.

Zigwai Tagwai – Nigeria

Has more than five years of experience in project management and implementation. Currently, Zigwai is a program manager at Aspilos Foundation, where she uses technology, digital inclusion, and the power of community to drive economic growth and good governance. Zigwai is a Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Center Alumna and a global activist with ONE Campaign, a movement aimed at ending extreme poverty and preventable disease by 2030 so that everyone can lead a life of dignity and opportunity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, and is committed to sustainable development, active citizenship, youth development, community engagement, good accountability, and advocacy. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Zigwai plans to strengthen initiatives that build the capacity of youth and help them effectively engage their elected representatives through political reorientation and civic education. She also plans to leverage her new professional network, knowledge, and experience to help other non-governmental programs.

David Effiong – Nigeria

Has more than 10 years of experience in child development, youth empowerment, and non-profit management. Currently, David is co-founder and lead strategist at Dahel Consultants and Techies Limited. He is also vice president of Anti-Suicide Global Initiative, where he connects experts and professionals with young persons, curates child-centered events, raises funds, and advocates for communities with recorded challenges of child abuse, abandonment, and suicide. In 2020, he initiated the first virtual COVID-19 response to childcare that featured child protection experts in Nigeria. He anchored the first children-centered fashion show out of West Africa. David holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a mini master’s degree in Business Administration, and he is certified in social protection from the Institute of Development Studies, Ireland. He is committed to reducing educational inequalities for children and vulnerable populations, especially in rural areas and places that have not had government interventions. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, David plans to use the leadership skills he acquired to continue promoting inclusive education and to curate more events for differently abled children and vulnerable young populations, especially in low-income areas and in migrant or riverine rural communities in Nigeria.

Nafi Gueye – Senegal

Has more than 10 years of experience in social entrepreneurship. Currently, Nafi is a technical adviser in entrepreneurship and incubation for Réussir au Sénégal at the German Cooperation in Senegal and focuses on developing the technical support strategy for entrepreneurs, actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the management of the Teranga Hub, which is dedicated to entrepreneurs and accessible for free. She is a member of i4Policy, a movement for the reform of laws in entrepreneurship; a founding member of MakeSense, an association in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire that focuses on empowerment; and the founder of JExiste, an association oriented toward civil status and children’s education with a specific focus on children’s rights. Nafi holds a master’s degree in Project Management and Management Strategy. She is committed to fighting against statelessness, to promoting equal opportunity through respect for human rights and access to education, and to modernizing the administrative management of archives through digitization. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Nafi plans to continue her mission in help youth find employment, to inspire others to engage in social entrepreneurship, and to help resolve the problems facing Senegal.

Khethokuhle Siboniso Sibisi – South Africa

Has more than four years of experience as a councilor in Durban, South Africa. Currently, Siboniso serves on the Economic Development and Planning Portfolio Committee for the eThekwini Municipality, focusing on ways to improve the local economy and create an environment for job opportunities among youth ages 18’35. Siboniso also works as a mechanic on weekends and holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics. Siboniso is passionate about bringing hope and creating jobs in South Africa, and as someone who enjoys mathematics and statistics, he plans to find ways that he can use data science to help his city make better decisions that are efficient and geared toward reducing unemployment. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Siboniso plans to start a non-profit organization that gathers and analyzes data that will help leaders in Durban make informed decisions about how to best use taxpayers’ money.

Akau Jambo – South Sudan

Is a South Sudanese stand-up comedian whose body of work transcends nationalities and borders. Akau’s comedy is a mix of sociopolitical criticism and autobiographical reflections, drawing on the realities of being a South Sudanese individual born and raised as a refugee in Kenya and Uganda. Since his debut in 2016, Akau’s ‘The Woke Refugee’ tour has appeared in comedy festivals and comedy clubs in Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he took part in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee’s Luquluqu tribe comedy show dubbed ‘Africa Is a Continent, African Is a Country,” which raised funds to support refugees in camps affected by COVID-19. Akau considers his participation in this show one of his greatest milestones, which allowed him to give back to his fellow refugees. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Akau plans to use the exposure and experience gained to continue his work helping refugees and educating others about their plight.

Areeg Abass – Sudan

Has more than seven years of experience tackling inequity in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Currently, Areeg is SRHR emergency preparedness and response officer at the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan, focusing on anticipating vulnerabilities and undertaking measures to more effectively mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from sexual and reproductive health emergencies. Areeg has led more than five national campaigns to raise awareness and advocate against gender-based violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation and to promote the SRHR of women and girls in rural and underserved communities, reaching more than 20,000 women in six states in Sudan. In 2020, she was named one of the top 16 most influential women in Sudan by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office. She is also an Alumna of the Nobel Women’s Initiative in Canada. Areeg holds a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Khartoum. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Areeg aspires to pursue a clinical career in gynecology and continue advancing the SRHR of women in Sudan and Africa by strengthening the healthcare system.

Suzan Yumbe – Tanzania

Has more than seven years of experience in water sanitation and hygiene and gender equality. Currently, Suzan is the founder and executive director at AfyaPlus, a non-governmental organization that deals with preventing and controlling diseases caused by lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation, and hygiene while empowering adolescent girls and young women. She focuses on managing and overseeing the complete operation of AfyaPlus. She also volunteers as a mentor to young directors who have founded organizations by training them about organizational development, policies, systems, and resource mobilization. Suzan holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Sciences from Ruaha Catholic University. She is motivated by her work because when a community lacks access to clean water, good sanitation, and hygiene, there is a higher rate of water sanitation and hygiene’related diseases. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Suzan plans to make AfyaPlus implement its projects of prevention and control of water sanitation and hygiene’related diseases in all parts of Tanzania.

Jean-Philippe Abbey – Togo

has more than six years of experience in public health. Currently, Jean-Philippe is national coordinator of the MedStudents Leaders Association, where he focuses on primary and secondary prevention of noncommunicable diseases such as breast cancer, sickle cell disease, hypertension, and diabetes. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked to raise awareness in communities about barrier gestures (including social distancing and mask wearing) as well as vaccination. Jean-Philippe is achieving his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Lomé in Togo. He is committed to improving the healthcare system in Togo and providing the rural population with access to essential healthcare services. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Jean-Philippe plans to specialize in epidemiology and to extend the MedStudents Leaders Association’s activities to other regions of Togo.

Wanyenze Carol Sophie – Uganda

Has more than 10 years of experience in the field of human rights. Sophie is currently team leader at Queer Women Leaders Uganda, which focuses on helping minority and marginalized women attain leadership roles; advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights; and influencing policy while putting holistic healing justice at the center of its work. Sophie has worked with Uganda Prisons Services as a senior psychologist, with Fem Alliance and Icebreakers Uganda as an advocacy and programs manager, and with the Uganda child’s helpline as a counselor. She holds a postgraduate degree in Program Management and a bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She is committed to making sure young women attain leadership roles and to helping build a world where every human being is treated with dignity and fairness. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Sophie plans to support and mentor queer and marginalized young women to run for elected office. She also hopes to participate in strategic meetings with Ministries of Gender and Health to influence their programming, especially for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women.

Kabota Chipopola – Zambia

Is a child rights lawyer with five years of experience in child justice in Zambia. He promotes access to justice for children and vulnerable people deprived of their liberty. Currently, he is senior legal officer and team leader at Undikumbukire Project Zambia, a human rights organization focused on children in conflict with the law who are detained in correctional facilities. Kabota facilitates free legal representation, advice, and education for children at all stages of the criminal justice process and ensures that they are not detained for prolonged periods. He studied at the University of Wales and holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Lusaka. Kabota is committed to reducing the overcriminalization of children and limiting the use of detention. He believes detention is a measure of last resort and should only be used to serve a genuine purpose in a child’s best interest. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Kabota intends to apply the lessons, experiences, insights, and connections from the Fellowship toward creating a referral system for lawyers to provide pro bono services to Zambian children and advocating for the implementation of the restorative justice mechanism for children.

Mzeziti Mwanza – Zambia

Has more than five years of experience in human rights advocacy, electoral process observation, and electoral reform. Mzeziti is currently working as an election consultant with Caritas Zambia. Mzeziti is an expert in developing election training material and recruiting, training, and managing election observers. She managed election observation in the Copperbelt and Southern Provinces during Zambia’s 2020’21 election and in 10 by-elections. Mzeziti has managed more than 300 electoral process observers for national registration and voter registration observation projects. She is on the Fight Inequality Alliance Zambia Steering Committee, and she has organized three nationwide peaceful protests and held 15 town hall meetings in efforts to build collective people power to shift policies for poor communities’ benefit. Mzeziti holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Peace and Security Studies. She is driven to be a peacebuilder and promote democracy and human rights in Zambia and across Africa. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Mzeziti plans to promote a thriving civic space for meaningful advocacy for human rights and democracy in Zambia and beyond.

Patience Sibanda – Zimbabwe

Is a development practitioner who has more than six years of experience in research and consultancy work for academia, government, and non-governmental organizations in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho. Currently, Patience is a member of a consultancy team that is integrating Zimbabwe’s Climate Change Gender Action Plan into the country’s 2021 Revised Nationally Determined Contributions in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is also a Young Women Leadership on Climate Adaptation Alumna and a Climate Reality Project leader. Patience is involved in climate change education, and has organized workshops and trained other young people about the importance of influencing climate action in their respective communities. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Fort Hare. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, she plans to establish an institution that will focus on knowledge and skills transfer for communities vulnerable to climate change so they can fully participate in development initiatives.

Fredrick Kupfuwamandu – Zimbabwe

Has more than 10 years of experience in civil engineering and in water and sanitation. Currently, Fredrick is public health engineer at Oxfam, where he focuses on the delivery of water and sanitation engineering solutions to mitigate public health risks and disasters. He has provided water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions in emergencies such as cyclones and outbreaks of typhoid and cholera and for refugees. Fredrick holds a Master of Science in Program and Project Management from the University of Warwick, where he was a Chevening Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science with honors in Civil Engineering. Fredrick is committed to helping ensure access to safe, clean, and adequate water and appropriate sanitation for populations in the global south. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Fredrick plans to build greater community resilience to mitigate public health risks caused by inadequate access to water and sanitation.

Descent Dube – Zimbabwe

Has more than five years of experience promoting youth participation in governance and driving awareness around accountability issues at the local and national levels in Zimbabwe. Currently, Descent is director of Matobo Youth Development Initiative, which provides a platform that promotes accountability, transparency, and democracy by offering youth access to information and allowing them to create content. He is also national organizing secretary for a grassroots association of former students who return to their old high schools to help rural learners keep pace with global standards. Descent has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Media Studies. He is dedicated to ensuring that young people in his community play a leading role in challenging the status quo. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Descent plans to identify and train young people to become Accountability Champions. These youth will actively participate in the electoral process and plan, implement, and monitor development projects in their communities. Descent hopes to motivate more young people to aspire for public office and assume leadership positions so that they can influence the policymaking processes.