For Immediate Release

Office of Press Relations
press@usaid.gov

Press Release

Accra, GHANA— On Monday, March 21, 2022, USAID/West Africa Regional Mission Director, Daniel Moore, welcomed participants to the 39th cohort of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in Accra. Hosted at the YALI Regional Leadership Center (RLC) West Africa Accra, seventy-six (76) participants representing nine countries in the sub-region are participating in the three-week on-site training in Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, and Public Policy Management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra. This is the first in-person cohort held by the YALI RLC West Africa since April 2020 due to challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This cohort comprises 29 males and 47 females, a significant achievement in the Center’s quest to bridge the gender gap while delivering the most experiential leadership training. So far, the Center has trained more than 7,100 young men and women since its launch by the U.S. Government in 2015.

Delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mission Director, Daniel Moore, commended the YALI RLC West Africa- Accra’s continued engagement with both current YALI participants and alumni through the whirlwind of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The past two years have been challenging for all of us. We have all been personally impacted by the pandemic in one way or another. Despite these challenges, our alumni stepped up as the leaders they truly are. During the early stages of the pandemic, several alumni contributed in different ways to help stop the spread of the pandemic through sensitization, advocacy, distribution of relief items, coordinating feeding programs, and training disadvantaged children to make their own face shields,”  Mr. Moore said.

Mr. Moore further motivated the participants to fully engage during the three-week program, forge lasting bonds, and build a strong, regional network.

The Rector of GIMPA, Professor Samuel Kwaku Bonsu, also welcomed the participants, encouraging them to make judicious use of their time during the training, while interacting with other young people from across the sub region.

All 76 participants will receive certificates of competition during the official closing ceremony of the 39th YALI Cohort scheduled on April 8, 2022. For more information about the YALI RLC West Africa, Accra, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/west-africa-regional/young-african-leaders-initiative-yali

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In July 2014, the U.S. Government announced the creation of four YALI Regional Leadership Centers – one each in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa.  These Centers serve as regional hubs across the continent to encourage transformational learning and enhanced leadership skills. The RLCs are a collaborative effort among the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the MasterCard Foundation, and other private sector partners. Each RLC is managed under a public-private partnership. To learn more about YALI, including how to apply for YALI programs, visit yali.state.gov.  To learn more about how to become a partner, e-mail africanleaders@usaid.gov.

Young African Leaders Initiative
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