Ngaevarue Katjangua
Windhoek-A group of twenty Namibian young leaders has been chosen to participate in the annual Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in the United States next month.
The Fellowship, which began in 2014, is the flagship programme of the Young African Leaders Initiative, which empowers young Africans through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking. Filled with excitement the regional manager of the Agro Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA), at the Ongwendiva Fresh Produce Business Hub, Jacob Hamutenya, says he is overwhelmed by the opportunity. “I have been selected to participate in Public Management Track at the Texas Tech University. I am overwhelmed by the opportunity, being selected out of thousands of youth from all over Africa,” he says.
Fellows will undergo training at academic and leadership institutes at universities and colleges in the United States of America (USA); participate in the summit, as well as optionally undergo a U.S.-based professional development experience with Africa-based support following the conclusion of the attachment to institutes.
From 2014 to 2016, nearly 2,000 Mandela Washington Fellows participated in the fellowship. Through the fellowship, young African leaders gain skills and connections that accelerate their career paths and strengthen democratic institutions, spur economic growth, and enhance peace and security in Africa. A key goal of the fellowship is to create unique opportunities for fellows to put this new knowledge to practical use in their careers, communities and countries.
“I am looking forward to learning experience – I want to learn from others and establish networks that will enrich us to improve our management skills especially in agriculture. For this to happen we must therefore submit ourselves to any opportunity that imparts knowledge and skills,” says Hamutenya.
“Upon completion of the exercise, I plan to implement the skills in our organisation and all the activities we will be engaged in.”