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Home / Ivanka Trump encourages African youth to work as a unit
Ivanka Trump encourages African youth to work as a unit
2018-08-03Staff Report 2 Matheus Hamutenya WASHINGTON - Special adviser and daughter of the United States President Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump says a lot more can be achieved by working together as a team than alone. Addressing young African leaders during the official opening of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in Washington on Monday, Trump said with so many problems in the world that need solutions, working together is the only way to tackle the problems. “There are so many issues that need solutions, there are so many people that need our help and sometimes we want to be that person that is everywhere, but when you are in a network, you do not need to be everywhere, together we can do it all,” she stressed. Seven hundred young African leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa, of whom 16 are from Namibia, convened for the three-day summit to finish off the Mandela Washington Fellowship six-week program that began in the US on June 20. The fellowship is a flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), and it intends empowering young Sub-Saharan African leaders aged 25 to 35 through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking, with fellows placed at various US universities for six weeks. Trump said that initiatives like YALI are critical to ensuring global stability, peace and economic prosperity, as the world seeks to prepare leaders to succeed and also provide equal opportunities to men and women to reach their full potential in Africa and around the world. Trump, who delivered her speech through a video, further said she is captivated by the work of the fellows, and inspired by their energy, drive and innovative ideas, and therefore has no doubt that they will go back to their communities and make further impacts, and she urged them to expand their knowledge, broaden their network, and refine their skills. A total of 700 applicants out of 3,700 applicants were chosen this year across Sub-Saharan Africa. “You are 700 of the most impressive and promising young leaders in Africa and you have worked tirelessly to be here. You stood out from tens of thousands of your peers, and I know you will all continue to thrive when you return to your countries,” she said. Also speaking at the opening was Ambassador Tibor Nagy, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, who said the program continues to show that Africa has young leaders who are able to lead their countries in the right direction. “You are Africa’s future, you were selected for this program because of your talent, and you demonstrated the will to serve your communities,” he said. He urged the young leaders to do more with the new knowledge and tools gained during their stay in the US, and most importantly to be role models to the youth. “It is our hope that this fellowship makes you make even a greater impact in your countries and remember that YALI did not turn you into leaders, you were already leaders when we found each other, and the purpose of YALI is to give you the tools to be even stronger leaders to help you go beyond the horizon,” he said. 2018-08-03Staff Report 2
