Ten young Africans drawn from different countries have emerged winners of the Future Africa Leadership Award (FALA), an initiative of the Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Foundation Initiative, and have been awarded a total grant of $125,000 to promote the development initiatives of their respective countries.
Senior Executive Officer (CEO) of FALA, Olajumoke Ola-Akinsanya, made this known during a media briefing that took place in Lagos, saying that a total of 30 winners were selected from the nominations received by the organisers and their applications screened to select the best 10, based on laid-down criteria concerning the respective innovative projects.
The winners are Lyna Tchydre Bossa from Togo; Matilda Kahunde (Uganda); Wissal Rida (Morocco); Annick Bado (Burkina Faso); Mariama Gendemeh (Sierra Leone); Grace Lamane Fatime (Chad); Alieu Sasay (Liberia); Emma Kwaje (South Sudan); Clinton Arko Agyemang (Ghana); and Katleho Mojakisane (Lesotho).
Ola-Akinsanya added that each of the 10 winners was supported with $10,000, while the overall best winner got an additional $25,000 grant as the star prize.
“After nominations have been received, the criteria have to do with the project, the impact it is having, and how innovative the project is. When we are talking about innovation, we are not talking about copying and pasting something from somewhere outside Africa; we are looking at something doable and self-sustaining.
“By the time we have that, we then come up with different stages to come up with the winners,” she said.
The overall winner of the Star Prize from Sierra Leone, Mariama Gendemeh from Sierra Leone, who was overwhelmed by her nomination and eventual award, said the award was not just a mere recognition of what she did but equally meant so much to her and her country.
Gendemeh, who quickly recalled the sad experiences Sierra Leone had gone through over the years, said with the award that she was “honoured to be an ambassador of change, an ambassador of hope in my country and peace to the continent.”
“Over the years, Sierra Leone has suffered from 11 years of civil war, the ebola virus, and COVID-19; as such, we have gone through so much. We lost hope; we did not know what to do next. With this award, I am honoured to be an ambassador of change, an ambassador of hope in my country, and an ambassador of peace to the continent.
“The platform means so much to us; it means we are not forgotten in Africa; it means we have been seen; it means we are empowered; and it means someone has belief in us. It means we have the power to pursue our goal in Africa, and the future of Africa lies in our hands.
“So it is a motivation for me to know that I have more to do and more tasks ahead of me, and I am sure I can do it because I have been recognised on the biggest stage in Africa,” she said.
Speaking further, Gendemeh said the grants would help her foundation contribute to solving food security issues that had ravaged her country and also contribute to other socio-economic problems in Sierra Leone.
This was just as she noted that her company was not just focused on food security alone, saying that it was using agriculture as a powerhouse to implement the initiatives through the provision of food for the malnourished kids.
“Our farm produce is not for sale; it is meant to serve as a community food project, which we have embarked upon. The farm is just there as a powerhouse to help us implement our project. This grant will help us expand our activities,” Gendemh said.
A representative of the Oyakhilome Foundation, Pastor TT Temisan, said the award was initiated to solve the leadership deficit in Africa through the recognition of outstanding young African leaders.
According to Temisan, the award is to recognise young Africans who have impacted their communities, noting that the continent would be developed if everyone impacted his or her community.
“Our message is that only Africans can develop Africa, and that is why we have given the award to 123 young Africans across 30 African countries. We cannot rely on the government to do all the development; that is why we are putting this effort through the man of God, Pastor Chris, to develop Africa,” he stated.
Speaking further, Temisan noted that the years since the commencement of the Award had been very impactful with “our ambassadors,” whom he said had played a leading role in providing sustainable solutions to their communities and nations through health, sanitation, agriculture, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment, technology, advocacy for justice, and good governance in building the giant called Africa.
“These laudable projects reflect the Future Africa Leaders Foundation’s unwavering commitment to equipping and empowering young African leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to create a significant impact in their communities and beyond,” he said.
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