The Mandela Washington Fellows Association of Ghana over the weekend inducted into office seven new executives made up of President, Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Project and Programmes Coordinator and Media and Publicity Director to govern and support the activities of the Association.
Speaking at the inauguration at the Secretariat of the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Soronko Academy in East Legon, Accra, where the colourful ceremony was held, the newly elected President, Dr. Hilda Mantebea Boye, assured the alumni network of the commitment of the new executives to the mission of the Fellowship.
She also added: “In the next few weeks, we have the arduous task of working hard to ensure that we achieve the objectives of this wonderful association.
“We are blessed with many Fellows who have years of experience in their chosen professions and have excelled in their work. We hope to harness the skill and experience of all Fellows to help us achieve our aims.”
She said although executives of the Association are the ones taking up the positions, they cannot do it all alone and will continue to count on all members and partners for support.
“We expect them to applaud us when we shine to help boost our ‘vim’ and correct us where necessary to keep us on course,” Dr. Boye said.
The newly elected executives are Dr. Boye as President, Dr. Richard Selormey as Vice President and Patricia Ida Maame Araba Annan will be the General Secretary.
The others are Yaganoma Baatuolkuu as Treasurer, Nancy Dzikunu-Bansah as Financial Secretary, Nana Kwesi Coomson as Media and Publicity Director and Kwabena Tontoh Kankam-Yeboah as Project and Programmes Coordinator.
Present at the inauguration were Emily Beaudoin, Program Cordinator of International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), managers of the Fellowship.
Pape Sow from the Regional Leadership Center (RLC) of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Morag Neill, Director of Programs at World Connect, past executives of the Association and alumni members were also present.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship programme of Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which was launched in 2010 by US President Barack Obama to invest in the next generation of African leaders and nurture them as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, which begun in 2014, takes young African leaders to the United States for 6 weeks of leadership training and mentoring at over 20 U.S. Universities and Colleges in three tracks: business and entrepreneurship, civic engagement and public administration.
These young professional are empowered through academic coursework, leadership training and networking with support for professional development after they return home.
The Fellows, who are between the age neighbourhood of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive impact in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana