Global Team Sets Course: 2020 Vision Unveiled

During the first week in August, members of Asante Africa Foundation’s board of directors and staff from the United States, Kenya, and Tanzania gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for the annual strategic planning meeting. Attendees shared feedback on current challenges and successes as well as opportunities for growth. One of the topics discussed was where Asante Africa Foundation would be in 2020 and the lasting impact programs would continue to make in the lives of children and educators in East Africa.

A highlight of the meeting included the stick team building exercise. The goal is for everyone to work cohesively as a team to lower a paper stick to the ground at the same time. This exercise is also performed by students at the Leadership Incubator. When the exercise first started everyone instinctively started to lift the paper stick higher, however once the global team started working together the stick was successfully lowered to the ground.

Albert Jumbe, Tanzanian Scholarship Coordinator stated that he enjoyed seeing “how people were sharing ideas and how Asante Africa Foundation can grow”.

Ewald Tesha, Tanzanian Program Manager liked seeing “the way we are working as a team”.

Photo by Michael Carter

Mark Newton, Asante Africa Foundation Board Member, commented on the leadership of the in country staff, “During the meeting this year they demonstrated how motivated, educated, capable, and how passionate they really are in trying to change their country through education. What more could you ask? I thought it was a very good meeting.”

Everyone left the meeting inspired and excited to implement the action items with a clear vision of what the next seven years holds. One thing was clear, everyone mutually agreed that the future for Asante Africa Foundation will be bright. In the words of Samson Nyongesa, Asante Africa Foundation Alumni Scholar and intern “The strategic meeting was awesome!”