We are honored to share the Top-10 highlights from
Asante Africa Foundation in 2019.
Jan 3 2020
As we reflect back on 2019, we witnessed our courageous youth stepping into the spotlight to use their voices, create change, and stand tall for their beliefs for what is needed for a better tomorrow. We stand proud of all that they have contributed to the global causes. Your support has enabled and empowered more than 50,000 youth to grow, mature, learn, and dream. Their efforts are creating a better tomorrow for themselves, their families, and their communities. From our empowered youth to you, Asante Sana.
1.
Mercy’s Innovation Impresses Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta
Mercy, a 17-year-old student in Maralal, Samburu County, Kenya, attended Asante Africa Foundation’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship training and became empowered to pursue a game-changing idea with impact well beyond herself. As an aspiring conservationist, Mercy wanted to take action to reduce deforestation that affected rainfalls. With the skills, knowledge, and confidence that she gained from LEI, Mercy created a solar cooker made out of worn tires, aluminum foil, and glass. This invention emphasizes recycling and eliminates the need for firewood or charcoal, each of which are major drivers of deforestation. Her hard work earned her the opportunity to present her invention to President Kenyatta, who commended her for innovation at such a young age!
“I attribute my motivation to Asante Africa Foundation’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship training. The skills and knowledge empowered me to push beyond my limits in pursuit of my dreams. To me, it is important for young people to lead as we still have the energy and uncorrupted minds. When we lead, we are able to understand the opportunities and work around the challenges. I encourage my peers to gain confidence and explore the opportunities around them.”
2.
Gloria and Glory Engage with Michelle Obama at Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance
Asante Africa Foundation’s Gloria Mushi and Glory Shayo represent our rural adolescent girls’ with stories of their experiences, challenges, and successes. From their background with difficult education transitions from primary to secondary school and then adjusting to life beyond the classroom, Gloria and Glory are role models for young girls today. Their journeys made them who they are with experiences worth sharing. Glory and Gloria were among the 16 young women that Girls Opportunity Alliance brought from around the world to attend the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago in November. They inspired the crowd with their personal stories of growing up with hardships, dreams, ideas, and opportunities, and how they came to be the leaders that they are today.
“The young people we serve became the voices and the change makers at the global table, able to share, challenge, debate and celebrate with other young people just like themselves from around the world.” ~Michelle Obama
3.
Drucker Institute Recognizes Asante Africa Foundation in Top 10 Global Innovative Practices
Our organization prides itself on using innovative methods to deliver our education programs. We pride ourselves even more so when youth exemplify that same innovation in their entrepreneurial projects, academic excellence, leadership skills, and approach for community reinvestment. One example of how our innovative “Learn-Do-Teach” model enables youth to apply their skills and solve local challenges with innovative concepts is the fish farming project from students in Magamba Secondary School, Lushoto, Tanzania. After attending our leadership training, students worked together in a club to create a fish farm that emphasized project creativity and innovation, learning value, teamwork, marketability, and sustainability.
“The training empowered us with skills on how best we could capitalize the available water resources around the school and build fish farming ponds.”
This youth-led club and project embodied the traits of our organization that has helped us to be selected in the top 10 out of 403 applicants for The Drucker Prize! The Drucker Prize recognizes the most innovative nonprofit organizations while teaching their leaders how to be even more effective innovators. As a semifinalist, we will gain access to a resource-rich learning platform with mini-courses covering key aspects of innovation and nonprofit performance!
4.
Recognition for Transforming Vulnerable Girls to Entrepreneurial Women
Asante Africa was recognized by USAID’s YouthPower Learning Project for its innovative strategies improving rural young girls’ economic empowerment! The Recognition Prize enabled staff to conduct an external evaluation report that showed the power of girls and our “Learn-Do-Teach” model. Findings showed that girls who completed our Leadership and Entrepreneurship Incubator (LEI) Program ranked on par or higher than their male counterparts on areas such as financing their businesses and reinvesting profits back into their entrepreneurial activities. The results also indicated that our interventions are successful in going beyond the traditional access of entrepreneurship by integrating personal development and addressing gender issues for women and girls’ economic participation and success.
5.
Peer Mentoring Brings Along Youth Faster
Program alumni Steve Umile, 27 years-old, now works for KPMG where he shares his career path with younger students and teaches them how to mentor their peers to accelerate others’ paths.
In 2019, over 40% of Asante Africa Foundation’s facilitators, trainers, data collectors, and coaches were alumni and local youth who have participated in our programs. Those who came from villages and communities that we strive to support are now rising up as leaders to help mentor their fellow peers.
6.
Perfecting Data Analysis and Delivery by Collaboration with “Statistics without Borders”(SWB)
Partnerships make us all stronger, and go faster, together.”
For the past three years, we have been collaborating with Statistics without Borders (SWB). At the “Joint Statistical Meeting” in July of 2019, a SWB panel showcased their results working with Asante Africa Foundation. Projects included data analysis of baseline/endline surveys, and academic performance data and design of long-term impact study, interactive dashboards using Tableau to visualize our impact, and online monitoring and evaluation seminars for our East African program team. Through our collaboration with SWB, we are gathering more accurate information and enhancing the capabilities and impact of our programs!
7.
Advocating for Change on the Global Stage
Our successful alumni and program leaders were recognized and given the opportunity to tell their stories on the global stage. Anne Muli spoke at the Grassroots Entrepreneurship Summit (#GES2019) and discussed women’s social entrepreneurship. Patriciah Muigai, represented our success at the Youth Employment Regional Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and shared our innovative approaches aimed at tackling youth unemployment. And last but not least, Gloria Mushi presented at the Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit and shared our “on the ground” experiences of supporting youth through our LEI Program. These opportunities not only recognize our successes but also strengthen our programs by building connections, partnerships, and opportunities to share and learn from others.
8.
Paying it Forward is a Core Value of Every Program we Provide. Lepilali and Meleji’s Story Shows the Importance of Paying it Forward While Chasing Your Own Dream
Lepilali, one of our current university students in Tanzania, is on his own career path to become a surgeon and is fulfilling his personal commitment to Pay it Forward. He has taken up the initiative to provide for the wellbeing and academic support of Meleji, a young boy in need of urgent medical treatment and ongoing education. Both Lepilaili and Meleji come from the Maasai tribe and nearby local communities. Asante Africa Foundation youth embrace this core value to “pay it forward” and invest their time, energy, and precious resources for the betterment of those around them.
More info here : https://www.gofundme.com/f/Meleji
9.
From Skill Development to Life Beyond the Classroom!
Our programs continue to help youth develop a variety of skills that enable them to succeed in life beyond the classroom! From financial literacy, self-management, dream-mapping, budget planning and saving, to problem-solving, youth learn to apply their cumulative skills to further their goals! A few examples include Glory from Tanzania, and David from Kenya, who have graduated from universities by using the tools they have learned from our programs to fund their education. Another example is Sudi from Tanzania, who has excelled in his military training program that would eventually pave the way for him to continue into higher education. Our programs provide the skills to transform youth and help bring dreams into reality!
10.
Simon Kinyanjui, an Asante Africa Foundation alumni and Staff, Selected as a Participant for USAID’s Merit-based Leadership Program
Simon Kinyanjui, an Asante Africa alumnus and currently a Coordinator to the Girls’ Advancement Program (GAP), is an advocate for girls and women empowerment as well as empowering youth through community mobilization, active participation, and involvement in the socio-economic and political processes. His dedication and proven leadership skills have earned him the opportunity to be a participant in USAID’s Young African Leaders Initiative’s (YALI) Regional Leadership Center, East Africa! The leadership training program aims to amplify community leaders’ skills and tools to add greater value to society, business, and the public sector. Simon plans to bring back everything he will learn for the development of his local community and peers!
