Tell us your story, background, school and achievements

I was born in a village in Taveta that was full of love. Everyone loved me I think because of my strong personality, I am that one child who was brought up by the whole village because I loved visiting and checking on everyone.

One thing I clearly remember was my friends telling me that my skin would eventually turn black and I believed them because I really admired black skin. My parents were well informed about albinism when they had me because my older brother also has albinism which had forced them to seek medical advice earlier.

I went to a regular school and I am grateful for that because most of the people I have interacted with were forcefully taken to special schools. There’s a belief that people with albinism are also blind. My playmates were very considerate and would insist we play in the shade courtesy of enough information from the small community I grew up in.

High school was in another district and the first day I joined I was already nicknamed Mzungu. It was very interesting as I got all manner of brochures to join different entertainment clubs.

Did I forget to mention that I was a very naughty girl. My mum had to keep punishing me. I remember I was suspended once in form four for bad behavior. I was that over self confident young girl who believed that I will one day change the world.

Before I cleared high school, I began to notice that boys from other schools wanted to hang around my friends and not me. This began another chapter of my life as I began researching on albinism.

In 2012, I moved to Nairobi to join the University of Nairobi for my BA in Diplomacy and International Studies. Nairobi was not pretty for me. I got stopped on the streets by people who wondered why I was so confident or even why I wore make up as a person with albinism.

I got names hurled at me, Zeru zeru, albino, albino msupa etc., from street families and motorists. My first year was hell on earth. It was also the time where people with albinism were being kidnapped and taken to Tanzania.

I thank my friends and parents who kept encouraging me. This built who I am today, I gained back my confidence. (she laughs). In 2013, I joined Doctor Choksey Albinism Foundation and became an active member.

They called me many times for speaking engagements which involved telling my story and educating people about albinism. For the first time in my life, I felt satisfied giving back to the society. It was also the place I met my super amazing mentor, Jane Waithera.

I became very active in campus from joining the Rotary club, drama, church activities and St. Johns ambulance program which I learnt later was a huge encouragement for students with albinism.

In 2015, I joined Colour Kwa Face initiative by Nonini as a volunteer after graduation. The project involved visiting schools in Kenya and sharing our experiences. The project has changed thousands of young lives. I am currently a director and the ambassador of the program.

I also pursued The journey Leadership Management Course while still in campus and graduated last year.

I got selected for YALI last year which was a life changing experience for me. I was surrounded by over 80 young African leaders from East and Central Africa who are transforming their communities.

My paradigms about Africa were shifted. I was challenged and the networking was out of this world. One of the greatest lesson I learnt was The 7 Habits and number six to be specific- Seek first to understand then to be understood.

After the program, I joined the creative industry after auditioning for Africa City Model auditions where I met great photographers and activists. I still work with them to creatively create awareness on albinism through film, photography and other forms of media.

We bagged the Discovery Award last month in France. My photos were in every big mainstream media channel including CNN. I am still waiting for an interview CNN, okay? I also partner with PAWA 254 occasionally to talk about being a woman with albinism.

Florence in the next 10 years.

I intend to continue building on creative platforms that educate people about people with albinism  through various forms of media like a blog, TV and film. I hope to chase my dream of being a TV personality. By the way, I can not wait to fulfill my vision of hosting a show and being a news anchor, a dream I have had since childhood.

Advice to the youth

Work hard, work smart. Never compare yourself with others. African youth need to rise up and take charge as we drive our continent forward.

Weird question you have ever been asked?

If I have a boyfriend. Maybe that one person who asked me if people with albinism can be in a relationship.

And are you in a relationship?

Yes. (her face lights up and blushes). I am in a relationship with my best friend and no., I will not tell you his name.(Giggles)

Favorite food?

Anything sweet!

We wish you the very best Miss sweet tooth as you continue to shine and make Africa a better place.

The post Albinism Is Not A Disease- Hasn’t Stopped My Passion For Good African Leadership. Florence Kisombe appeared first on Afrikan Excellence.

When I met Deng Malek Agei recently at a meeting, the first thing I noticed was how tall he was and of course his sense of humor. Deng is the founder of The Time Foundation and an alumnus of Young African Leadership Initiative.

He was born in South Sudan in Tonj state in Jang Payam village to a polygamous family. His dad who was the chief at the time had five wives. Deng is the second last born of five siblings. Growing up was not easy after he lost his mother at three years and his dad three years later. The large family was very close. Deng and his siblings were taken in by his step parents who divided them amongst themselves.

One of the great traits Deng possessed was the ability to herd livestock. At age five, his older brother gave him a group of calves to herd. He did this for two years. At age seven, he was promoted to herd cows and goats. Deng loved his life and especially his regular rich food which was milk, kada kombo (okra) with sorghum cake, Miok Weng (fried cheese) and meat.

I loved my livestock very much. The cattle and goats had become my family. I had given them different names and I used to talk to them as they grazed. It actually developed in to a relationship because they often responded.

My brother who I lived with, and a former fighter got a chance to travel to Ethiopia to study and later on to Liberia on a scholarship. He later moved to Kenya. He kept telling me of how he wanted me to join school but I did not see what the big deal was. All I wanted was to spend time with my cattle and continue whispering, singing and throwing commands at them.

I remember I was 10 years old when my young brother and I were taken to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya because my brother saw it as an opportunity for me to join school. I hated it. The weather was horribly bad from extreme heat to bad storms.

To make matters worse, they put me at a nursery school at age 10. It was humiliating and the other children kept laughing at my brother and I, okay, mostly me because I was older and very tall, taller than most of my age mates.

Deng did very well in nursery school and went on to join primary school where he moved to class seven because of his good grades. His brother took him to Najjanakumbi in Kampala where he joined Winston Standard secondary school.

He quit after one year because of the harassment he encountered at the Kenyan Ugandan boarder seeing that he did not have residential documents and had to keep explaining his situation- it never went very well with the boarder police.

He later joined St. Marks high school in Kitale, Kenya but had to quit after one year because of the bad weather conditions which affected his health. In year 2012, he joined Langata Boys high school in Nairobi and this was the first time he felt at home in a school.

He found on going campaigns to select the school captain and he decided to vie albeit he did not know anyone. He managed to convince his fellow school mates who voted for him in huge numbers and he was crowned the school captain.

He did a very good job as the captain to a point the school nicknamed him “The Principal” as all students approached him in all matters including disciplinary issues. He also got a few rivals who now and then wanted to punch him in the face.

Upon clearing high school, Deng joined Moi University and pursued two diplomas in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship and IT. He is currently pursuing his degree at Moi University.

The young leader joined Warrap Community in Kenya in 2013, an association for the South Sudanese community living in Kenya at a time where they were restructuring and holding an election for a chairperson. Malek decided to vie and he won.

He created a great manifesto for the group which touched on key areas such as education, sports, cohesion within the community and youth matters. He managed to get funds from the South Sudan government and was able to enroll over 81 association members to college. Many lives continue to be transformed through this program.

Malek was selected early this year to YALI Regional Center under the public management track. He confesses that his life was changed at YALI and challenged by how young African leaders were transforming their societies.

I had sleepless nights at YALI seeing how other young leaders, most of whom were younger than me were fearlessly empowering and transforming their communities. After graduation, I immediately formed my organization, The Time Foundation (Transform Individuals Through Mentorship and Excellence).

Our core vision is to develop and equip the South Sudan youth through education, culture & sports, economic empowerment and community Leadership. We are starting our first business clinic in August in collaboration with Transform Management Solutions to help and equip youth in entrepreneurship.

Deng is passionate about young leaders and believes they are the backbone of Africa. You know the way some of the leaders are always telling the youth to wait for their time? Well, Malek hates that notion and believes the narrative is old and selfish. He believes that as long as you are in the world, then it is your time to make things happen and I agree with him.

The youth need to believe in themselves. They need to come out of their comfort zones and provide solutions for Africa. We need to dream big, If your dreams do not scare you then they are not good enough.

It hurts me when young people are used by selfish politicians and leaders. We need to be visionary, committed and passionate in everything we are doing as we strive to leave a legacy behind. Let us also tell our own stories. 

I am sick and tired of other people telling our story, a stereotypical Africa. We have both the good and the bad just like other continents.

Deng’s vision in the next 10 years is to transform the young generation of South Sudan and Africa through his organization.

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Kamya DomNick is one of these lionhearted fellows. He is easy going, well-mannered and polite. Having a conversation with him was riveting.

With two of his friends, they founded Bidii Yetu in 2014, a self help group located in the Western region of Kenya. The aim of the group is to connect the youth and engage them in finding solutions for problems that affect them.

Bidii Yetu is swahili loosely translating to our effort. All projects are funded by the youth or well wishers. The group tends to shy away from political influence or radicalization. They have directly engaged 30 youth through poultry farming, entrepreneurship, renewable energy and training.

My life was not very easy. I lost my dad at three years and had to drop out of school. A good samaritan took me back to school and paid my fees up to university. I lost my mother as well. It was hard.

DomNick pursued a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Makerere in Uganda. He is also a YALI RLC 2017 alumnus. He has worked for several NGOs in the field of research. He worked at Innovations for Poverty action in 2013 as Community Field Assistant and at Evidence action as process monitoring and coverage validation officer.

My vision is to help the youth create their own employment. There are many opportunities for everyone in life. What matters is if you can spot the open doors and walk through them. My mantra in life is to associate with people who think differently and to overcome fear.

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The organization has directly reached tens of schools and hundreds of girls. She is a former director at Malindi Islamic Center for Orphans and a mentor to many children.

I was very curious to know about her journey after she hit the headlines in 2011 for winning the Lamu cultural festival several times and getting a sponsorship to showcase her henna art at the Cincinnati museum in the U.S.

I grew up in extreme poverty in Pate Island. Girls were not allowed to go to school. My mum, a single mother and my uncle paid attention to my plea and allowed me to join Primary school.

After Primary school, everyone in the community expected me to go by the norm and get married. I refused. I was the only girl to join high school from my community and had to do this in a different area. I moved to Lamu.

After High school, I moved to Mombasa and worked in beauty salons to save money for college. I could not go back home. I got selected to join Pwani University where I pursued Archaeology and Sociology.

I get such deep satisfaction when training girls in my community through art and raising funds for their high school education. My community now looks at me differently and every parent wants to take their girls to school.

Tashrifa got selected for the prestigious YALI program and admits that the skills she learned helped her secure a job as a probation officer with the Ministry of Interior & Co-ordination. Her role will be empowering and transforming the offenders’ lives.

Life has taught me to mentor others, to work very hard and smart. To always aim at disrupting the status quo. I am very young and still rocking second floor with a vision of empowering thousands of young people.

Keep at it Tashrifa. If you happen to connect with this fearless young woman in Lamu Island, do surprise her with a meal of Tanduri and vegetable stew- it’s her favorite!

The post Refusing To Get Married After Primary School Transformed My Life. Tashrifa Mohamed appeared first on Afrikan Excellence.

Growing up from a disadvantaged background in rural Western Kenya did not stop Odidi Killion, It made him dream bigger. He studied his Bachelor of Arts Sociology at Moi University, has a diploma in social work, project planning & community development and a Certificate in proposal writing and development.

Odidi is the co-founder of The Global Villages Network Kenya, a social enterprise that promotes peace building, improves access to education, food security, health services and creates awareness on HIV/AIDS among the poor in Kenya.

Through a similar vision of advocacy for peace activism after the 2007 post-election violence, they partnered with Lagnet Theatre Group through inclusive theatre arts education activities. They have reached over 50,000 people in five Counties in Kenya.

My inspiration has been my mother. She was extremely hard working and the family's breadwinner. Schooling in the rural area where there was a huge water problem was a challenge. We walked for not less than 20 kms to look for water a few times in the week. Despite those hardships and challenges, I never lost hope in achieving my career goals.

The fearless leader is a member of the UN Africa Youth Assembly and a YALI RLC alumni. Discovering his passion of working with the marginalized communities keeps him going.

My vision is to use social Media, the media, and direct engagements to reach communities and disseminate electoral information and advocacy in order to preach peace. We can never again go back to witnessing the post-election violence that happened in 2007.

Odidi confesses that he loves and spends time with his wife and son during his free time because work travel sometimes keeps him away.

Our world needs a change in attitude, reasoning and leadership. Good leaders are good listeners. The change we need is not of words but that of action. A great leader exudes servant leadership.

Africa is a beautiful continent. We are sitting on resources whose value we can not fathom. Please wake up young Fearless Africans.

Thank you Odidi. We wish you the very best and just like Mother Teresa said peace starts with a smile. I have taken up your challenge to constantly keep smiling both from the inside and from the outside.

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Brayan Malik was born in Kenya in 1992. He lost his mother at two years old and his father at four years old. It was a hard life for him and his siblings who lacked basic things and slept out in the cold too many times.

At six years old, he lost his brother to drugs and later his sister also passed on after a short illness. Brian wanted to give up but something in him, something he says was like a constant fire kept burning. It sounds to me like God. He began to dream big as a boy because that was all he could afford.

He got sponsorship for his primary and secondary school. He worked odd jobs after high school to make ends meet. A friend introduced him to a civic education program as an agent for development projects ran by the government.

He also volunteered for the Brand Kenya Initiative geared towards the 2013 general election from which he heard of an entrepreneurship program by the British council.

The application required one to have a degree or some college course. I had none. All I know is that I was suicidal, hopeless and frustrated. This was my last chance at trying for anything. I was miraculously selected.

Brayan later worked for an organization as a writer and later for the One Acre Fund. He got selected to join Masinde Muliro University to pursue a BA in Sociology in 2015 funded through a HELB loan and from his own savings.

My passion for education saw me visit many schools and offer capacity building forums. I could not help but notice the debilitated state of hygiene in wash room facilities in most public primary schools.

Brayan founded Beauty in Public Primary Schools, a social enterprise whose objective is to ensure public primary schools have conducive and sustainable learning environments. The organization makes affordable soap for schools.

The soap is used in cleaning their wash rooms thus preventing diseases and giving pupils a conducive environment. They have reached 1,500 pupils so far. His idea was backed and developed by a Norwegian team.

He is an alumnus of Vijana Reloaded and YALI RLC 2017. Brayan was also part of a youth committee for the UN on developing a declaration on education and curriculum which was passed.

Our vision is to create a conducive learning environment for public primary schools especially in the rural areas. We intend to work with the government and policy makers in penetrating as many schools as possible.

I always encourage the youth to dream big and never to give up. To apply, engage people and opportunities that sometimes sound like they are out of your league, you might be pleasantly surprised.

I never would have imagined being selected for the prestigious YALI program. It changed my life, literally. The networks, learning experience and leadership skills have made me a better leader. I think differently now.

Keep up the good work Brayan. Africa needs young leaders who never say die.

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He was a bright and curious pupil in primary school. He managed to perform well in his final primary school certificate even after missing the examination the previous year because he had to undergo an orthopedic operation to work on brittle bones.

My teachers used to cane me if I did not score high marks. I was always number two in class. I tried to top the class in all my primary school years but there was a girl called Michelle who held position one to the end. What was up with that Michelle? Give a brother at least one chance to outshine you for crying out loud. (laughs)

His leadership journey took off in high school where he managed to be the top presenter at the National science congress within two weeks of enrolling in his first year. He was later selected as the secretary general, the chairman of the science club and the secretary of the peer counseling club.

He served in the junior achievement club and was able to organize a talent drive initiative that hosted key stakeholders and the media.

John joined the University of Nairobi to pursue his Bachelor of Education- Early Childhood Education at the College of education and external studies, Kikuyu campus.

In his first year, he campaigned for congress and won. Under his leadership, John managed to implement high speed Wi-Fi, establish a productive information center, improved sanitation and environmental campaigns. He ensured modern equipment for entertainment were provided and established a VCT in the health center.

John won various tournaments as a youth advisory delegate for children and youth under the UNEP environmental program. He was a member of over six clubs in campus and was re-elected as mayor-top congress in his final year.

After campus, Johnny volunteered at the UN Major Group for Children and Youth. Here, he was able to connect and work with the disabled on disaster risk.

His interest in persons with disabilities grew as he pursued advocacy, equal opportunities, inclusion and decision making.

I still serve on voluntary basis as a Disaster Risk Regional Focal Point for Eastern and Southern Africa. I love the experience because it has opened my eyes to the lack of information on disaster risk for persons with disabilities which I want to change.

I participated in the The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) in Japan in 2015. My purpose and full concentration is on persons with disabilities because I am one myself. I know and understand the challenges first hand.

2016 was a great year as he was selected to join the YALI E.A Regional Center. He worked with the YALI team by proposing on various ways persons living with disability can be reached so that they have an equal chance of applying for the program.

John organized for a community outreach to Malezi Community Center while at the center and was able to raise money and supplies for 30 children living at the home.

My experience at YALI was mind blowing. It was a huge platform, open minded training, great connections. By the way, I was able to overcome my fear of heights- tremendous progress! I was awarded a fun certificate as the king of cohort 10. Fun times. (laughs,taps and flexes his arms to show off his muscles).

The young leader recently participated in UNEA 2 conference where he concentrated on advocacy work for persons with disabilities. When he got a chance to speak to the executive director, Mr. Achim Steiner, he pitched an idea on inclusion, accessibility and participation of PWDs which was endorsed and is currently in the making.

He strongly lobbied with member states representatives, major groups and stakeholders where his interventions overwhelmingly received strong endorsements.

The Major groups and stakeholders adopted his prominent interventions in to MGS Final statement that was passed in one of the 25 resolutions adopted in the final plenary of the UNEA 2 forum.

John was also a participant in the High level political forum for sustainable development in July 2016 in New York as an ambassador for change. His agenda was that of making sound interventions in plight of the children, youth and persons with disabilities future inclusion and participation in the Global Sustainable Goals Initiatives.

I always encourage the youth to stretch themselves. Try out different things. If you believe in yourself hard enough, others will have no option other than believe in you.

I remember volunteering in one of the remotest parts of Pokot. The place was super-hot. We had to walk kilometers upon kilometers to fetch water. I climbed one of the most feared slippery hill/mountain in Pokot that has the most strong Pokot men refuse to climb. It's called the death mountain.

I did it as a person with disability and one who has mobility problems. The people from Pokot were shocked but not as much as I was. They treated me like a king thereafter.

This shows that when you are determined to pursue your dreams, you can overcome all the hurdles. You just need to believe.

In the next 10 years, Johnny plans to run an innovative hub for persons with disabilities. He is currently working on a mapping program for East and Central Africa.

Music being his second name, Johnny is working on exploring further and expanding his music recording studio. He enjoys his free time serving in church as a drummer which he confesses makes him irrationally happy. Keep soaring and changing lives John.

There is a plan and a purpose, a value to every life, no matter what its location, age, gender or disability. Sharron Angle.

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Tell us a little bit about your background in a snapshot- education, career history and successes.

I was born and bred in Mombasa, Kenya. I was curious and a very stubborn boy. You know how they say boys will always boys? Well, I think my curiosity and naughtiness was at an extreme but I digress. Story for another day.

After completing my studies in High school, I began an internship at the Kenya Ports Authority as a casual worker and upgraded to a clerk for three years. I was among the people at the bottom of the pay chain but I had a huge vision.

I ensured I saved almost all of my wages which enabled me to enrol for computer packages and a business management course. I was later promoted to a supervisor position and later as the PS to the Manager Director. I later enrolled to study a course in shipping at the Institute Chartered Ship Brokers on part time basis.

After five years in the corporate world, I resigned to follow my dream as an entrepreneur. I ventured in to different businesses from organizing variety shows for schools to founding Naija marine services in 2013, an organization that offered tally services, marine surveyors and inspection of damaged goods.

I was not satisfied. I knew there was something I needed to do for my community. There’s always a void when you work for your own benefit as opposed to that of others.

I love volunteering. One of the many places I did this was with the Youth Empowerment Program Initiative that offers leadership and entrepreneurship skills. We reached out to over 900 youth who learned to start and manage their businesses.

Do you know how many unemployed youth we have in Kenya? It is heart breaking that so many youth including graduates have no jobs. This was a need I identified when I was having my internal audits and search for purpose.

I shockingly began noticing how my community was having challenges in disposing garbage. This was how Garb tech was incorporated in 2015. It is a social enterprise that offers garbage collection services, waste management and recycling of waste materials.

In the last two years, we have recycled plastic bottles and other waste materials in to flower pots, vertical wall gardens and storage facilities. We have made our communities and the neighboring ones clean while at the same time creating employment for tens of youth.

We have a unique brand that continues to grow. It is easy to spot us in Mombasa because of our jovial trained employees who rock their cute uniforms.

I sleep well at night knowing my teams have improved their living standards, developed in their leadership skills, have access to mentorship and continue being equipped to become entrepreneurs.

In 2016, we received a massive recognition by being selected among 1,000 businesses in the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship program out 45,000 applications.

Getting on board in the overly competitive YALI E.A Regional Centre was a huge milestone. My fellow cohort mates voted for me as the most likely to sell a company to google due to my entrepreneurial skills in the fun certificate section. I was also one of the winners of the USADF prize competition under YALI.

My organization got selected in the competitive African Entrepreneurship award and made it to the first and second rounds. We received the award as top 50th entrepreneur with the most significant and sustainable impact to create jobs and improve lives in Africa.

The award journey continues this year as we battle with 25 others to go to Morocco to pitch and get more funding. I am more than optimistic.

I have mentored youth in business through We Create Kenya, YALI E.A Regional center and other organizations.

It has not been an easy road though. Anyone who runs a business can attest to the fact that it is not for the faint-hearted. We have faced capital inadequacies, difficulties in penetration of the market among others. We keep moving no matter what. We came up with smart, actionable strategies to break past mental barriers and stay productive.

Your advice for young African leaders out there?

Determination and patience is key in everything you do. You must understand that great things take time to come in to fruition. This is especially a challenge with us, the microwave generation where we want things instantly.

Learn to be patient. Learn to work hard and put in some street smart. We must always avoid short cuts. Always seize opportunities. Dress up for anything and you will most definitely get it. There are many opportunities around you, you just need to grab and jump on them. The best progress and recognition comes when you are making things better for others.

Your life in the next 10 years

My vision is to become a model entrepreneur. To help over 10,000 youth who want to venture in to business. I intend to pursue this through an entrepreneurship college in Mombasa and later scale to other parts of Kenya.

Garb tech will also expand to at least three African countries. Our current support and funding from various sources is a confirmation of possible scaling.

Favorite food and fun activities?

I am a husband and father to two boys aged five and three (Yahya and Luqman). Seeing that I will hit third floor this year, spending time with them is key. I enjoy cooking for my family. My favorite meal to make is wali na samaki. I love traveling and reading.

We wish you the very best Amani. Keep soaring!

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When I sat with Bernice Nderitu, she exuded humility and clearly stated her great vision with such admirable assertiveness. This young lady was born in Kenya and lived in various parts of the country before moving to the West in various countries like the U.S.A, Canada among others. It was a life she adjusted to as a young child because her dad, a high school teacher was posted to different places.

My parents are ordained ministers and run their own church. We grew up exposed to different cultures but remained very grounded because of the values we were taught.

Her entrepreneurial spirit began at the tender age of 11 and all through her teenage hood taking up jobs like babysitting and working at summer camps. She saved the money which she later used to pay part of her university fees.

She moved back to Kenya upon graduating from high school and admits the settling was very uncomfortable because of the culture shock. She joined Daystar University to pursue psychology and discovered a need in the society of lack of vision in children and teenagers.

Bernice also pursued her Masters in Child Development. She has worked as a consultant Psychologist/Board member of Rafiki Africa Foundation, The children’s ministry coordinator at Green House church, counseling psychologist at Chiromo Lane medical center and a trauma response counselor with Red Cross.

Ever since I was I child, I had a clear vision of working with children and families. Everywhere I went, God continued affirming it. I am certified in psychological first aid, skills for psychological recovery, advanced play therapy, and trauma focused cognitive behavior therapy.

I am also a member of International Society of Traumatic Stress, Society for Research in Child Development, and Young African Leaders Initiative. I am currently consulting for Art and Abolition and International Justice Mission.

In 2011, she founded Nisela Group, a social enterprise (which means to nurture in Zulu) and whose mission is to seek to make the world a better place by investing in African children and youth through capacity building.

She pursued her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a specialty in children and adolescents. This allowed her to pursue and concentrate in preventative work.

Nisela Group is a social enterprise that exists for the appropriate, intentional and holistic nurture of children and young people. We seek to provide technical expertise in the children's sector and in mental health to partners in public, private, and informal sectors and civil society.

Nisela is passionate about strengthening families, enhancing optimal child development, and creating child friendly environments. Our services are project/program implementation, research and evaluations, advocacy, and capacity building.

We recently formed Crossways, a transitional and mentorship program offering soft skills in critical thinking, problem solving and creativity for young high school graduates.

Bernice got selected for the YALI Regional center program and was hugely inspired by the select young African leaders from various countries who are transforming their communities. She loved the exposure she got at the center and made potential collaborators.

We must stop ethnocentrism and embrace each other as Africans. If you have a purpose, do it. Stop thinking about it, just.do.it. Never give up on your dreams.

In the next 10 years, Nicela Group aims to have scaled in East and Southern Africa working with governments and international organizations. Bernice looks forward to being in a highly influential position in terms of policy in either the AU or in Geneva in the next five years.

For fun, Bernice is a very outdoorsy kind of girl. She is also very sporty.

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Mohammed Salat Osman is well-spoken, funny, very tall and ever smiling person never to be ignored. He commands the attention in a room.

I was born and bred in the Coastal region of Kenya in a remote village. I was a very proactive child. My mum always says I was very responsible from an early age. My upbringing was okay and till today, I still remember the love I got from my family and my community.

My mum was a business woman. My dad who passed on in 2012 was a livestock trader and the little he got, he shared with us and with our extended family. By this I mean he paid school fees for my siblings and I, seven of us and for my many other cousins. He did this over time for more than 20 children. One of the conversations I had with him is still very fresh in my mind. (He stares at the white wall and goes in to deep thought)

“Mohammed, I never went to school but none of my children will miss out on this for as long as I live. I must ensure you all have a better life than I did. When I sometimes pay your fees, I have no idea what people will eat back at home. This is for you. I may be here or not when you make it in life but this is your life. Treasure this opportunity”.

I passed my primary education with flying colours and joined Ribe Boys High School. My journey was a roller coaster ride throughout my stay at the school. From very good grades in form one, to joining the drama club, poetry and public speaking clubs and getting my school to the National level more than twice while my grades dropped.

Being appointed as the lab prefect in form three was a form of strategy by the teachers in their attempt to help me focus. I thank them to date because I improved from C’s to an A- in my KSCE. 

Upon clearing my High School, My dad and I had a one on one talk on the career I wanted to choose. He preferred a course in medicine and I hate the sight of blood. I think I am those people who are so sensitive that I probably would start crying with the patient and turn it to a therapy session.

I wanted to either become a journalist or a lawyer. My dad didn’t like my choices because his belief was that the limelight eventually corrupts you. That lawyering might force you to lie or defend a guilty person. It did not settle well with him. My other choice was to study economics going by the level of extreme poverty in our bordering constituents.

I joined The University of Nairobi to study a Bachelor in Economics and Statistics. I managed to work as an intern with the National bank of Kenya and Kathiani District Development Office previously under the ministry of planning as a development officer with the role of monitoring and evaluation.

After graduating in 2013, I wrote a letter to the Machakos County Government looking for work and coincidentally they were looking for an economist. I got the job as the sole County economist under the Trade Economic Planning and Industrialization. We later got 10 more economists to help achieve our vision.

My work largely excited me because we got to work on constant improvement of the domestic trade and market, trade planning and data driven development & research in Machakos.

In May of this year, I was transferred to the Budget department as a senior economist. This involves budget and expenditure management. We work on program based budgets and development for different departments and the extended communities.

My work mostly revolves around monitoring and evaluations. Sometimes we face challenges like late disbursement of funds by the government or we are unable to meet revenue targets but through planning ahead, the systems are accommodating enough to help us meet our goals.

Early this year, I was selected to join the YALI Regional Centre program which changed my life for the better. Can you imagine meeting over 80 young African leaders from 13 different countries who are doing great things for their communities?

The program made me rethink my priorities, my paradigms about Africa shifted and now, I think of not just working to take my community to the next level but Africa as a whole.

In January of this year I enrolled for my Masters in Economics Policy and Management at Kenyatta University. A dream come true.

I always tell the youth to never take things for granted especially in resources such as time. I don’t believe in being told the youth are the future leaders, I believe the time is now.

Let’s think of living and leaving a legacy, a trait that most of our leaders lack. It should be declared a crime for any young person to lack a vision and a development plan. It should never be about money and power.

The Kenyan and other African governments should also encourage accountability, appointments on merit and proper systems in place to fight any cases of corruption. The media should wake up and do its job without taking any sides.

In the next 10 years, I would love to be the President’s economic advisor. I would love to work for the African Development fund, The Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the African Union.

When Mohammed is not being an economist, he wears the father figure hat which involves taking care and schooling his three younger siblings. He enjoys being a foodie who eats everything with the exception of red meat, pork and alcohol.

We wish you the very best Salat as you continue to work with the government of Kenya and in your dream of impacting millions of lives.

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