MiVoice

MOREMI INITIATIVE FOR EMPOWERMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

(MILEAD) FELLOWS PROGRAM

Do you know Africa’s most promising young woman leaders? Help us find her!

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: 2012 MILEAD FELLOWS PROGRAM

Help us identify Africa’s most promising young women leaders!

Application Deadline: March 15, 2012.

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa (Moremi Initiative) is pleased to announce its call for applications for the 2012 Moremi Leadership Empowerment and Development (MILEAD) Fellows Program.

The MILEAD Fellows Program is a one-year leadership development program designed to identify, develop and promote emerging young African Women leaders to attain and succeed in leadership in their community and Africa as a whole. The program targets dynamic young women interested in developing transformational leadership skills that help them tackle issues affecting women in their communities and society as a whole. Applications are welcome from young African women living in Africa and the Diaspora.

The MILEAD Fellowship will be awarded to 25 outstanding young women with exceptional qualities who have exhibited leadership potential in their community, organization, and/or profession. To be eligible for the one-year program, an applicant must be African, living on the continent or in the Diaspora; agree to participate in all required activities related to MILEA-  including a three-week residential Summer Institute in Ghana; and commit to a community change project. Applicant must be between 19 – 25 years of age. Specific requirements of the program and related dates are outlined in the application package.

Please note that this is not a full-time fellowship. Selected candidates may remain full time students or work full time for the program duration, except during the 3–week summer institute. The 3-week summer institute is an intensive and full-time residential program and all fellows will be required to attend. The rest of the program involves community-based, online and other distance activities.

We invite you to share this application information with the most promising young African Women leaders you know- who have the potential to help transform Africa.

How to Apply: Application forms are available online at www.moremiinitiative.org or by request via email. Completed application form must be submitted with two letters of recommendation and CV. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted by email.

The deadline for completed MILEAD Fellows applications to be submitted for review is March 15, 2012.

For application package or additional information go to:www.moremiinitiative.org or contact:

UN Women Directory of Stakeholders on Youth in Africa

[A Moremi Initiative- UN Women-Africa Collaboration]

Click here to Download Full Directory

In order to strengthen its engagement and collaboration with stakeholders on youth in Africa, UN WOMEN in partnership with Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa compiled a directory of key individuals and organizations promoting youth empowerment, particularly for young women in Africa. Local, national and regional organizations/institutions that work with young people in Africa are invited to join this partnership.

As the newly established UN WOMEN sets its agenda and strategic direction for women all over the world, it is committed to a more active engagement with young people and their organizations throughout Africa. Youth leaders, advocates and youth organizations were invited to join this historic process.

WHY JOIN THE PARTNERSHIP

• Help broaden UN WOMEN”s reach and impact in the communities you represent.
• Co-organize community and other outreach programs at grassroots and national levels.
• Participate in other UN WOMEN programs, campaigns, meetings and projects across the continent.
• Inclusion in the directory as potential resource persons or partner for future programs.
• Develop partnerships for broad-based dissemination of publications and resources by UN WOMEN and partners.
• Inclusion in UN WOMEN consultations and dialogues.

The initiative identified hundreds of stakeholders from across the continent, that are committed to work together for empowerment and  change for the youth in Africa.

DOWNLOAD the full Directory of Stakeholders on Youth in Africa

UN WOMEN HIGH LEVEL SYMPOSIUM FOR ECOWAS MINISTERS OF FINANCE AND WOMEN

PRE-SYMPOSIUM FORUM-

Passing on the Baton: Issues of the Women’s Movement, Youth and Media in Sustaining Responses on

Gender Equality in the ECOWAS Region

[A Moremi Initiative- UN Women-West Africa collaboration]

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa in partnership UN Women- West Africa Regional Office (WARO) and other convening partners convened a one day Forum with key stakeholders on Youth, the Women’s Movement and Media in West Africa. The Forum under the theme “Passing On The Baton: Issues of The Women’s Movement, Youth and Media in Sustaining Responses on Gender Equality in The Ecowas Region” was organized as part of the UN Women High Level Symposium for ECOWAS Ministers of Finance and Women held in Accra Ghana from September 13-15, 2011.

The Pre-Symposium Forum was held on Monday September 12, 2011 at the M-Plaza hotel in Ghana’s capital Accra with the purpose to:
 Deepen discussions on the contribution of each of the three actors: youth, media and women’s movement.
 Engage and solicit inputs from stakeholders on youth, media and the women’s movement – particularly young women leaders and the women’s movement for the High Level Symposium of ECOWAS Ministers of Finance and Women.
 Propose concrete and actionable proposals to accelerate the implementation of commitments as well as define roles and responsibilities and timelines.
UN Women Africa, as part of the ongoing historic institutional transformation for women at the UN level, renews its commitment to ensure greater engagement of African youths in addressing critical issues of importance to women and girls on the continent. This forum is one of the ways in which the UN Women WARO seeks to connect with and engage the youth- especially young women in the sub-region.

The Forum was carefully designed to encourage interactive dialogue- through interactive discussions, expert presentations and strategy sessions.

The full report is available upon request from partners at moremiinitiative.org

2010 MILEAD FELLOWS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
12th July to 2nd August, 2010
University of Ghana, Legon Ghana

SUMMARY

The 2010 MILEAD (Moremi Initiative for Leadership Empowerment and Development) Fellows Institute took place at the Kwame Nkrumah Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana from 12th July to 2nd August, 2010. The Institute convened twenty-five MILEAD Fellows from across the continent, representing diverse socio-cultural, academic and professional orientations, united by a common passion: the advancement of women in Africa. Speakers and trainers included two former Presidents- Mrs. Mary Robinson of Ireland and Mr. John Kufour of Ghana, as well as current political leaders, top African activists, scholars and leaders from business and social sectors. It was truly a Pan-African experience.

The twenty-five 2010 MILEAD Fellows were chosen through a highly competitive process based on their involvement in an impressive range of social and professional endeavors, including women’s health and safety, community and youth development, girl-child education, economic and environmental justice, and disability and HIV/AIDS. They work as journalists, student activists, lawyers, and environmentalists among others. They are young, but are already playing remarkable leadership roles in their fields of endeavor.

Through a wide range of activities, Fellows were engaged, challenged and inspired- by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and values for leadership in the 21st century. Activities included lectures, skills training workshops, plenary sessions, teambuilding exercises, debates, summits and a range of interactive and mentoring activities, totaling over 220 hours of learning, sharing and bonding. Fellows cross-examined concepts of leadership in a broad African context; cultivated the skills necessary to occupy and excel in leadership positions; and gained knowledge on prevailing issues critical to African women and their communities. The fellows were also able to establish a cross-cultural and pan-African solidarity, and had one-on-one interactions with remarkable women leaders who are committed to nurturing the next generation of African leaders.

The Institute achieved some remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the MILEAD Fellows Network from 25 in 2009 to 50 in 2010; the launching of 25 MiCHANGE Projects aimed at tackling community challenges- that could positively impact thousands of lives upon completion in their various communities; and the launching of “Africa’s Finest”- a by-weekly portal of Africa’s most outstanding young women- a new addition to the MiVOICE webzine. Above all, a strong case can be made that the most important outcome of the 2010 institute was that, each Fellow departed from the three weeks gathering, reenergized and reaffirmed that they can indeed, despite the tremendous challenges, lead, impact and change their communities.

In my work across Africa, I see the potential of our great continent each day. Nowhere is this potential more evident than in the many young Africans serving their people and their communication in preparation for greater leadership roles in society. MILEAD prioritizes investments in such young leaders as a contribution to Africa’s search for solutions to its challenges.”- Mawuli Dake

With the remarkable ambitions and achievements exhibited by this year’s fellows, we are encouraged more than ever before that, investments in these emerging African leaders will continue to yield tremendous benefits towards the transformation of the African continent into a more thriving and peaceful place for all.

At today’s closing ceremony, the Fellows and guests were welcomed by Ms. Adowa Abame. First to speak was Ms. Maame Yelbert-Obeng, Board member of the Moremi Initiative and Africa Program Director in the Women’s Earth Alliance based in Berkeley, California. Ms. Yelbert-Obeng led the fellows in song:
Moremi sisters, are we together?
We are one, eh, eh,
We are together,
We are one.

The harmonies of the group differentiated them, showing that each of them is unique. Together, they sang beautifully.

Then, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo said that she hopes that important friendships or coalitions have formed, that earth-shattering projects have been developed. She hopes that fellows will never lose sight of the importance of advocacy and change, because the status quo is not what it should be for most people living on earth. “I have a lot of hope for your generation … irrespective of what my generation does, you will claim your space.”

Ms. Abame said that her insight was very important, and furthered “though our generation may not give you the opportunity … don’t let anything stop you to claim your space.” People will be able to help you with your vision, she said, but you have to drive it yourself. Make use of everything that they have acquired here, including friendships and enemies—no one has to remain your enemy. Most importantly, do whatever you set out to do. The essence of change is that you have a project you want to address. You will face difficulties, but think to yourself that you are the one who must help your community. She invited the fellows to send e-mails, call, or even sms her if they have questions. Also, she said, don’t put yourself in a box and don’t imagine that real life will allow your plan to move smoothly. Every challenge creates an opportunity to do something else, something better. Be open to diversifying so that you can support your beneficiary group, because it is that group, and not your project as you had planned it, that is most important. By all means, affect change with them.

To be whole women, and whole leaders, is most important for Ms. Yelbert-Obeng.
Diversify yourself and don’t stay in a box; bring all of you have to the table. She said “We can bring ourselves into spaces as whole people … we have bowed down our heads [to men] so long and not been whole women in the places we need to be.” A big challenge she articulated is fragmentation of ourselves and therefore our vision. Our friendships and our relationships should not be compartmentalized and fragmented. To soar, this sisterhood needs to life each-other up. Raising someone up can be done out of a small gesture, but to move forward we need to be in that space where we can raise each other up. She then sang “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban for the fellows. At the end of the song, the fellows were all standing and hugging each-other.

Then, we heard from recently-elected President of the 2011 Moremi Fellows, Ndidi. She said that it’s extremely important to keep the network alive and not loose contact with one-another. Ndidi thanked to the Chair and Board for their planning and facilitation of such a meeting of young women. This opportunity lets young women see that there are others doing well in their projects, and they inspire one-another to do better in their own communities.
Finally, Mawuli Dake, co-chair of the planning committee, said a few words. In the past three weeks, there have been challenges, and there was a risk in beginning the conference. He hopes that we can all look back and say it was worth it. In terms of talent, emerging women leaders have certainly been found. But it takes more than talent, he said, to be a leader. It takes sacrifice and humility to serve in a way that makes a difference. He had three important points to give to the fellows. First, he said to believe in your ability to make change. A lot of time is spent complaining, but you have to be committed to do something about it and it is possible to make much difference. One fellow of 2009 from Nigeria said “We must provide the leadership we deserve,” and it is up to the fellows to make that change because each of them have unique positions in their communities. Second, you can never assume to know it all. Africa needs to be smarter in utilizing time and resources. So, to grow as leaders and young professionals, you have to work harder and more effectively. Third, be each-other’s keeper. As your sister’s keeper, you must look beyond the past three weeks. The most important aspects of the Moremi fellowship are beyond these three weeks, but opportunity depends on you to make the best of it. There are extreme circumstances under which some fellows may have to do their work. However, he shared a story about how his class’ network from Columbia worked together to release one of their own after he was arrested in DRC. Lastly, he thanked Board members and volunteers for their unpaid work. He wished the fellows strength, inspiration, and solidarity. He said “let’s continue to collectively bring change to the continent … It is your time to lead.”

Once more, Ms. Yelbert-Obeng led the fellows in “We Are One”.

Today the remaining Fellows were able to present the outline for their MICHANGE Projects. There were many presentations, and lots of inspiring ideas for the MICHANGE projects.

Florence’s project aims to economically empower women in two villages in the Central Region of Malawi, she will target forty women aged eighteen to forty and will help to raise awareness of their rights. It will then set of a Village Savings and Loans Association in the villages and support the small-scale businesses of the women. Education of women is the main focus of Lola’s MICHANGE project; she hopes to train women in literacy, entrepreneurial and life skills. She is aware of the taboos that exist in her community in Togo that may make her project difficult but is willing to work very hard to overcome these challenges.

In Ghana, Mabel hopes to work in the Osu Remand Home in Accra and help juvenile offenders living there before their trial date. Children until seventeen years live in the home and they often have very bad self-esteem. Her goal is to reconstruct the negative conception they’ve developed of themselves. They need to breakaway from their circumstances and just be children sometimes, and Mabel helps to give them back some of their childhood. Miatta from Sierra Leone wants to prevent maternal and child malnutrition that leads to many deaths in her community. She will train people to go to villages and train other mothers about the importance of breastfeeding and good nutrition. Education is also the theme of Linda’s MICHANGE project, she hopes to provide less privileged members of her community in Zimbabwe access to additional academic support, and to develop a love of reading among the children of Zimbabwe. Her project has many phases; with each phase building on the last and specifically targets the children living in the Harare Children’s Home.

Serrainne will develop a mentorship program for the rural girl-child in Kenya. Many cultural systems treat women as second-class citizens, but she aims to create a new generation of confident women leaders in Kenya. Christine then gave a very powerful presentation about her organization, CAMME, which works in the DRC. CAMME works with former child soldiers and vulnerable children in the Congo. Escar aims to plant 500 trees in a community in Harare, and establish an educational resource centre for them as well. She works with internally displaced communities in Zimbabwe, and her organization has already affected some great change. In Ivory Coast, Ines works with Young Volunteers for Environment. In her area there is lots of deforestation and so she wants to implement solar cooker-aluminum cooking pots, which can boil water to help the women become more sustainable in their villages. Patricie from Rwanda wants to work with students in high school to let them know about opportunities in science and engineering, and especially encourage young women to be interested in engineering. It is important to encourage more women to enter this male-dominated field!

Ndidi’s MICHANGE project aims to introduce voluntary work in Senegalese Education System- because it is very hard to get young Senegalese people to do voluntary community service work. Finally, Jokate presented her MICHANGE project. It will build confidence in girls aged thirteen to nineteen through conversations and self-realization activities.

The day ended with a lovely ‘Womentoring’ evening at Yiri Lodge. The event was intended as a networking event between many of the lecturers from the three-week institute and the Fellows. It was a great evening with African food and music, and of course lots of dancing! There was lots of exchanging of contact information, and promises to see each other again soon.

It is the beginning of the end here at the Moremi Initiative Institute of 2011. The fellows are now presenting their MiChange presentations, which will be carried out over the course of their year-long fellowship. Hannah from Ghana was first to present today. Half an hour from Tema (just outside of Accra), Luworth district has no schools within an hour’s walk, no health facility, and no government agency. Currently, the men in the district are salt miners. Hannah’s project will encourage 10-20 young women to go through basic schooling, then some will be taught vocational skills and a few will be trained as teachers. Simultaneously, she will raise funds to build a school within the community. The sponsored teachers will be asked to return to their communities when their training is completed, which will allow more children to go to school within their community. Nachela asked Hannah how she was going to manage her holistic approach, and Hannah said that she will regularly evaluate progress using political, social, and economic indicators. Also, she plans to keep the community very involved in the building of the school and the entire process.

The first lecture of the day was given by Comfort Ocran, and was a lesson in Personal Branding. Ms. Ocran shared the importance of being the first in your field of business. What is a personal brand? It is a description and embodiment of the self which is expressed both internally and externally. Internally, your brand has to do with your values. Externally, your brand is about what you exhibit to the world and whether you deliver what your brand suggests. Some key elements of your brand include your personal mission statement, a long-term dream, a differentiation strategy, great communication skills, knowledge, networks and relationships, a prepared CV, good grooming, and other useful skills (e.g. technical skills). She urged the fellows to think of themselves as CEOs of their own companies: Me Inc. Two fellows who gave great concise description of themselves were each given a book by Ms. Ocran.

Next, we learned about the African Woman’s Decade. The decade runs from 2010-2020, and is an offshoot of the Women’s Decade declared by the UN in 1975. The AU ratified the motion for the decade in 2008, which has the theme “Grassroots approach to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment”. There are ten thematic areas of focus, and each country should implement one project per year. The idea for the decade was born out of many other ratified documents which had advocated for women’s equality with men at the level of the AU, regional assemblies, and higher assemblies such as the UN, and responds to the need to act on those documents. This decade is different because AU countries have to submit progress reports to the AU to ensure that they are fulfilling precise goals which are in line with the theme. In Ghana, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs is working with other ministries and agencies to uphold the document. To promote the decade, the AU has a committee to oversee its progress and the AU funds one project per year in each African country. In all, the AU will have funded 530 projects in all 53 African countries in order to support grassroots and youth-focused initiatives that further gender equality and Women’s Empowerment in Africa!

MiChange Presentations were also given by Purity from Ghana, Landy from Madagascar, Edna from Uganda, and Belise from Rwanda. Purity’s project is based in prisons, where people are supposed to be remediated, but actually they end up hardened and prone to further crime when they are released. In the small community of Ansuke, those who have been to prison are stigmatized and have difficulty reintegrating into society. Purity hopes to concentrate on the women in the prison, start a mentorship program, and give skills to those women. Most of these women are mothers, so they must provide for their children despite the challenges they will face with reintegration. Purity will train them in mushroom and snail farming so that they have a direction and means of supporting themselves and their families when they are released. Landy’s MiChange initiative will empower women to use reproductive and contraceptive health services, making their own health-conscious choices. She will work through her own organization, Femmes Junior, to facilitate change in cultural perceptions which have been a barrier to contraceptive use in Madagascar. Contraceptives are already available without cost in Madagascar, but women are not empowered to make their own contraceptive choices, and men make decisions about sex. She would like to train women in the community as peer educators to target rural women between the ages of 15-49. This should encourage more women to go to health centers, obtain contraceptives, and be empowered to make their own sexual health choices. Edna’s MiChange presentation will target five schools in Northern Uganda. This is a post-conflict area which she has already studied. She has used her research findings (in economics) to structure her approach and identify the problems of decreasing enrolment, no standardization in the institution, and a poor student: teacher ratio of about 1:120. To combat these problems, she will foster partnership and collaboration among schools in various areas. Another fellow suggested some agencies she could work with in order to find teachers and improve the institutional structure of those schools. Belise will be based in Rwanda, addressing sexual harassment in the workplace and in Universities. Currently, there is no sexual harassment bill in Rwanda, and her goal is to work with government in order to begin the process to implement such a bill. Concurrently, she will implement a hotline where people can anonymously report sexual harassment, and work with the Ministry of Labour in order to sensitize the labour force on sexual harassment issues.

Lastly, we heard a lecture from Abigail Burgeson, who works with the African Women’s Development Fund. The fellows had been looking forward to her talk on Resource Mobilization, and they were not disappointed. She defined resource mobilization as starting something that a country, organization, or individual has or can use to further their endeavours. The resources (other than financial resources) which can be mobilized are economic, human, social, physical, or technical. Though resource mobilization includes fundraising, resource mobilization is a broader category. Fundraising is about enabling people to make change through your organization. To fundraise properly, she said, you have to build relationships with donors, you have to ask, be personal in your approach, tell the truth, show innovation, and be professional. You must do your research on the donor before asking for funds—know who you are asking and how to address them. In order to mobilize resources better overall, develop your funding strategy and write proposals that establish the credibility of the organization with personal information about employees (if it is a young organization), support from other funders, paper clippings, etc. Be particular about your proposal and be sure to research the project, plan ahead, and address the priorities of the potential donor. Escar asked how young organizations can start fundraising. Ms. Burgeson said that fundraising starts with the people close to you. Use who you know first, find out who they know, and continue with your strategic plan from there; find out how you can get to others from those you already know.

On Wednesday, the fellows began to present their MiChange projects to the entire group who turned out to be a very helpful panel, providing very useful tips and ideas to help one another improve their various projects.
Joyce began with her project to be dubbed “Hear our Voice”, a project that seeks to promote the participation of young women in decision making in educational institutions. She plans to undertake fundraising activities, outreaches and capacity building training programs. She will also engage with policy-makers and decision-makers within schools, working with them to involve the young women in school politics and decision-making. Hanna expressed the need for Joyce to be an example for the targeted youth and not just point them in a certain direction.
Kula’s project “It Starts With Us” targets 10-19 year old girls (girls who will be identified from school administrators, community leaders, parents, guardians) and to train them in leadership, health and financial literacy.
Samar talked about the existence of many stereotypes and opinions regarding the religious groups in Egypt and expressed her desire to build understanding and tolerance between the two major religions- Christianity and Islam- by working with school children and young activists within her organization, teaching them about “culture and values”, including a summer camp to bring Christian and Muslim children so that they live together and learn about one another.
Adaeze’s project involves community building and mentorship to establish strong mentor relationships between African women at Yale and girls in the New Haven African community by providing academic support, instillng a sense of African pride in the target group and engaging them in meaningful extra-curricular activities. She has seen the achievement gap in the educational system between black and white people in New Haven, citing the language barrier of the 1st generation immigrants, and the socio-cultural acclimatization process as limitations to academic success.
In the afternoon, there was a very interesting session by Ms. Yawa Hansen-Quao from the Leading Ladies Network, who taught the fellows how to create professional bios and great C.Vs. She warned them to avoid blunders on their bios and C.Vs; such as copies of certificates or diplomas, coloured paper, fancy font types, abbreviations, casual and unprofessional email addresses (eg: lilsexymama1@…, bigdaddy143@…) and potentially discriminatory information like marital status, and religion.

After a very competitive round of charades among the fellows, the MiChange project presentations continued as Halima explained her ongoing project with the UN, “Votre vote, Notre avenir”. In many countries the youth are not consulted by the government on issues concerning them and so with her project, her team seeks to increase child participation in civic issues and increase knowledge of decision-makers and various actors on child matters. They will target the handicapped, young girls in nomadic groups and rural areas, child workers, children in conflict with the law and children in journalism.

With her MiChange project, Nelly-Shella hoped to improve the quality of life of one community focusing on women, and their families, through macro-economic education. She will target women groups who are involved in small business who need capital to expand their business, women in farming who need to increase productivity and women affected by HIV/AIDS. Her expected results include having 100 families rise above the poverty level, education of children, especially girls, self-sustenance and self-reliance among the women and an enhanced capacity of business management.

Leborang had a lot of ideas for her project involving promotion of the arts, math and science tutor programmes, leadership workshops, economic empowerment, internships in sustainable livelihood and community based work to deal with issues like prostitution, poverty and low academic achievement. She plans to undertake extensive programs to educate the youth on leadership, arts, importance of activism and life skills with community based planning to develop and implement community-based and related activities. Her aim is to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, through networks between the two groups.
Yassin’s MiChange project is going to ensure that all in need get access to healthcare by utilizing available resources. She also talked about her plan to increase enrolment in medical school, as well as promote home based tuition for those unable to attend schools. She hopes that through this project, more poor people will get access to proper healthcare, that there will be an increased awareness of the plight of the less privileged and people will begin to understand that “little drops of water DO make a mighty ocean” and get involved.

Selam gave the final presentation of the day with her plan to improve the lives of low income mothers in the Shone area, of Ethiopia which makes up nearly 10% of Ethiopia where employment is 51% of which only about 40% of them are women. This is an area that has only one pharmacy! And even if people get access to health centres, they can’t afford the healthcare or it is inadequate. She explained some local traditional practices that caused women to die in childbirth. For example, it is a taboo for the midwife to look at the emerging baby during delivery and this as sometimes led to the death of babies and or mothers.

The night ended after an extremely entertaining talent show the fellows organized for themselves-singing, dancing, poetry recitals and stand-up comedy- it was truly a great night.

Today was a very informative day for the Fellows and an exciting day of the MILEAD Program. The Fellows received a talk from the former President of Ghana, President Rawlings. After introductions the Fellows had the opportunity to ask five questions which he or his spokesperson would answer. Lola asked about what Mr. Rawlings thought regarding the conflict in French-speaking African countries today, and Ines spoke about the difficulty that the youth are having today in the Ivory Coast and asked for any advice for the youth from the President. Halima was curious about the effectiveness of the African Union and how the young leaders can make the African Union the best it can be in the future. Serrainne asked about the President’s leadership strategy and more specifically the Structural Adjustment Programs that took place under his lead and the final question from Kula was regarding the President’s future plans and hopes for Africa.

The spokesperson for former President Rawlings gave a short speech about the state of democracy in Africa and Ghana today. He explained how all too often, we have replaced democracy with elections. However elections in themselves do not equal democracy. Bold and decisive leadership is necessary, and he urged the Fellows not to wait for people to give opportunities you to reform democracies in their own countries.

President Rawlings then began his talk with the Fellows. The overall theme of his speech was regarding the values that exist in African, and more specifically Ghanaian, society today. Without morals, society does not move forward. He stressed that society is structured on values, and when these values start to disintegrate society could fall into chaos. He explained that the quest to restore values in Ghana is what led to the revolt of 1979. A society that does not recognize good work from bad work creates a static situation that needs to change. Another major theme of the speech was that human management is a way of life, but human manipulation is wrong. Too often, humans are manipulated. The might of right is more civilized than the right of might and we all must strive to make sure our actions reflect this. It is important not to be afraid of the righteous forces within society. He urged the Fellows to be cunning and know when to speak in order to create change within their own societies. Additionally, technology will allow all of the Fellows to stay in touch, and this weapon will give them and their societies freedom and power.

After returning to campus, there was a small presentation by Eibhlín Ní Chléirigh on project design and implementation. Since there was not much time, she and the Fellows agreed to hold an online session after the three-week institute to catch up on the material.

In the morning, we heard from several fellows and in the afternoon we heard from a surprise speaker! The fellows who spoke were Belise from Rwanda, Hannah from Ghana, Yassin from Gambia, Leboghang from South Africa, Nelly-Shella from Cameroon, Halima from Niger, and Adenze from Nigeria currently living in the U.S., Samar from Egypt, Jokate from Tanzania, and Kula from Liberia. They told their fellow fellows about their work and the life experiences which led them to the MILEAD program. It was a heartfelt discussion about the difficulties that each woman has faced in her personal and professional development.

In the afternoon, Mawuli informed the ladies that they would have an audience with Ms. Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, former First Lady of Ghana and current Presidential Candidate. The fellows met with her at the center for the 31st December Movement. Gifty, a Ghanaian fellow from last year, introduced the MILEAD program to Ms. Konadu and the high table. Mawuli Dake, board member of the Moremi initiative explained the purpose of the Institute; everyone is thrilled to meet an African woman leader such as Ms. Konadu. After each fellow and member of the high table had introduced themselves, Gifty invited the fellows to ask Ms. Konadu questions.

1. Maureen – What has been your motivation and your drive in all of your work?
2. Serraine – What are some of the challenges you faced in the shadow of your husband, and how have you transitioned to the forefront?
3. Halima – What pieces of advice you would give to us as woman leaders?
4. Kula – Could you tell us how you have managed to juggle your public life and life with your husband and not lose yourself?
5. Escar’s question was directed at the members of the high table – Because women are traditionally seen as weak, etc., what are the skills or attributes that make you want to follow Ms. Konadu?

1. Ms. Konadu said that she has to go back 30 years to explain her drive. At that time, the IMF described Ghana as a collapsed state and leader of the revolution, Honorable Rowlings said that everyone should be a part of the solution, or they would be part of the problem. Participatory democracy starts at the grassroots level and everybody wanted to be part of the change, but women were always relegated to the background. Women formed the 31st December Movement in order to be involved in change in the country. Motivation for the movement focused on three challenges during and after the revolution: the economy, youth, and women. Improving the quality of life for women helps the country to grow faster. The movement’s work made women part of the decision-making process; Ms. Konadu decided to do something rather than nothing.

2. To avoid living in her husband’s shadow, Ms. Konadu had to build on her own strength. After she started the movement, she had to encourage other first ladies to do the same—to try to aid handicapped children, to advocate for environmental causes, and to be involved with many other issues. If you don’t do anything yourself, living in someone else’s shadow may become the reality.

3. Ms. Konadu had several pieces of advice for the young women. 1) When you set a goal, please achieve it. Give great thought to that goal, and follow it as long as you know you are going to help the lives of other people. 2) Don’t be perturbed by what others do or say to you. Some have said that Ms. Konadu is too ambitious, but she says that ambition is good. If not for ambition, the world would be a very different place. 3) Keep your confidence, though people will try to break you. Only take a step back when you think you have made a mistake, then move on.

4. As a woman, she had to multitask and plan very well. When a child is growing up, release them a bit at a time and teach them to be responsible adults. It was not easy, she said, but she managed to juggle the Movement, bring up children, and support her husband. Ms. Konadu urged the fellows not to sacrifice their child’s education for anybody. Whatever she was able to do for her children, she tried to do for the communities which the Movement was working with, including giving them great education. Ms. Konadu said “I am living my dream and I will continue living it.”

5. Four people spoke to Ms. Konadu’s accomplishments, values, and attributes which urge them to follow her. The first speaker said that Ms. Konadu has always stood for truth. The second speaker described how her integrity has been tried and tested as she was taken to court by the opposition government, but stood the test of time. She said that Ms. Konadu is open to listening to everything that is brought to her. Another member of the high table said that Ms. Konadu has a lot of drive and is very qualified as a former First Lady. A former MP said that he had worked with her for thirty years, and during that time she showed her commitment through her sacrifice, honesty, determination, and devotion she has towards uplifting women. Though men were afraid to support her because of cultural practices, it is only wise for men to support her.

Former President Rawlings arrived from his travels in Somalia while Ms. Konadu was speaking with the fellows. He took the time to say a few words, and invited the fellows to meet with him the next day. He said that he did not think anyone had done justice to her work. As a person in power, there is a tendency to disempower people. A smart leader can use women to provide a wake-up call to society. When former President Nkrumah wanted to establish an air force, men said that only white men could do it, so he trained two women first. As the head of state, Honourable Rawlings tried to give voice to the people. When a revolt happens, people seize power but that power was mainly exercised by men. Ms. Konadu’s presence on the ground served as a catalyst for women’s ability to exercise their power. Hon. Rawlings said that he had once visited a village and asked the Chief if there was anything that the community needed. The Chief did not have ideas, but one woman spoke up and said that there was a problem with the water supply; she knew this because women have to get up and go to fetch water while the men are asleep. Power and politics is a difficult issue, and African states tend to drag each-other down. The author of The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born was wrong, he added; the beautiful ones are born, but have not given room to emerge, just like women have not been given room to emerge. If you give women room to bloom, you can gain from it, and we all gain from it.