The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), held a graduation ceremony on Thursday February 22, in Dakar for the twenty third cohort of young African leaders trained at the Regional Leadership Center.
The Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) is the U.S. government flagship program aimed at investing in the preparation of the next generation of African leaders from diverse backgrounds in sub-Saharan Africa. "We hope that this program has strengthened your skills to enable you to play a role in addressing the challenges of transparency and accountable governance, economic growth and community based challenges across the continent" said Todd Flower, USAID/Senegal Deputy Mission Director.
Participants receive training in business management and entrepreneurship, civic leadership and public affairs management. After completion of the YALI program, participants will return to their home countries to help stimulate growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance and improve peace and security.
Based on the impact that alumni initiatives have had on the ground across the continent, the U.S. government has decided to continue supporting the four (4) Regional Leadership Centers based in Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; Pretoria, South Africa; and Dakar, Senegal, with a new investment of $80 million. This new phase will enable the four (4) centers to work in synergy to expand youth access to the YALI training program, strengthen the networking of YALI alumni across the continent and promote partnerships between YALI alumni and investors in Africa and the United States.
YALI has been implemented since 2016 by the Centre Africain d'Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) and its partner, the West African Research Center (WARC). This twenty-third cohort made of 93young leaders, including 54 women, is made up of representatives from 21 French- and Portuguese-speaking African countries.
Pr. Rosaline Dado Worou Houndekon, Director General of CESAG and Mr. Todd Flower, USAID Deputy Director of USAID/Senegal, co-presided the graduation ceremony.
The United States is committed to fostering the emergence of a generation of young leaders for a dynamic and prosperous Africa.
About USAID
h4>The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) works to promote and demonstrate American democratic values and its vision of a free, peaceful and prosperous world. Together with its Senegalese partners, USAID/Senegal supports Senegal in achieving the goals of the "Plan Sénégal Émergent" national development plan, particularly in the areas of education, health, economic growth, and strengthening governance and civil society.
For further information, please contact: +221 33 879 4000 ; senegalDOC@usaid.gov ; www.usaid.gov/senegal
USAID Senegal