The Young African Leaders Initiative |16 October 2020
The Seychelles Chapter Committee
Grooming future African leaders
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders.
The RLC SA develops the young African leaders in Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Civic Leadership and Public Management and Governance through a hybrid of innovative and complimentary approaches that include contact sessions, online mentoring, online self-paced tuition, industry placements and experiential learning.
Furthermore the programme extends to 2 more new programmes under its umbrella, notably the southern Africa Education Change Makers Programme and YALI RLC Power Africa Leadership Training for Young Women in the Energy sector, respectively .
The centre where participants converge has a year-long access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the Unisa School of Business Leadership in Midrand, South Africa for the English speaking participants.
The programme, which is apolitical, non-academic and all-inclusive, is targeted towards young Africans between the ages of 18-35 years, who are making positive impacts within their respective communities.
Contemporary African issues such as HIV/Aids, gender, responsible leadership and technology is also infused into the programme to develop young and transformative African leaders.
The productive partnership with African universities and USA universities, private sector partners as well as the regional bodies such as SADC and the African Union contribute to the improved quality of the programme as well as the access, reach and delivery mechanisms.
The RLC SA develops the 21st century skills that are the indispensable currency for participation, achievement and competitiveness in the global economy.
In pursuit of these ideals, the RLC SA aims to:
- Create critical thinkers
- Solve complex and multidisciplinary problems
- Foster entrepreneurial thinking
- Innovative use of information, knowledge and opportunities
- Encourage communication and multicultural collaboration
- Create awareness of contemporary African issues
The Seychelles Chapter
Young, talented Seychellois has been attending the programme since its inception. Though many share similar experiences on a general level, there are quite many differences on a personal level. Opinions vary, in the sense of the level of commitment of particular individuals with respect to their individual chosen tracks. In view of the fact that the programme is split, in either, online or resident cohorts, opinions surely vary.
The resident cohorts are by far the most exciting as it allows one to immerse themselves within the context of the programme, while also connecting with the motherland in a more personal outlook. To many participants this is achieved through networking, and friendships that are built during the course of the month-long stay at the centre. The programme is a month packed full of classroom interactions as well as field visits to strategic places and communities that fall within the realm of the aim and objectives of the programme. Seychellois participants are usually underrepresented in cohorts, which may sometimes influence the degree of a successful experience.
The YALI resident cohorts is a good chance to learn about Africa, discover cultures that intertwine to make Africa, what it is. It is also a chance to share varied experiences, expertise, leadership ideals as well as communicating impact fully. All of these also come with a sense of responsibility as well. Being in South Africa is not necessarily safe, but following the proper guidelines set, will make for a good experience. YALI has, to many Seychellois participants, created a sense of appreciation, for what they have and how blessed and proud they are to call themselves Seychellois, within the African community.
Upon successful graduation from the programme, one simply becomes an alumni. But this does not just end there. As an alumni you become privy to the YALI network and gain access to the different opportunities that are shared throughout the network. In a sense you become part of a larger African family. Many alums have gone to do very good work throughout their communities and Seychelles is included. However, for YALI, to remain relevant and continue to do the good work that it does, it needs resources to reach the communities, within each represented countries. This is done through a committee called the Chapter Committee. The committee comprises 7 Alumni, voted into 7 specific roles in the pursuit of representation of the Alumni community within their country.
Alumni Chapters are voluntary structures whose purpose is to support the Centre in terms of engaging and empowering youth within its target countries. Chapters will fulfill a critical role in developing leadership capacity in their countries by assisting the Centre with promoting its programmes, encouraging fellowship and collaboration among area alumni, hosting and facilitating events and activities which develop and enhance leadership skills of broader community members, and recruiting prospective applicants for the Centre’s future cohorts.
THE SEYCHELLES CHAPTER COMMITTEE
- Chapter Coordinator: Myrsia Sifflore
- Advocacy and Marketing Coordinator: Dominique Pierre
- Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator: Ashley Philoe
- Networking and Events Coordinator: Audrey Begita Melanie
- Recruitment and Selection Coordinator: Jocelyne Mary-Jane Marie
- Curriculum Coordinator: Egelle Larue
- Sustainability Coordinator: Post Vacant
CHAPTER COMMITTEE ROLE DESCRIPTION
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Description |
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Representative serves a 2-year tenure. A selected serving member will serve an additional year on advisory capacity to ensure continuity of chapter activities. A member elected by the committee itself will serve for an additional year (third (3rd) year) on an advisory capacity for transition and continuity purposes. |
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Chapter Coordinator: The incumbent will report directly to the Alumni Team and be accountable to both the RLC SA and his constituency. They will oversee and coordinate all committee activities, including role as main point of contact with the Centre’s Alumni team, coordinate activities, and facilitating data collection and reporting of country alumni activities to the Centre. |
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Advocacy and Marketing Coordinator The incumbent will be responsible for the communications requirements of the chapter, including management of country-based webpages and apps, verification and posting of content on social media about local activities and initiatives, and overseeing outreach messaging. They must always adhere to the banding requirements are prescribed by the RLC SA. |
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Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator: The incumbent will be responsible for documenting and reporting on alumni activities to the centre. They will also ensure adherence to chapter action plans. |
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Networking and Events Coordinator: The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating events – networking, social, educational, etc. – either originating from the Alumni Chapter and/or in partnership with the Centre. They also serve as an entry point of contact in terms of alumni who want to volunteer within the Alumni Chapter, helping to network and populate Chapter committees in cooperation with the Chapter Coordinator. They will develop and implement opportunities and events designed to increase alumni motivation. |
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Recruitment and Selection Coordinator: The incumbent will be responsible for recruitment and selection matters in each country, including but not limited to coordinating application reviews, support call for application efforts, conduct in-country outreach activities. |
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Curriculum Coordinator Support in-country curriculum needs. These include but is not limited to, building a relationship with American Corners to facilitate space for online learning. Suggest local resources for content and facilitation. |
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Sustainability Coordinator: The incumbent will be responsible for identifying potential partnership and funding sources for chapter sustainability. |
With this 2 year tenure this newly Seychelles chapter committee aims to reach the community of alumni, here in Seychelles through:
- Collaboration – promoting collaboration across all socio-economic spheres.
- Inclusiveness – valuing the insight brought by the meaningful inclusion and participation of people of different backgrounds and from all walks of life.
- Innovation – valuing and supporting the spirit of business and social innovation in our work.
- The work of all our stakeholders because we believe innovation will unlock the countries and region’s potential.
- Integrity – valuing and appreciating honest, respectful and professional behaviour in our internal and external interactions and engagements.
- Diversity – promoting a diverse representation of demographics and respectful views to enhance our work.
Contributed