Diego Alberto Aguirre
Alhinho
Cabo Verde
Diego Aguirre Alhinho is passionate about
the environment, circular economy, and
sustainable food production. He is currently
the president of an environmental non-
governmental organization that works with
biodiversity conservation in Cabo Verde.
He also owns a small sourdough bakery, promoting the circular economy
and local food production. Diego holds a degree in Biology from the Federal
University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and worked on climate change projects
during his time there.
Mariem Ba
Mauritania
Mariem Ba has seven years of experience in
work to mitigate climate impacts on com-
munities in Mauritania. Mariem understands
that to handle such an issue, the mobili-
zation of youth is critical. She is currently
involved in one of the key organizations
working on environment and climate issues
in Mauritania. Mariem is also working as
a project manager in an IT and communication company. Upon completion
of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Mariem plans to find solutions using
new technologies facing the waste management in her city and to be part of
the development process, through her full involvement in all matters about
the environment and sustainable development.
Fernando Candumbo
De Castro
Angola
Fernando Candumbo de Castro has ten years
of experience in children´s volunteer work
in a variety of communities. Fernando has
also volunteered with missionary organi-
zations, dedicates most of his time training
Sunday School teachers, and advocates for
the children’s welfare. Fernando studied Psychology at the Africa University in
Zimbabwe and has a certificate in Walking with Wounded Children from the
South African Institute for Children where he is currently studying Theology.
Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Fernando plans to
fulfill his dream of building a children’s home in Angola with the non-profit
organization, Giving Back the Smile.
Richard Fizoune
Chad
makofi[email protected]
Richard Fizouné has four years of expe-
rience in the field of education and is a
martial arts professor and professional
comedian. As an artist, he works in
collaboration with others, such as dancers,
writers, and teachers to ensure quality
education, and make a significant impact on
society. Richard studied Chinese at the University of N’Djamena in Chad, and
following the Mandela Washington Fellowship, he plans to continue his work
with disadvantaged children through the arts.
Balkissa Gambo Illo
Daoura
Niger
Balkissa Gambo Illo Daoura has five years
of experience in the environmental sector.
Currently, Balkissa is working to engage
stakeholders in resettlement. Balkissa is an
environmental engineer in urban planning
and rural development. She also volunteers in diverse NGOs in restoration
and conservation. She is also a blogger in her spare time on kissmajuscule.
com. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, she plans to
redouble her efforts to protect the environment.
Bernadette Ilboudo
Burkina Faso
Bernadette Ilboudo is an experienced social
worker who works on female empowerment
and vulnerable people protection program-
ming. She is currently completing a three-
year professional training which will provide
her with the state social work supervisor’s
diploma, the highest degree in the field of
social work in Burkina Faso. Bernadette is
also involved in a non-profit organization that raises awareness about irreg-
ular migration. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University
of Ouagadougou. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship,
Bernadette envisions creating a national transit center for migrants to reduce
the irregular migration of young people to the benefit of her community.
Augustine “Austin”
Ilemirewojor Okorodudu
Nigeria
Augustine Ilemirewojor Okorodudu has over five
years of experience working in the media and
youth development space and holds a bachelor’s
degree in Mass Communication from Delta State
University. He is an on-air personality and
currently the head of marketing and strategy at Trend 100.9fm. Augustine is the
founder of Ideals and Realities Youth Empowerment Foundation (IRYEF), a social de-
velopment organization dedicated to mentorship, capacity building, life skills devel-
opment, and vocational training for vulnerable young people. IRYEF primarily works
with youth between the ages of 14-25, in Delta State, Nigeria. Through programs
like, ‘I Need to Know- TeenzSummit,’ Students Productive Life Initiative (SPLIN), and
‘Equip the Future’ radio series, Augustine has delivered trainings that have been
estimated to impact over 8,000 Nigerian youth. Upon completion of the Mandela
Washington Fellowship, Augustine plans to leverage his platform to increase the im-
pact of his programs, and to create a new project that focuses on building support
systems for pregnant teenagers so they may complete their education.
Lydovick Rakotoasy
Madagascar
christallinlydovickrakotoasy@
gmail.com
Christallin “Lydovick” Rakotoasy is an English and French
teacher at the local public and private high schools in Va-
vatenina. He oversees an English course called ABC, with
at least fifty graduates each year. He works together with
a Peace Corps Volunteer, and they have newly launched a
community education center called the American Center.
He not only teaches languages, but also helps parents encourage their children to pursue higher
education, uses his network to help students attain jobs, and encourages students to improve
their country. Tired of the standard of bribes and corruption, Christallin knows he has a unique
opportunity to shape the minds of the youth in his community and aims to create a develop-
ment program for young, strong, and passionate leaders. Upon completion of the Mandela
Washington Fellowship, he will continue to train youth to listen to the voices of their communi-
ties, and to work together to develop and improve the lives of people in Madagascar.
Hilina Atlabachew Taye
Ethiopia
Hilina Atlabachew has 11 years of experience working
with children, youth, and women, and is the founder and
director of the Covenant Developmental and Charity Or-
ganization, a non-profit that provides integrated support
for orphans. She has a master’s degree in social work
from the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and is
also certified in trauma therapy. Hilina is an experienced
professional who has worked with children and adults who have experienced trauma. Upon
completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Hilina hopes to leverage income-generating
activities, career planning, trauma healing, and therapeutic programs to help children and their
mothers uncover their potential to become self-sufficient.
Gertrude Darlene Toezay
Liberia
gertrudet@liberiaerp.com
With over 7 years of professional experience in
the field of finance, Gertrude Darlene Toezay
is currently an employee of The Mitchell Group
Inc., an International NGO implementing the
NIAID DCR Ebola Response Program. There, she
serves as Participants Allotment Coordinator
and oversees cash management operations at
all project sites. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from the Stella
Maris Polytechnic. Gertrude is a champion of the empowerment movement for single
mothers, young women and girls, and is the founder/Executive Director of Lend a
Helping Hand Initiative that teaches vocational skills to young women. For her work,
she has been featured in various stories around Africa by YALI, USAID and others.
She is also an alumni of the Young African Leaders Initiative Program (YALI). Upon
completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Gertrude plans to open a Voca-
tional Skills Training Institute that will give more single mothers, young women and
girls in Liberia the opportunities to acquire life changing skills such as local food
processing, African fashion design, soap making, and others to improve their lives.
Eric Mugendi Wanjiru
Kenya
Eric Mugendi Wanjiru has five years of experience in
livestock and dairy farming as a veterinary technician.
He currently works for Sidai Africa Limited, a company
that provides technical services to livestock farmers in
rural Kenya. Eric is a motivational speaker and inspires
young people in his community to pursue agriculture.
Eric has attended livestock trainings in both Kenya and
the Netherlands. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Eric hopes to continue
developing his leadership skills and inspire young people in his community and his country.
Sokhna “Khadija” Sy
Senegal
sokhnakhadidjatousy@
gmail.com
Sokhna Khadidjatou “Khadija” Sy holds a
Master of Business Administration in Project
Management from the Institut Supérieur de
Management and has over four years of experi-
ence in communications and campaigning. She
is currently an advocacy and communications officer at Niyel, where she implements
campaigns on issues such as immunization and sanitation and coordinates initiatives
to support the advocacy work of civil society organizations across Africa. Sokhna
Khadidjatou is convinced that her country’s development relies on the health and
education of its children and is committed to ending the issue of children begging
on the streets. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Sokhna
plans to lead a grassroots mobilization effort to get children off the streets, advo-
cate for a change in policy and practice, and educate or train the children so that
they can fully achieve a meaningful role in society.
Thembelihle Terry Lynne Zulu
Zimbabwe
Thembelihle Terry Lynne Zulu holds a bachelor’s degree
in Journalism and Media Studies from NUST Zimbabwe
and has eight years of experience in the civil society
sector. She is the founder of Girl Grandeur Zimbabwe, a
network of young women sharing ideas and opportuni-
ties for self-development. Girl Grandeur amplifies voices
and aspirations so women can better access the knowl-
edge, networks, and skills that allow them to realize their potential. Thembelihle is committed to
harnessing the power and opportunity of the Internet to uplift women. Girl Grandeur Zimbabwe
publications strive to raise awareness about the struggles faced by women to spark meaningful
debates. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Thembelihle intends to impart
her newfound knowledge to her peers, and the members of Girl Grandeur Zimbabwe.
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Fatumata A Jabbie
Liberia
Fatumata Jabbie is an experienced, self-
taught fashion designer who has been
managing Jabbie’s African Collections for the
last six years. Jabbie’s African Collections is
a Liberian owned fashion line of many kinds.
Fatumata uses fashion to tell a story from
the Liberian perspective and addresses the
needs of women and girls who are subject to
gender-based violence while being denied the right to go to school because of
economic and social reasons. To date, four girls have been given the opportuni-
ty to obtain an education through the proceeds of her subsidiary, Lib Closet and
Basket. Currently, Fatumata is completing her study in Business Administration
at the African Methodist Episcopal University. Upon completion of the Mandela
Washington Fellowship training, Fatumata plans to establish a fashion institute
to empower women and girls in Liberia as well as allow them to change their
stories and help reduce the gender, social and economic gaps in our society.
Lilian Kamola Kaivilu
Kenya
Lilian Kaivilu is an award-winning multimedia
journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya and the founder
of Impacthub Media, a digital media platform that
seeks to tell unique development stories of people
or institutions that are making an impact in their
communities through their work. Through Impacthub
Media, Lilian has recently been training young girls
from informal settlements in Kenya on how to make an impact in their communities
through solutions journalism. Lilian has previously worked as a writing consultant with
the World Bank Group, a reporter for the Global Press Journal, Kenya News Desk; a
features writer at People Daily Newspaper-Kenya, a sub-editor at Shrend Publishers
and Supplies Limited, and an editor at Bridge International Academies. She is currently
the vice president for the Africa Media Network on Health. Lilian is a Bloomberg Media
Initiative Fellow, Safaricom Business Journalism Fellow, Kenya Institute of Mass Communi-
cation Journalism Graduate, a Linguistics, Media and Communication graduate from Moi
University, Kenya. In addition, she has completed the Digital Capacity Building training by
the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.
Elalie Tshipeng Kambaj
Congo, Democratic Republic
Elalie Tshipeng Kambaj is an optimistic and
highly motivated person with over eight years
of community service experience. Currently,
Elalie is the secretary of the Lincoln English
Language Club. Members of the English Club
work to improve their language skills through
topic debates, dedicated study, and by
attending international conferences. Elalie holds
a bachelor’s degree in Administration in Health Sciences Management from
Africa University in Zimbabwe. In addition to public work, Elalie is an active
member of Community Service Day, a volunteer youth movement that assists
less privileged community members with food and clothes. Upon completion
of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Elalie promises to engage further with
important community development initiatives.
Thembiso Alice “Lucil”
Magajana
South Africa
Thembiso Magajana is a leader of one of the
fastest evolving technology industry trends in South
Africa: coding workshops for the disadvantaged,
where she has spent the last five years evangeliz-
ing an industry-wide shift that seeks to prepare
South African youth for the fourth industrial
revolution. During her tenure as founder and chair of Social Coding, Thembiso has
built a reputation for developing business strategies, incubating new business models,
and building out channel programs. A calculated risk-taker with deep tech industry
knowledge, Thembiso has championed taking computer programming to the township
and rural areas; her channel incentive models have motivated hundreds of partners
locally to not only embrace coding but to make it a necessity in education. Thembiso
is recognized for designing, landing, and leading strategic workshops that have
impacted 685 scholars across three provinces in the last 14 months, with 87.9% of
them showing a minimum of 25% increase in math and science scores. Thembiso also
develops and manages social development models for high-end enterprise services to
corporations such as Exxaro and SAGE, where her models have helped incubate new
programs that ensure that corporate entities practice sustainable philanthropy. She
is a recipient of the 2017 Margaret Hirsch Heroine Award, a World Economic Forum
Global Shaper, TEDx Speaker, and Spark* International alumna.
Tsedey Girma Mekonnen
Ethiopia
tsedey [email protected]
Tsedey Girma holds an LLB and master’s
degree in Gender Studies from Addis Ababa
University and has over nine years of expe-
rience in advocacy, academia, and research
in the field of human rights. Tsedey currently
works for UNHCR as a protection assistant in
Aw Barre refugee camp, coordinating quality,
timely, and effective protection responses to the
needs of populations of concern, especially advocating for survivors of violence,
persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable social groups. She is a volunteer
in her community and has been a member of the Rotaract Club of Habesha
for eight years, participating in numerous projects that have benefited women,
young girls, elderly, orphans, and vulnerable children. Following the Mandela
Washington Fellowship, Tsedey plans to continue advocating for gender equality
and vulnerable groups, such as women and children.
Thabo Godfrey Mongatane
South Africa
Thabo Mongatane is a chartered accountant,
entrepreneur, and business coach with a pas-
sion for improving the economy and advancing
the development of young people. Since 2006,
Thabo has involved in initiatives that support
black accountants in Southern Africa. He is
a business coach for Umvuso Business and
Skills Development, an organization that helps
entrepreneurs secure funding. Through his work as a business coach, Thabo assists
business leaders and hopes to reduce the high unemployment rate about young
people in South Africa. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship,
Thabo plans to continue his work to help develop and support more African
leaders in the business space.
Simutanyi Andrew Mukuti
Zambia
Simutanyi Mukuti holds an honor’s degree in
Geology and Chemistry from the University of
Namibia and has over two years of expe-
rience in the water, sanitation and hygiene
sector. Simutanyi is currently a district water
development officer under the Ministry of
Water Development, Sanitation and Envi-
ronmental Protection. In this role, Simutanyi
focuses on inspecting, monitoring, and facilitating water resources’ infrastructure
development and management for rural communities. As a member of the Water
and Sanitation Hygiene program, Simutanyi participated in sanitation awareness
in rural communities by volunteering under the Total Sanitation program funded
by UNICEF. Simutanyi believes that access to clean and safe drinking water is
a universal right, especially for rural communities, and upon completion of the
Mandela Washington Fellowship, he plans to advocate for global regulations that
press towards a new worldwide agenda in this specific area.
Andrew Mwape
Zambia
silika.a9[email protected]
Andrew Mwape is the founder and CEO of the
Zambia Environmental Advocacy and Community
Health Organization (ZEACHO), a business dedi-
cated to environmental protection and community
education. At ZEACHO, Andrew is responsible for
developing strategic plans, mobilizing resourc-
es, and managing projects, partnerships, and
volunteers. He is also an environmental entrepreneur
involved in domestic solid waste collection in his hometown. Andrew has six years of
experience in environmental advocacy with 11 professional development certificates
ranging from management, business, and civic engagement. He is a current student
at the Copperbelt University studying Environmental Engineering. Andrew also runs a
money lending company called Silika Lenders which loans money to civil servants, and a
car dealer specializing in car parts. In the future, Andrew intends to run for the Office of
Ward Councilor and later aspires to represent his ward as a Member of Parliament. Upon
completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Andrew plans to continue his work in
environmental sustainability through community engagement.
Victo Nalule
Uganda
nvicto8[email protected]
Victo Nalule is a differently-abled woman who
embraces a positive “can do” attitude, and
a human resource professional with strong
leadership and managerial experience. Victo
is the executive director and founder of the
Tunaweza Foundation, a non-governmental
organization that works towards creating an
inclusive world where disadvantaged people
achieve their maximum potential and contribute to society. Additionally, she
works as a health and safety environmental administrator in an electricity
distribution company. Victo is a member of Lions Clubs International and is the
third vice president for Kampala Host Lions Club, which assists with global and
large-scale local humanitarian projects. Upon completion of the Mandela Wash-
ington Fellowship, Victo plans to continue her work advocating for inclusivity for
all, with a focus on women and girls with disabilities.
Belle Ange Niyonshuti
Rwanda
Belle Ange Niyonshuti holds a bachelor’s
degree in Water and Environmental Engineer-
ing. She is currently serving a CorpsAfrica
Volunteer in Rwanda, where she helps rural
communities combat malnutrition, poverty,
and gain sustainable access to safe drinking
water. Belle Ange interned at the Water and
Sanitation Corporation Ltd. in the Department of
Water and Sanitation Development and completed various projects that focused
on water supply and sanitation. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington
Fellowship, Belle Ange plans to continue the work she has done as a CorpsAfrica
Volunteer and hopes to positively impact the lives of rural young girls and women
through economic empowerment.
Dorothy Wambeti Njagi
Kenya
dorothy[email protected]
Dorothy Njagi has about seven years of experi-
ence in development communication. Currently,
Dorothy is a public health communicator at the
African Union. She is also the founder of Wana-
nchi Waseme Solutions Swahili for let the citi-
zens engage an initiative that seeks to expand
public participation in policy and development
frameworks in Kenya. Dorothy is committed to
providing platforms that will give a voice to citizens, particularly the marginalized
and the youth in governance issues. She has contributed to civic engagement action
activities through volunteering both at national and continental level; at the Kenya
National Assembly where she promoted daily public education to visiting education-
al institutions and at the African Union respectively. She holds a master’s degree
in International Studies from the University of Nairobi and a bachelor’s degree in
Communication and Public Relations from Moi University. Upon completion of the
Mandela Washington Fellowship, Dorothy plans to organize public awareness forums
in the counties and communities in Kenya to improve civic education and participa-
tion, thus fostering inclusive socio-economic development.
Peace Muusha
Zimbabwe
peacemuusha9[email protected]
Peace Muusha is an innovative industrial and
manufacturing engineer who has two years
of experience in the technological design
sector. Peace has a Bachelor of Engineering
in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
from the National University of Science and
Technology in Zimbabwe and is currently
working on a project to use solar thermal to
dry grain for communal farmers in Zimbabwe. Peace has continued to use his
expertise to create a sustainable future for all and is actively participating in
helping his community to achieve climate goals and reduce poverty. Peace wants
to be at the front of the power sector’s transformation and work towards the
adaptation of innovative electricity technologies that effectively reduce the global
carbon footprint while ensuring economic growth and improving the quality of
life of millions of people. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellow-
ship, Peace plans to continue using technology to address the UN Sustainable
Development Goals in Zimbabwe and Africa at large.
