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Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships Programme – Invitation for Applications

The Fellowships offer the opportunity to work in the executive offices of either the African Development Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa or the World Trade Organization, and an annual stipend of $100 000.

The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships Programme will help to prepare the next generation of outstanding African leaders by providing them with unique mentoring opportunities.

The three organisations will each host an Ibrahim Leadership Fellow for a 12 month fellowship supporting senior management. The Fellows will support the work of the institutions to further promote the economic development of the continent.

The Fellowships are open to young professionals, mid-career and new executives up to the age of forty, or forty-five for women with children. The Fellows will be nationals of an African country with 7-10 years of relevant work experience and a Master’s Degree.

For more information about the Fellowships, eligibility and the application process please visit: www.moibrahimfoundation.org/fellowships

Closing date for applications is 16 July 2012.

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to support good governance and great leadership in Africa.

www.moibrahimfoundation.org

How about Zimbabwe’s art galleries doing something similar?

Abused children turn their fears into artwork for groundbreaking exhibition: Child Hood at the Royal Academy is the result of art therapy Kids Company has done with severely traumatised young people. More here

from: Visualise Us

I was really moved by the boldness of an girl pupils who protested against their school authorities right in front of their nearest Ministry of Education offices in Zimbabwe. The pupils who are all boarders at Mukaro High School in Gutu, walked for 20km, taking four hours to reach to the district’s Ministry of Education offices. They sneaked out from the dormitories as early as 2am and reached the offices at 6am. Their aim was to protest water shortages and poor food at the school. A big round of applause ladies! The girls at school are said to number 700 and one can only imagine the health implications of having water shortages with so many children.

With the Ministry of Education now aware and doing an investigation into the plight of these pupils and the school authorities knowing well that they are now under scrutiny from the different stakeholders involved, like the parents, the education ministry, health officials and other concerned parties, these pupils are guaranteed of some change and provision of a basic necessity – water. Not only will this benefit them until they complete their studies but it will also benefit future generations of pupils to come to that school. They have not only protested their rights at this particular school Mukaro High, but they have been a voice for other pupils around the country who due to varying circumstances are not able to take up such high levels of boldness. Also this a big warning to school authorities that misuse school funds meant for the welfare of school children. They should change their ways before such protests occur at their schools.

It is such small acts of resistance and protest that bring about change in the bigger picture. It is high time we emulate these pupils and make those accountable for discrepancies in the provision of our society’s daily life needs.

“We need Chinese solidarity but we cannot have these erstwhile friends coming to cook sadza with offals for us and after that take tooth picks, and then we think, ‘Here are investors’. In economic terms, we are crowded out by people bringing sick capital into these sectors.” – Alson Darikayi Upfumi Kuvadiki/Inotho Kwabatsha president.

Foreigners who come and invest in retail businesses are no longer welcome in Bulawayo. The effects of the “Look East” are now being felt in Bulawayo as the Chinese and other foreigners crowd out local residents from the retail business. Upfumi Kuvadiki/Inotho Kwabatsha and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions joined hands to demonstrate against foreign ownership of retail business. Lets who hope this will not fan xenophobia just like the South African scenario.