We were honored recently to host a group of 25 students from the Young African Leaders Initiative as part of a State Department-funded exchange program seeking to invest in the future of Africa’s leaders. From the YALI website:
“Through YALI, the United States has invested significant resources to enhance leadership skills, spur entrepreneurship and connect young African leaders with one another and with Americans. Since 2010, the U.S. Department of State has held 15 exchanges specifically for young African leaders and sponsored 1,283 sub-Saharan scholars through its educational and cultural affairs programs. U.S. embassies have awarded small grants totaling $750,000 to YALI alumni groups supporting youth development in Africa.”
(Above: The group converses with Better World Books CEO Mike Miller.)
Overall, a total of 500 leaders from across Africa split into groups of 25, each group attending a different US university with a a tailor-made track designed for their visit. So last week’s tour of the Better World Books warehouse facility in Mishawaka, IN was just one part of the 6-week course for the group that is attending Notre Dame for a curriculum focusing on entrepreneurship and business.
