Mr. O’Steen and Ms. Schultz congratulated the youth and offered them gift prices of t-shirts inscribed “Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader” and books featuring leadership, sports, and artistic profiles from Nouveaux Horizons. “Thank you for joining us on air. We are proud of your initiative and believe, as President Obama and Ambassador Michael S. Hoza have said, that you are the future of Africa and Cameroon. We encourage your efforts to attain an education and pursue your dreams,” said O’Steen.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies President Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa. The first class of Mandela Washington Fellows arrived in June 2014 for six weeks of intensive executive leadership training, networking, and skills building, followed by a Presidential Summit in Washington, DC. Through this initiative, young African leaders are gaining the skills and connections they need to accelerate their own career trajectories and contribute more robustly to strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.
See Facebook album of their visit: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156166282795716.1073742113.312546460715&type=3&uploaded=5. See Facebook album of radio program visit “Promoting YALI and Debunking Diversity Visa Myths”: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10156151921960716.1073742111.312546460715&type=3. To learn more about YALI, please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/07/28/fact-sheet-mandela-washington-fellowship-young-african-leaders.