The founder of Almah Africa, Gina Abena Amedeka, has been awarded the Mandela Washington Fellowship, along with 32 other young Ghanaians by the US Department of State.
The fellowship, which is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) – an initiative of the US State Department seeking to empower African youth, will sponsor Miss Amedeka’s training in the Public Management Track at Syracuse University, New York.
This year’s program saw over 4,000 applications from Ghanaians across various professional divides, with the 32 awardees to be trained in the fields of Business, Civic Engagement and Public Management in the United States of America
Gina’s NGO, Almah Africa, advocates for girl child education and women empowerment across Africa. In the past two years, she has, through her NGO, collaborated with other NGOs in other West African countries such as Nigeria, Benin, Sierra Leone, etc to raise awareness on critical issues affecting women such as gender-based violence and the culture of rape.
Gina is also a communications consultant and founded MCP Services Ghana, a communications consultancy firm providing consulting services with a special focus on foreign companies seeking to invest in the Ghanaian economy, leveraging on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).
In addition to these, Gina Abena Amedeka is the Research Assistant to Hon. George Mireku Duker, MP for Tarkwa Nsuaem and the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
The Fellows will travel to the United States this summer for intensive professional development and leadership training in Washington, D.C., and in various cities across the United States.
They comprise leaders from the business sector, the public sector, and non-governmental organizations. Nine fellows from last year’s cohort, which was conducted virtually, have also been selected to travel to the United States this summer as part of YALI’s Alumni Enrichment Institute.
A total of 700 African leaders between the ages of 25-35 will participate in the Fellowship this year. They will have the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. higher education institution with support for further professional development after they return to their home countries. The Fellowship focuses on leadership and skills development in one of three tracks: Leadership in Business, Leadership in Civic Engagement, or Leadership in Public Management.
Launched in 2010, YALI seeks to invest in the next generation of African leaders to spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative contains three programs – the Mandela Washington Fellowship, four YALI Regional Leadership Centers, and the online platform YALI Network.