The application process for the African Leadership Academy is designed in such a way that only those who have true leadership potential are accepted. Young men and women who have this natural aptitude are then taken under the academy’s wing, and given all of the knowledge and experience that they need in order to become successful leaders and entrepreneurs. Despite the fact that the academy has only been in operation for a few years, its students – both past and present – have already begun to achieve a great deal.
Joseph Munyambanza is one such example. Like many ALA students, Joseph grew up in poverty; at the age of six, he and his family were forced to flee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to the conflict which was taking place there, and create a home for themselves in a refugee camp in Uganda. Whilst this must have been extremely difficult, Joseph did not allow this to deter him from his studies, as he recognised that education was the key to resolving many of Africa’s issues – a sentiment which many people, including Tunde Folawiyo, understand.
He excelled academically and, wishing for other refugees to do the same, he set up CIYOYA (Corburwas International Youth Organisation to Transform Africa) at the age of 14. His aim was to provide young refugees in Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Congo with the education they needed. As well as running the organisation itself, Joseph was also involved in tutoring primary school students.
His efforts resulted in the children’s grades improving dramatically. However, he noticed that the girls’ attendance rates were lower than the boys; to address this issue, he created a more comprehensive support system within the organisation, which encouraged female students to stay on and complete their exams. This was a great success, and the numbers of girls successfully finishing primary school rose significantly.
Joseph then applied to the ALA; due to the incredible tenacity and courage which he had demonstrated during his young life, he was immediately accepted. Graduating in 2010, he has since gone on to accomplish even more. After being awarded a MasterCard Foundation scholarship, he was able to accept a place at Westminster College, where he is now studying biochemistry. In addition to this, he serves as one of the 15 International Education advisors to Gordon Brown and the UN Secretary General and, like Tunde Folawiyo, Joseph is also an African Leadership Fellow.