The USAID Deputy Assistant Secretary for USAID Africa Bureau, Madam Cheryl L. Anderson, has commended YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa-Accra for its commitment to training Africa’s next generation of leaders. Madam Anderson disclosed this during a day’s official visit to the YALI Accra RLC. The Deputy Assistant Secretary was accompanied by Mr. Daniel Moore, Mission Director at USAID West Africa and Mr. Kevin Stirr, Program Advisor to the USAID Africa Bureau.
Prof. Anthony Mawuli Sallah, Dean of Students of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), who received the visiting team on behalf of the Rector of the Institute, expressed GIMPA’s appreciation to USAID for supporting the initiative from its inception through to its current state, stressing that the Institute looks forward to an extension of the initiative to cater for the teeming number of young Africans who have expressed interest in receiving YALI training throughout the first four years. Prof. Sallah noted that the Accra RLC had so far trained 4,416 participants using the online and hybrid training approaches.
Madam Cheryl L. Anderson interacts with country representatives, with staff of the Accra RLC in attendance
Madam Anderson Deputy Assistant Secretary interacted with country representatives from all nine participating countries of the ongoing Ghana Cohort 13. The nine country representatives shared their experiences after two weeks of YALI training. Madam Cheryl L. Anderson, while commending participants for their endless efforts and high level of responsibility, urged them to take responsibility for their own future by learning best practices in transforming their various communities into great lands of hope and change.
Abraham Kromah, Liberia Country Representative, gives his feedback on his YALI experience after two weeks of training
On her part, Madam Cheryl L. Anderson noted that USAID is now transforming as an agency geared towards helping young Africans to reach a state of self-reliance. This vision, the Deputy Assistant Secretary said, USAID intends achieving by encouraging young Africans to network through the various USAID initiatives and platforms.
Madam Anderson interacts with Dr. Anthony Afful-Dadzie, a facilitator, during a class observation
Madam Anderson and her team then observed ongoing Ghana Cohort 13 sessions and briefly interacted with some facilitators. This gave the visiting team the first-hand exposure to the Accra RLC’s facilitation approach as well as the curriculum and content for the conduct of YALI training sessions.