Africa Top Success Ils font l'Afrique
Six young Togolese people were selected by the United States Embassy of Togo to participate in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in the United States.
They are: Akizou Bataba (public Civil servant / administration); Ayaovi Akomatsri (Journalist at Focus Infos), Combey Combetey (Director, Africa Rendez-vous), Biema Abdel-Hamid (Student in language, University de Lomé), Akoueba Kponton-Quam Dessou (Bank of Africa), Mana Kpotor (National Direction of procurement contracts control). These young leaders embarked last Friday, 13th June for the United States.
Launched in 2013 by President Barack Obama, the YALI program includes several sectors of which a seminar of six weeks on leadership organized in an American university and a presidential summit that will gather all the participants in Washington during 3 days. According to the explanations of the Director of the public affairs of the Embassy, David Meron, these six young people are henceforth the « Ambassadors » of Togo in Washington and are going to strengthen their capacities in public administration, community service, leadership, business and in any other domains.
« They are the best selected among 340 candidatures », he declared. On the whole 500 Africans are going to discover the United States and study there during 6 weeks. According to Josita Ekouévi, responsible for the programs at the U.S. Embassy, « on their return, the six prize-winners will become member of the former scholarship holders of the American government program association and will benefit from a financial support for the achievement of their projects of development ».
Barack Obama repeatedly told the young people of the continent that Africa has a promising future and encouraged the young Africans to adopt a positive attitude (Yes, we can attitude).
Original text by: Blaise AKAME
