Etonde Martin
My name is Etonde Martin. I am concerned about the future of Africa, the poverty levels and very unfair conditions that some of our peoples live under. This passion for this continent pushed me to attend the first ever international youth leadership conference in Africa. This conference taught me a lot. I just wish I could spend the rest of my life doing this. IYLA conference was one of the best weeks of my life and I wish I could do it all over again. We are all so young but our ideas are so brilliant. Africa needs only a few determined minds like these and in only a few years AFRICA will be THAT place everyone wants to visit and settle in for the rest of their lives. Long live IYLA.
Funmilayo Odushola
School: A final year student of Ashesi University in Accra, Ghana.
Country: Nigeria
Comment about the Conference: As I took a look at the itinerary for the conference initially I knew immediately that I could not miss out on this and truly my expectations were met and surpassed. The mind-opening conference provided me not just an opportunity to gain knowledge, experience and exposure to leadership issues and challenges African countries face but also to meet unique people, graduates and undergraduates and learn about their cultures and national issues. I was sure afterwards that there was hope for Africa as we had all shared one week of intensified simulations that made us think critically about one continent; Africa. I felt proud to be an African as I saw the challenges Africa faces only as an opportunity for growth and for me to make a difference in my lifetime. I must confess that this experience has helped in shaping my future endeavours and I am better prepared to take up leadership roles.
Themba Emeka Okoye
Themba Emeka Okoye, is a student of History & International studies at the Lagos state university ojo. His dream is to become the UN secretary General, my aim for attending the conference was to network myself with future world leaders and people from diverse countries, and i achieved it by attending the founders conference in cape town, the conference has changed my belief system which in Nigeria, a child is seen and not heard of, and it's by grace that the child grows and not recognise, but now i really know how to apply leadership in all that i do, it's all about taking territories and standing for what i believe. i so much believe in Afric and all that is within the continent.
Natalie Muller
Full name: Natalie Muller from Sydney, Australia In my 3rd year of a BA in Communications and in International studies at the University of Technology, Sydney Spending time with people from different sides of the world with different experiences and views I think is the most important thing anyone can do to learn, broaden their minds and change futures. My experience at the youth leadership conference in Cape Town was amazing and unique. I don't think I will ever be in another environment where I will have the opportunity to spend time with and learn from such a diverse, intelligent and interesting group of young people.
Sima Rugarabamu
I would like to thank you for a life time experience that i received from International youth leardership conference Africa.i was moved by everything that happened there ,i come out a different person, full of confident,knowlwge and attitudes,the conference could not only chance me but my community too, it was amazing and has open a new page in my life. i hope every youth should not miss the ever coming ones since its a pathway that no one will ever regret passing through. thank you very much dears SIMA RUGARABAMU, 2007 IYLA DELEGATE,FROM TANZANIA
David Michael Laird
During the week of the IYLA "the Founder's Conference" I was privileged to learn more about Africa and the challenges that face the wealthy continent. Even though I am not an African, after the conference I began considering myself as an African. Jamaica might be a very far fetch nation in terms of distance when it comes to Africa, but we are from African ancestry. The IYLA has allowed me to make lifelong friends, whom I now consider partners as we work together in making the continent of Africa and more so the world a better place to live. I too will join with the writer that "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step". It might seem long and hard, but Founders we can and we will make it.
David Michael Laird
Jamaica & the Caribbean's Lone Representative
at the
IYLA Founders Conference
Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
January 2007
Wafula Sirabo Patrobas
Hi!
My name is Wafula Sirabo Patrobas, I am from Uganda. It was a lovely experience that I had in Cape Town attending the first IYLA. It opened my mind up to things that I never ever gave much thought to, I met friends that have been an assert to my living now, and I had a hell of a lot of fun. The experiences and discussion that we had have helped to envisage the kind of leadership that my country needs and I am willing to that kind of leader. It is said that for any change to occur it must start with the person you see in the mirror every morning. I went on to campaign amongst my fellow student leaders, and I am proudly the National Speaker and President of the Uganda National Students’ Association. Thanks Civic Concepts, thanks Bill and your staff, thanks Bongi and the conference group, thanks to the whole Cape Town founder crew. To you who are still debating on whether to attend the next conference, just sign up and pray that money will come your way, BUT DO NOT DARE TO MISS IT! See you there.
“Keep taking those baby steps”
Nicky Melling
I am 22 live in the Lake District and study Politics and Philosophy at Durham University. The International Youth Leadership Conference in Africa gave me an amazing opportunity to meet so many inspiring young people from all over Africa and the world and to discuss political issues with them until the early hours of the morning. It was really an intellectually stimulating week with the mixture of cultural visits, role-plays, talks and discussions. Although I followed African issues in the news before being over in Africa and speaking to young Africans about their views of the politics and visions of the future in Africa was a wonderful experience. A few months on and I still keep in touch with people from the conference and hope that in a few years I will hear that they have gone on to do great things.
