Unisa and YALI to provide changemakers with robust leadership skills

The young leaders from 14 countries across Southern Africa who will be participating in this exciting programme

The University of South Africa’s (Unisa), the Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa (YALI RLC SA), and the Trevor Noah Foundation concluded Youth Month activities by launching the Education Changemakers Leadership Training Programme at the end of June.

Fifty young education changemakers, from 14 countries across Southern Africa, will participate in an exciting programme to gain leadership skills and access a network of support and resources, enabling them to transform their schools and communities.

In the programme’s first phase, participants will be equipped with management tools for the education sector. In the second phase, they will receive six months of postgraduate coaching and mentoring. The four-week programme will be presented at Unisa’s Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL), in Midrand, from 27 June to 22 July 2022.

Noluvuyo Gqadu, founder and Managing Director of CodeNgwana

Keynote speaker at the launch event, Noluvuyo Gqadu, founder and Managing Director of CodeNgwana, shared critical lessons with the cohort of 2022. She urged participants to not be discouraged by the lack of resources. Instead, she encouraged them to use their discomfort to change the world. “Do not sleep in the middle of a revolution,” she said.

Noxolo Fani, an RLC SA alumna, encouraged teachers to teach confidence. “Teachers must be confident in the work they do,” she said. “You cannot teach what you do not have. Be resourceful, be creative, be innovative, build relationships and network. As we build, don’t let fear take over. There is nothing you cannot achieve if you set your mind to it.”

She further cautioned that no one can do it alone. “Ubuntu is an important theme as we change Africa,” she concluded. “Ndingumntu Ngabantu.”

The Executive Director of the Trevor Noah Foundation, Shalane Yuen, noted that education is not only about learning, but also about creating support systems for learners. “Teachers are expected to do more with less,” she said. “They are expected to be health workers, parents and counsellors”.

She concluded by saying that teachers also have the responsibility of assist in transforming the innovative ideas of young people into reality.

Noxolo Fani, RLC SA Alumna

Unisa, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), established the YALI RLC SA, offering leadership development programmes for young Africans with promising leadership qualities. The YALI RLC SA is based at the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership, Midrand Campus. Since its inception in 2015, the YALI RLC SA has transformed the lives of more than 6 500 young African leaders directly, while alumni initiatives have influenced thousands more.

* By Edgar Rathelele, Senior Media Officer: Department of Institutional Advancement