Amini Kajunju has a lot on her plate. As president & CEO of the Africa-America Institute (AAI), the U.S.-based native of the Democratic Republic of Congo is the first African woman to serve at the helm of the oldest nonprofit of its kind in the U.S.
She must work to provide Africa’s youth with opportunities to strengthen their talents and skills and become the chief economic drivers in their communities.
Kajunju joined AAI in October 2012 from the New York-based Workshop in Business Opportunities where she served as executive director for 10 years. While there, Kajunju helped start AngelAfrica, an organization that promoted private-sector development in Africa and networking opportunities for African professionals in the diaspora. While she no longer runs AngelAfrica, Kajunju remains on its board.
Kajunju has experience in uniting Americans and Africans for a bigger cause. She also served as a program manager at the International Executive Service Corps. (IESC), an organization providing free consulting services to businesses in developing countries. At IESC, Kajunju recruited and managed U.S. volunteer experts who assisted small-to- medium businesses in the fisheries, clothing, and mining industries in Southern Africa.
Kajunju holds a bachelor of arts degree in international relations from Brigham Young University and a master’s in public administration from New York University.
AFKInsider got a chance to chat with her about her plans for AAI.
Amini Kajunju: Being the first African to lead AAI is a challenge that I welcome. As the first African-born president and CEO of AAI, I bring a duality to my position: I was born and reared in Africa, yet I spent much of my formative years and adulthood in the U.S. I love my adopted country of America and all that it has to offer; and Africa is where my roots are and where my heart and passion live. With this duality, I try to marry these worlds in my professional life.
Amini Kajunju: AAI’s work is important because we are providing African youth with tremendous opportunities to strengthen their talents and skills through education and skills training, and become the chief economic drivers in their communities. We collaborate closely with top African education institutions to develop quality, rigorous program coursework to expand skills building activities for Africa’s next generation of leaders.
AAI is also a convening forum where we bring together leading thought leaders from the U.S., Africa and internationally on issues related to Africa and to celebrate African achievement during our annual gala.
Amini Kajunju: My parents instilled in me the importance of giving back and empowering others who may not have the same opportunities that I’ve been fortunate to have.
Education is the great equalizer. My organization, AAI, is working to fill the “education opportunity gap” on the continent by strengthening Africa’s youth capacity to escape poverty through education, skills training, and dialogue.
Amini Kajunju: Africa is on the move. The continent is one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions and is rich in natural and human resources. We’re in a globalized world and Africa can’t be left out of it. If you’re entrepreneurial and open to some risks, Africa is the place to be.
At AAI, we’re excited about the fact that Africa is such a youthful continent full of hope and promise. Today, youth between the ages 14 and 35 make up more than 50 percent of the continent’s population.
Africa’s future really rests in the hands of its youth. We believe that youth are a positive asset and offer great potential in boosting socio-economic development in Africa. Our job at AAI is to empower youth through our advanced educational programs and training to develop their skills and talents so they can be active contributors to their communities and nations.
Amini Kajunju: Absolutely. In today’s world, you cannot ignore Africa. I believe the news media (are) gradually starting to move beyond the what I call the three “Ds” about Africa — death, despair and disease — to focus on the positive developments taking place on the continent. Africans have always known about these positive stories, but Americans are now hearing and seeing another side of Africa and want to be part of the progress taking root across the continent.
Amini Kajunju: We reach to our constituents through a robust social media outreach, traditional media, blogs and a quarterly newsletter, “The AAI Connection.”
Amini Kajunju: Our goals for 2014 include:
Amini Kajunju: To be fully aware of one’s talents and strengths and find professional and personal opportunities in which you can utilize and maximize those talents.
