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Developing The Next Generation Of African Leaders

Developing The Next Generation Of African Leaders

The African Leadership Academy was created to face what its founders feel is the biggest challenge in Africa: a lack of ethical leadership.

Elmahdi Oummih understands that a top-notch education can pave the path for success in life.

That’s why he immediately accepted and welcomed the challenge when he was invited to work on a project for the African Leadership Academy in 2007.

Oummih has since been the strategic relations manager for the African Leadership Academy in North Africa. He is currently located in Morocco. 

The academy is based Johannesburg and offers a two-year pre-university program for students ages 15-19. Applicants must possess demonstrated leadership potential, an entrepreneurial spirit and express a passion for Africa.

Oummih said the school helps the students focus on what they want to achieve in life early, so they will be more successful when they graduate from university.

The the African Leadership Academy accepts about 100 to 200 students each year. In 2012, more than 4,000 students from 45 different countries applied to attend the academy. From there, 500 finalists were selected and the process continued from there. Out of those 500, only about one in five will get invited to attend the academy.

The students come from all walks of life.

“We could have a refugee in the same new class as the daughter of a well-known millionaire,” said Oummih.

And they don’t even look at the financial situation of the applicants until an acceptance letter has been given out.

“What we are looking for in the applications are values – leadership, commitment to service, integrity, passion for living and working in Africa,” said Oummih.

Students who come from backgrounds where financing is an issue can expect to pay a portion of the tuition. Upon completion of the program and a university of choice, the student is asked to come back to Africa and dedicate 10 years working in the career path of their choice. Once that is done, the tuition loan will be forgiven and the student will not have to repay the money.

“It’s a way to ensure we have a diverse student population, but also to make sure we bring the talent back to Africa,” said Oummih.

Oummih said the academy gives kids an A-level degree.

“What makes us special is we do entrepreneurial African studies,” Oummih said. “The program teaches step by step how to create a business and teaches techniques where you identify an idea and follow your passion while serving the greater good.”

Oummih said the reason the academy was created was to face what the founders feel is the biggest challenge in Africa.

“It’s a lack of ethical leadership – we believe people should serve the people they are leading,” Oummih told AFKinsider. “The solution is always the same – if you model this around any problem, you will always get the same results.”

Oummih is heavily involved in the admissions process at the school and recruits students mostly from East Africa.

“Last year I handled Tanzania and Ethiopia – it really depends on where I am needed at the time,” he said.

Oummih said the school has a very close relationship with the Nelson Mandela family.

“Everyone was touched by him in some way – the students and staff – his wife also speaks at the academy,” Oummih told AFKinsider.

Oummih said the African Leadership Academy focuses on teaching values and the passion of the people involved at the academy are of great importance.

African Leadership Academy is unique because it teaches students at a young age to find something they love to do and attract others who are interested in it because there is power in numbers.

William Kamkwamba attended the academy in 2008.

Originally from Malawi, he grew up in a poor area and had to drop out of school because his parents couldn’t afford the tuition.

When he was 14, he read a book about windmills. After studying pictures of them and seeing how they work, he built a windmill using a tractor fan.

“I realized we had so much wind in Malawi and thought I could use it to do something good,” Kamkwamba told AFKInsider. “People thought I was crazy, but after they saw it, they understood my mission.”

He was since written a book about the experience called “Moving Windmills.”

His dream is to start up a business one day building windmills that create electricity.

“ALA helped me learn that building a business is hard work but definitely possible,” Kamkwamba said.

Oummih visits countries regularly and makes presentations about the academy at several schools per day, but for the most part, the word gets out via social media.

Miguel Martim is a colleague of Oummih and is working on starting an online program where students can earn fellowship funding for attending universities abroad.

“I believe it’s important that every student who wants to get a higher education should be able to achieve that goal, regardless of what their financial situation or background might be,” said Martim.

ALA also offers a Global Scholars Program — an intense, three-week summer leadership program for students around the world.

More details on the programs offered can be found at http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/.