The Obama Foundation announced Monday that it would train 200 young leaders across Africa who work in government, civil society and the private sector.
The program, Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa, will launch in July, with five days of development and civic engagement workshops designed to help emerging leaders drive positive change throughout Africa. Afterward, the training will continue in a year-long program, in which participants will have access to online resources that include trainings and webinars led by industry experts.
Pulled from more than 10,000 applicants, the selected individuals will serve as the “backbone of a larger ecosystem of foundation changemakers across the continent and, eventually, the world, as the foundation launches similar leadership programs in regions around the world,” the nonprofit said in a statement.
Bernadette Meehan, previously the foundation's executive director of international programs  will oversee the program as its chief international officer.
“These remarkable individuals will be a part of our largest and most ambitious leadership group to date: the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa,” Meehan, who previously spent 13 years as a Foreign Service officer, said in a statement. “In bringing together 200 young leaders from across Africa, we hope to begin a conversation about how each of us can create positive change in our communities.”
The Africa leaders program is one of several international programs within the Obama Foundation that aim to connect with young leaders around the world.
Former president Barack Obama will mark the addition of the new program with a visit to Johannesburg on July 17, the day before Nelson Mandela International Day.
In addition to connecting with participants of the program, Obama will deliver the 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture to honor the centennial of Madiba’s birth. Obama is expected to focus on Mandela’s mission to bridge the gap between political ideologies, while highlighting oppression and inequality.
About 4,000 people are expected to attend the lecture, which is designed to drive debate on social issues in South Africa and globally.
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