Our July 9 speakers will be two visiting fellows from the Mandela Washington Initiative. They are in Boise for 6 weeks of coursework, leadership training, professional development, and community engagement. They welcome networking and collaboration opportunities with US professionals, so please read their bios and consider to whom you can make an introduction. As Rotarians, let’s use our professional networks to help foster connections for these young leaders.Wilfried Abdoul
Central African Republic
Wilfried Abdoul holds a degree in Private Law from the University of Bangui in the Central African Republic and has nine years of logistics experience at various non-governmental organizations. Wilfried is currently a logistics assistant to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) and is the founder of Shalom, an association that helps vulnerable youth and children orphaned due to past armed conflict in the Central African Republic.Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Wilfried plans to grow his work helping young people by leading skill-building workshops to impart technical knowledge, such as carpentry, masonry, chicken coop building, shoemaking, and more, in order to promote the development of rural areas, the community, the city, and the country.
Mamotsiba Makara
Lesotho
Mamotsiba Makara has over eight years of experience working in an NGO setting where she coordinated various community development initiatives focusing on health, gender, and education. Recently, she joined the Lesotho Ministry of Education and Training as a project officer where she provides technical and administrative support to the Planning Unit in implementing project specific activities. Mamotsiba holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the National University of Lesotho and an advanced diploma in Project Management from the University of Cape Town. She is also passionate about humanitarian work supporting vulnerable groups, especially women and children. Because of her interest in education and social justice, she co-founded a non-profit organization; the Knowledge is Power Foundation. This foundation focuses on empowering girls through participatory leadership trainings that help them gain skills and confidence they need to fulfill more significant leadership roles in the future.Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Mamotsiba plans to continue with the implementation of education sector programs while she also grows her foundation to impact more lives.
These fellows are not students—they are skilled leaders in public management and collectively represent the bright future of Africa. It’s a fantastic excuse to invite a colleague to Rotary, so please bring a guest. We will allow additional time for networking after our regular meeting.