A Kenyan has been selected for the prestigious 2019 Obama Foundation Fellowship.
36-year-old Esther Mwaniki who is the founder of Lapid Leaders Africa organization was among the 20 persons from 10 different countries across the world to be selected.
She was one of the only three Africans to make it to the list, the other two were Ayman Sabae Shamseya from Egypt and Dedo Baranshamaje from Malawi.
Mwaniki is described as a visionary who is also highly practical on the Obama Foundation website.
According to the foundation's website, the fellows have been selected for a two-year, non-residential Obama Fellowship offers hands-on training, resources, and leadership development to help Fellows scale the impact of their work. Fellows participate in four multi-day gatherings where they collaborate with each other, connect with potential partners, and collectively push their work forward.
Throughout the program, each Fellow pursues a personalized plan to leverage the Fellowship experience to take their work to the next level.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on phone she revealed how excited she was for the opportunity, she also stated that after the felloowship she hope to see Lapid Leaders Africa reach the levels she envisioned.
Her organization has been involved in leadership programmes that equip new graduates and final-year university students with skills to help them cope beyond university.
Self-awareness, creativity and innovative thinking and building a Pan-African mindset driven by values are some of the issues that Mwaniki’s organization impacts in the life of the graduates.
“It’s our responsibility as the older generation to raise the younger generation and selflessly empower the next leaders,” Mwaniki stated when asked about the programme.
Esther worked with PwC Kenya, a global professional services firm, from August 2004, after graduating from Kenyatta University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, to 2011 when she quit to set-up Lapid Leaders Africa.
