“Each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it…” – Franz Fanon

Youth leadership development programmes and networks have become abundant in Africa. Each claiming to equip, support, and inspire ‘the next generation of Africaâ€s leadersâ€. Leadership is a great challenge for Africa, and one of the things we can draw from the numerous and massive investments in Africaâ€s young high-achievers and those recognised as ‘high potential†is that the world is taking ‘the next generation of Africaâ€s leaders†very seriously.

History tells us that young people, whether in the civil rights movement of the United States or the ‘Arab Spring†across North Africa and the Middle East, play a critical role in ushering in change. Indeed, many of the icons of Africaâ€s independence era were all relatively young when they led us to independence: Kenneth Kaunda (40), Patrice Lumumba (34), Samora Machel (41), Kwame Nkrumah (47), Julius Nyerere (39), Thomas Sankara (33), Haile Selassie I (24), Sekou Toure (36), etc. At the very least, this list of distinguished men (and this is not to detract from the critical role of women in these movements) highlights the potential of youth. It should be noted, none of the above-mentioned (nor other leaders of that generation) ever had opportunities for specialised and dedicated grooming in the form of youth leadership programmes. However, they were visionary in the sense that they quickly realised that they needed each other – the pan-African struggle is and was as much a moral battle as it was a case of ‘enlightened self-interest†since their fates were intimately linked.

Sadly, there are few examples where youth organise themselves or are being organised by, of and for Africa. This reflects a failure to recognise the power and importance of networks of and for leaders (and leadership). In part, this is due to an emphasis on leaders as individuals. Sadly, this is a lesson from the past that we are ignoring. Not organising young high achievers and high- potential youths is a missed opportunity. That the world recognises Africaâ€s talents and potential is great – and well deserved for the many men and women who have had the privilege and opportunity to participate in these programmes. However, there is a missing piece to the puzzle. In order for Africa to progress as Africa, we need to build the relationships between these young individuals to understand our different pasts and value-systems, and build consensus around our common purpose and destiny, on our terms. We are failing to marshal these (would-be) ‘leaders†into a cohesive ‘leadership†that will drive the continent and her people forward. This requires specialised investment in and organisation of this demographic that so far has not been forthcoming by the continent itself.

The most valuable component of these programmes is not the technical knowledge that is gained, nor is it the opportunity to practice particular skills associated with ‘leadingâ€. The community (or network) of peers who one can reach out to for guidance or support is by far the most valuable take-away for participants. As mentioned above, the liberation-era leaders across Africa formed these social bonds and are known to have been in constant communication. Despite the lack of specialised grooming, they realised the importance of alliances and a group of leaders (peers) to form a collective leadership. These relationships were vital in securing Africaâ€s independence. Such relationships are, and will be, vital for good leadership in Africa. As these programmes are often not Africa based or formed, which individuals are being promoted, and why? How are potential-leaders identified? For what purpose are they being groomed? Are we coaching and mentoring would-be leaders to equip them with the skills and knowledge to understand how Africa got to be where it is today, why we face the challenges we face, where Africaâ€s place is in the world, and what efforts we can build on to get a better seat at the global table?

This piece starts with a famous quote from Franz Fanon, a psychiatrist and anti-colonial philosopher who fought in the Algerian War of Independence. It speaks to the heart of the matter regarding the development of young and emerging leaders in Africa – for what?

Through the African Union, African Heads of State and Government have adopted the Agenda 2063 (with its seven pillars) followed by seven goals. Are these the tasks we are setting our leaders? Are we doing enough to prepare ourselves across private, public, and civil society spaces to take on the leadership challenges that fulfilling these seven goals will face, and are our leaders doing enough to prepare future leaders for this task?

If we are serious about our future, we must groom the young and emerging leaders of today, to move us towards sustainable development and transformation. We must prepare them, so that when they too become Elders, they will in turn help to prepare future young and emerging leaders for Africa. For this, Africa too must look to the talented individuals across the continent and give them the opportunities and support they need to succeed – and we need to get them talking to, and working with, each other.

For more on Agenda 2063 see http://agenda2063.au.int/en/home

Frantz Fanonâ€s ‘The Wretched of the Earth†is available from the UONGOZI Institute Resource Centre (http://www.uongozi.or.tz/centerservices.php)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the above article are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of UONGOZI Institute.

An 11-year-old Texas girl has just scored a sweet $11 million deal with Whole Foods to sell her brand of lemonade.

Mikaila Ulmer’s BeeSweet Lemonade will be carried by 55 stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

When Whole Foods saw the promise in her lemonade, the supermarket agreed to sell the products in its regional stores. If Mikaila’s lemonade does well, it’ll eventually be sold nationwide.

The savvy 6th-grader from Austin, Texas, has developed her signature Me & The Bees lemonade stand into a thriving national business.

Her recipe is a combination of tasty mint, flaxseed and honey lemonade, which she inherited from her great-grandmother, Helen.

Mikaila gives a portion of her products to bee rescue foundations.

BeeSweet lemonade supports Heifer International, Texas Beekeepers Association and the Sustainable Food Center.

Mikaila came up with the idea for her lemonade after being stung by bees twice when she was four, according to NBCBLK.

‘It was painful. I was terrified of bees,’ she said in an interview with NBC.

But then she began to study the bees after her mother D’Andra turned her bee sting experience into a research assignment.

When Mikaila found out that bees could possibly become extinct in the years to come, she devised a plan to use her great-grandmother’s 1940 recipe, which uses honey, in order to raise money to help the bees.

Even though honey bees pollinate more than $15 billion of crops each year, Mikaila told NBC that ‘bees are dying’.

‘Last year, beekeepers lost 40 per cent of all their hives,’ she said.

She also quoted Albert Einstein who said: ‘If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.’

Mikaila started her lemonade business in 2009 and she sweetens her lemonade with honey instead of sugar or artificial sweetener, which is healthier and saves the bees as well as provides support for beekeepers.

She secured $60,000 on ABC’s TV show Shark Tank, last year and then went on to serve lemonade to President Barack Obama.

She was also a part of Google’s Dare to be Digital campaign.

Mikaila is now leading workshops on how to save the honeybees.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3519137/When-life-gives-lemons-Meet-11-year-old-girl-scored-11million-deal-Foods-sell-lemonade.html#ixzz44xT9v7op
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Edward has attend the prestigious the Juilliard School (MAP), Bloomingdale School of Music and Manhattan School of Music Pre-College division for 5 consecutive years. Edward was selected to be an intern with the Exploring the Arts’ Tony Bennett Apprenticeship Program where he studied under the direction of the Latin Jazz fusion Sweet Plantain String Quartet; Eddie Venegas, Romulo Benavides, Orlando Wells, and David Gotay. Edward returned to teach the violinists under the direction of the Sweet Plantains. Edward is now one of the principal guest artists (Stunt Violinist-Violist) for SWEET PLANTAIN and routinely performs with the group doubling for violinists Joe Deninzon, Eddie Venegas and violist Orlando Wells.

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A graduate of the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music, Edward received his Bachelor Degree in Viola Performance with Honors. He was appointed Principle Violist of the Purchase Symphony Orchestra for three consecutive years.​ He was a student of Ira Weller of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Edward is a two-time first prize winner of the Vincent Wagner Concerto Competition (Violin & Viola), a recipient of the Van Lier Scholarship (MSM), the Laurence Rosenfeld Scholarship and the Chamber Music Live Scholarship (ACSM). Edward also received his Master of Music Degree in Violin Performance with Honors from The Aaron Copland School of Music. He is a student of Daniel Phillips of the Orion String Quartet.

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Edward has composed and performed music for theatrical productions including Hamlet (Theatre of War), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Dean Irby), Master and Margarita (David Bassuk), Mother Courage and Her Children (Dennis Reed), Beautiful Dreamer (Jim McElwaine/Dean Irby), Blues for an Alabama Sky (Dean Irby), Trojan Women (Rachel Dickstein), Twelfth Night (Chris McCann), No Exit (Yellow House Pictures), I am Human (Kameron Wood Film), A Brooklyn Boy (National Black Theatre/Vineyard Theatre) & The Woodsman (59E59/Ars Nova/Standard ToyKraft). Edward has worked in cooperation with BAFTA, The National Black Theatre, Native American Composers Apprenticeship Program, Trilogy Opera Company, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Acting, Dance/NYC, Katana Flight Foundation, Bard Conductors Institute, Tony Bennett Exploring the Arts Foundation, Google, and Grand Canyon Music Festival to name a few. Edward studies under the mentorship of multiple Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk nominee, Jim McElwaine.

Edward was a featured soloist in the Colour of Music Virtuosi Concert Series. He performed Vivaldiâ€s Concerto No. 2 in G minor (Summer) at the Charleston Museum. “Edward Wellington Hardy Tackled “Summer” With Vigor, Control And Expressiveness.” – The Post and Courier

Penn was born and raised in Atlanta. She started her company in 2008 at the age of 8.[1] She spoke at the TEDTalk at TEDWomen 2013 in San Francisco, which was streamed live on TED.com.[2] She has done 2 official TEDTalks and 1 TEDxTalk.[citation needed] Penn is also an animator and artist, drawing cartoon characters from an early age. She is the creator of an animated series called The Pollinators which focuses on the importance of bees and other pollinators. She premiered a clip of The Pollinators and another animated series called Malicious Dishes at TEDWomen 2013.[3]

Penn has made herself known as a supporter and member of One Billion Rising[4] and Girls, Inc. She also founded her own nonprofit organization, Mayaâ€s Ideas 4 The Planet, in 2011.

Watch her in this video and find out more about her: