The African Pathfinder Leaders Initiative (APLI) started off the year with an exhilarating youth training in Windhoek. Through the APLI Fellowship, the organisation has onboarded 17 youth entrepreneurs, leaders and community developers who will undergo the year-long acceleration and mentorship programme.
APLI’s Fellowship Programme is a business and social enterprise acceleration programme which creates bridges of opportunities enabling youth to partake in economic activity by building their capacity, confidence and support structure. The trainings will equip youth with the requisite skills, knowledge, exposure, tools, and resources to unleash their potential in the short, medium and long term.
Opening this year’s Fellowship Programme, Member of Parliament, Patience Masua remarked that “In a landscape shadowed by high unemployment rates, initiatives like APLI emerge as beacons of hope and transformation. Beyond the conventional classroom setting, this programme is a vital incubator of leadership skills, fostering resilience, innovation, and a profound sense of purpose. In an era where standing out is not just an aspiration but a necessity, APLI offers the unique opportunity to transcend academic boundaries, equipping youth with the tools to not only navigate the complexities of our world but to emerge as distinctive leaders poised to make a lasting impact on our communities and beyond.”
The training session in Windhoek included many sessions such as pitching, financial management, design thinking, transformational leadership, strategic planning and personal branding amongst others. The training also included interview simulations as well as networking events.
Speaking with much excitement, youth leader and community developer from Zambezi region, Lyonga Mashazi indicated that “this was the best residential programme I have attended so far. It starts with self-development, and it continues to the impact you can bring in your community, then the county at large. Being a young man from Zambezi, it made me realise that I can bring those opportunities home. This programme also made me realise that I can be the role model of the youth in the region and the community at large.”
Equally enthusiastic was Prosper Kadhila, medical student and entrepreneur from Windhoek indicated that “being exposed to so many creative and innovative individuals, I began to redefine my purpose and expand the borders of my potential. Each guest speaker played pivotal role in teaching me practical ways to dream, build and successfully maintain my business and NGO. My mindset has shifted, and I have come out feeling empowered and believing I can achieve anything I put my mind to.”
APLI is building a generation of young people that are better equipped to not only design systems which work for them, but also to actively contribute towards the future they desire. APLI’s work is centred around facilitating the building blocks of being change-makers, this includes framing mindsets, building communities and increasing capacity to implement and excel.