Member Programmes » Southern and Eastern Africa

LEAD Southern & Eastern Africa 2005 Highlights

The number of Fellows for LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa (SEA) increased to 109 with the graduation of cohort 11 Fellows. The presence of Fellows and influence at national and regional level has grown from strength to strength. Last year, several Fellows have changed jobs and move to different countries, raising LEAD’s visibility and enhancing LEAD’s profile across the region.

Many more Fellows continue to occupy senior positions where they are able to bring about great influence and make significant impact on policy. There are many reports where Fellows head or are part of delegations representing various sectors nationally and abroad.

Capacity building:

In 2005, LEAD SEA’s visibility also continued to rise with the engagement of new partners. Capacity building activities, for example, were carried in collaboration with the South African Airways magazine, SAWUBONA in November 2005, and the findings of the joint conference on policy dialogue where LEAD was a major partner, were published in the Skyways Magazine for South African Air Link airline. Some training sessions for Cohort 11 were attended by cabinet ministers and also got coverage in national newspapers and television.

Fellows Training Programme:

LEAD SEA graduated 14 Fellows in 2005/2006. Associates participated in the International Training Session on Ecosystem Approach to Human Health in Dakar Senegal. In addition, nearly 60 participants went through LEAD like training by taking some of the modules with regular associates or through separate short courses, including delivery of five regional training sessions, two of which were outside the normal cohort training. Participants training projects were wide ranging dealing with issues of gender in South Africa, land reclamation from mining activities in Zambia to sea weed farming in Tanzania.

Fellows Activities:

Throughout the year, Fellows have participated in the organization and implementation of the capacity building activities. For example:

  • The newest intake of participants for the Fellows Training programme visited a water-harvesting project by H. Mloza Banda (Cohort 7) for an HIV/AIDS orphanage
  • The Department of Social Development (South Africa), UNFPA and The Africa Center of the University of Kwazulu Natal assisted in the implementation of the 2005 capacity building activities
  • LEAD SEA Fellows attended a meeting in Dakar, Senegal with Fellows from Canada; discussions are under now way on a twinning project involving University of Nova Scotia and University of Malawi, with the Fellows playing a key role
  • LEAD SEA facilitated a workshop on malaria in Tanzania.