YEPI Deputy Executive Director selected for YALI Program.

We couldn’t be more proud of our deputy executive director, Ms Biabu Shaffi who has been selected to participate in the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa.

From Mombasa, Kenya, Biabu Shaffi is among the few Muslim women that have gone outside of their comfort zone to positively impact her community. From her desk as the Deputy Executive Director of Youth Empowerment Program Initiative, Biabu has been in the forefront in mentoring and inspiring young and emerging entrepreneurs from the Coast Region. She has also used her passion for baking and cooking to equip young girls with baking skills to help them earn money to feed themselves and their families. For the past 3 years, she has been baking cakes, cookies, and other pastries to earn an extra shilling which she has used to fund her degree in Business Management.

After several attempts, Biabu has finally been selected for the Young African Leaders Initiative, which was founded by President Barack Obama, as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African Leaders. Biabu has been selected for participation in the 24th Cohort, of the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa which will take place from April 30th to May 25th, 2018. She was selected based on her proven leadership skills, her commitment to personal development, and her desire to make a difference in her country.

'The YALI Regional Leadership Center is located at the Kenyatta University main campus in Nairobi, Kenya and offer leadership training programs to young leaders between the ages of 18 and 35. The RLC serve as a place for regional collaboration driven by young leaders by providing in-person and online training, networking, and professional development opportunities. The RLC is a project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in close partnership with The MasterCard Foundation and other private sector partners.'

Together with a diverse group of young leaders from 14 countries in Eastern and Central Africa, Biabu, will be immersed in a unique educational opportunity that embraces experiential learning, scholarship, mentorship and collaboration. After successfully completing the 4-week program, Biabu will be a part of the next generation of innovative leaders who are empowered to shape the future of Africa.