EASSI MENTORS 9 YOUNG WOMEN THROUGH LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Once again at EASSI, we are smiling as we celebrate the successful completion of the 2011 young women’s leadership training that lasted for two months (June – July 2011). This year nine young women from 7 out of our 8 member countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Ethiopia were the beneficiaries of this year’s training.

The 2011 programme was facilitated by experts in various fields including gender and development, transformational leadership, feminism, communication, international human rights of women, to mention but a few. The training was intensive but also very rewarding as the young women indicated in one of the feedback sessions. In keeping with the tradition, the training ended on a high note with a colorful dissemination workshop during which the young women shared findings from their individual researches done after the training. Their guests were treated to presentations that touched on all the 12 critical areas of action of the Beijing Platform for Action. These included: Women and the Media, Violence against women; Women and Poverty; The girl child; Human Rights of Women; Women in Power and Decision Making; etc

This year, we also had the unique opportunity to have members of the EASSI Board of Directors with us during the dissemination workshop. They could not hide their joy during the presentations and in the end, they were mostly full of praises for the young women and did not hesitate to give them words of wisdom to take back with them to their countries.

To wind up the session on presentations, Dr. Akinyi-Nzioki, the outgoing Chair of the Board of Directors awarded the young women training certificates and urged them to ensure that they empower fellow young people during their planned replica trainings back home. She also invited them to take part in EASSI activities at country level because now they are part and parcel of EASSI.

On a lighter note,  the young women gave a token of appreciation to each staff member of EASSI . This, as they said, was in appreciation of the individual contributions that the staff made to their lives during the training but also because one good turn deserves another.

And once again, EASSI rose to the occasion and delivered on one of her promises to contribute to the sustenance of the women’s movement and especially now that this is the African Women’s Decade. The training is one of the initiatives under our Gender Equality and Women’s Rights programme and last year over 200 young people were trained by the beneficiaries of the 2010 training.

EASSI is most grateful to her focal point organisations that helped in sourcing for the young women for the training.

Congratulations to Marilyn, Lydia, Scovia, Judith, Annagrace, Olga, Selamawit, Farrah, Justine – the 9 young and empowered women leaders. EASSI is so proud of you.
 
Look out for our 2012 intake to be communicated soon.