Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders

Last week, the names of 12 Mauritians flying to US for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders were revealed at the L’Atelier Café. Public Affairs Officer Tedde Thompson announced that this year they had hundreds of strong applications and it was very difficult to narrow it down to only twelve finalists for Mauritius. The fellowship will take place from 16th June to 30th July and will culminate with the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in Washington, D.C. 31st July to 2nd August. Two Mauritians have also been selected for the Professional Development Experience to be held from 3rd August to 15th September.

Alvin Athave: “A platform to learn” 

29-year old Alvin Athave has over ten years of experience in the Information Technology sector as well as in the basketball coaching industry. He is employed at a leading commercial bank of the country where he works on core banking systems, batch processing and monitoring. Alvin is the founder of YUT Basketball, a private organisation where he trains players as from six years old at the game of basketball.  The young man aims to develop basketball in Mauritius and use the discipline to teach life skills. Alvin holds an Advanced Sport Management from the International Olympic Committee. “In US, sport is very much privileged and there is much expertise there. It is a platform to learn and I will apply it when I return,” he shares. He has chosen the Business and Entrepreneurship Track and will attend the University of San Diego. 

Anousha Purbhoo-Junggee: “It is going to be an amazing experience” 

Anousha Purbhoo-Junggee is the co-founder and head of marketing at 1950 Design & Print, a printing and advertising company based in Mauritius. She started her career as a trainee reporter at sixteen. Following high school, she worked at the top newspaper and radio station of the country. After eight years of working full-time, she decided to embark on the adventure of becoming an entrepreneur. Together with her husband, she started a company. After six years, they are now expanding in sub-Saharan Africa promoting their newborn environmental-friendly project, which aims to reduce advertising waste - SAKILI. Anousha is planning to use the knowledge and connections gained from the Mandela Washington Fellowship to grow her business while focusing on the upcycling of different PVC and plastic materials. Last year, she was listed among the 100 Golden Women of Africa by Women4Africa. “I feel super excited and humbled. It is going to be an amazing experience. I lived the experience last year through my husband who is a MW fellow as well. And this year he will live mine. I’m going with loads of expectations and looking forward to using the knowledge and connections gained from the Mandela Washington Fellowship to grow my business while focusing on the up cycling of different PVC and plastic materials.” She will be attending the University of Notre Dame for the Business & Entrepreneurship Track.

Diksha Beeharry: “Promoting gender equality and equity” 

Diksha Lumbini Beeharry is an independent barrister. The experience she gained during her studies at the University of Kent and her internship at the Women’s Legal Center in South Africa, coupled with her work as a lawyer in Mauritius, has deepened her conviction that gender equality and human rights remain an important challenge. Diksha founded, in 2015, a non-governmental organisation, Mafubo Mauritius which is a local branch of Mafubo International. She is currently the president of the organization. Mafubo Mauritius’s vision is to build a nation where women are the architects of their own lives. She spearheads projects in the community aiming at, inter alia, advocating and promoting gender equality and equity, fighting against all forms of discrimination and violence against women, educating and empowering women, and improving accessibility to general services. She has chosen the Civic Leadership Track and she will be going to the Kansas State University. 

Atish Teetan: “I will learn about best practices” 

Atish Teetan is the HR Executive for a large chain of supermarkets in Mauritius employing over 265 persons. He holds a BSc in Human Resources Management and has over five years’ of experience in Management across various fields including the medical sector, the Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, the tourism industry and the financial services sector.

He firmly believes that entrepreneurship is the way forward for the Mauritian economy. Subsequently, his main ambition and goal in life is to become an entrepreneur in the next few years with the FMCG sector even if the Fitness industry is of particular interest to him. During his free time, he is actively involved in organising social activities for underprivileged and disabled children through the CSR Committee of the company he works for, as well as for other NGOs in his community.  He is a fitness addict and football fanatic. “It will be a platform to gain more knowledge and open my own business. The US is known for its expertise and has advanced techniques. I will learn about the best practice there.” 

Jean Francois Favory: “A platform to share knowledge” 

Jean-François Favory has been a paraplegic since the age of seven, following a medical error; he pursued his primary and secondary education successfully. He has been working for 18 years now, and also driving his own car everyday independently. He started to work in a company, then as a self-employed, in graphic designing and computer maintenance until he joined a call centre. His success at the call centre enabled him to be promoted to supervisory and management roles for another three years. Then he shifted to a bank and later resigned after seven years as Trade Finance assistant. Today, he is a full-time volunteer at La Fraternité Mauricienne des Malades et Handicapés (FMMH) where he serves as treasurer, accountant and HR, as well as wheelchair basketball player and assistant coach for the sports club. Jean-François Favory and the FMMH share the same vision: to help as many disabled persons as possible to have access to proper education, work, sports and leisure by encouraging them to develop their potentials. “I really want to gain new experiences and share knowledge with other fellows. It will be a means to exploit different things.” He has chosen the Civic Leadership Track and will be posted at the University of Delaware. He is among the fellows to get the opportunity for a Professional Development Experience/Internship. 

Joan Kingszy Aza: “Assist in finding solutions” 

Since the last five years, Joan Kingszy Aza, 28, committed herself to social work. Her focus is on education and elimination of drugs proliferation. She is a member of the NGO Sidatak Baie du Tombeau which is actively involved in the fight against drug addiction. She also helps children in her community to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills. Kingszy is also a member of the Leo Club of Port Louis. 

Kingszy holds two undergraduate degrees in French and Social Work from the University of Mauritius. She is currently completing her Master in Language Science at Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 University. “This fellowship will help me extend my projects in my community and my fight against drugs. It will help me in finding a solution and work on the different projects.” She will be attending the Bowling Green State University for the Civic Leadership Track. 

Megha Venketasamy: “Start a political coaching journey for women in Africa”

34-year old Megha Venketasamy has over seven years of experience in working on grassroots projects and with NGOs in Mauritius and Africa with prime focus on women empowerment through leadership training, political empowerment and gender awareness. Megha’s life purpose to be one of those to “serve women and men till the end” by building bridges and by bringing balance for the collective healing of this world through co-creative collaborations.

She holds a degree in Business Management and is also an Associate Certified Meta-Coach by the International Society of Neuro-Semantics. Currently, she is one of the Board Members of trade+impact, an international association whose purpose is to focus on women led social enterprises in Africa and MNE. In her professional and activism commitments, Megha focuses on inner empowerment of women by working through belief systems, combining neuro-semantic tools with facilitation tools, for that which is constructed can be deconstructed.  She journeys with women so that they remember and re-member their inner power and then they lead their way through. Upon completion of Mandela Washington Fellowship, Megha plans to start a political coaching journey for women in Africa, through co-creative collaboration with other MWF 2017. “I want to learn and comeback to invest in Africa.” She has chosen the Civic Leadership Track and will be at the University of Virginia/College of William & Mary. 

Mehreen Rughony: “Shaping the leaders of tomorrow” 

Mehreen Rughony, 26, has been involved for over eight years in community services, ranging from alleviation of poverty to youth development. She is the founder of a youth NGO ‘Rays of Hope’ which aims at promoting young leaders. A female leader in her community, Mehreen serves as Program Officer at the National Women’s Council which has as mandate to empower girls and women at national level. Mehreen holds a degree in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Mauritius. She is committed to pursue her fight against social injustices by creating a community of young leaders. “My main focus is the youth. This platform will help to shape the leaders of tomorrow.” 

She is attending Duquesne University for the Civic Leadership Track. She has been chosen for a Professional Development Experience/Internship. 

Pravesh Gaonjur: “ Make Mauritius a secure cyber destination "

Pravesh Gaonjur is the co-Founder of Tylers, a company specialised in IT Security, Software Development and high-end training. He is a seasoned Information Security Consultant with 15 years’ of experience. Pravesh is also a Board member of ISACA, a U.S.-based NGO for Information Security professionals and a regular speaker at conferences on security awareness. Pravesh aspires to make Mauritius a secure Cyber Destination and Technology and the number one pillar of the Mauritian economy. He holds a First Class Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from University of Pune, India, and several internationally recognized certifications. He will be attending Northwestern University for Business and Entrepreneurship Track.

Sabriino Clair: “Plans to set up an agri-business venture”

Sabriino Clair has five years of experience in the agribusiness sector, research and project management with particular focus on food manufacturing. Sabriino owns a small poultry business in Rodrigues. She is a Project Manager/Food Technologist on several food processing projects being implemented by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly and cooperatives, emphasizing on business management, food technology, food quality control, food safety, conflict management, research and new product development in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius. 

Sabriino is a current Master’s degree student in Nutrition at the Open University of Mauritius and holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Food Science and Technology from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius. Sabriino is motivated by his commitment to the development of a profitable model agri-business and the economic empowerment of other Rodriguan entrepreneurs. Upon the completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Sabriino plans to set up an agri-business venture while pursuing his higher studies, research and development in the field of food nutrition to acquire more practical experience in view to empower others in the development and management of innovative agri-businesses.  He will be at the Purdue University for Business & Entrepreneurship Track. 

Dr. Tetraj Ramchurn: “Pioneer patient-entered cancer care” 

At a very tender age, Dr. Tetraj Ramchurn aspired to be a surgeon. Hailing from a modest family, he knew that he could achieve his goal only by having excellent grades. With outstanding performance throughout his secondary level schooling at the Royal College of Port Louis, he eventually got chosen to undergo Medical Studies at Banaras, India. 

The six years spent at Banaras were life changing and paved for his career ahead. In December 2007, Dr. Ramchurn was selected to pursue Postgraduate studies in General Surgery at the prestigious institute, PGIMER, India. His passion for the art of surgery grew tremendously. 

Upon his return to Mauritius, he joined the public service and was confronted with the growing scourge of cancer ailments among the population. Its dismal prognosis and the helplessness of the system drove him to further specialise in surgical oncology from a tertiary cancer hospital in India. His mission and vision is to pioneer valued-based and patient-entered cancer care in this part of Africa. “This platform will allow me to realise the dream of a cancer care in Mauritius. It a great experience waiting for the young African leaders.”  He has chosen the Public Management track and will attend Ohio State University.