CAFI Fellowship is one example of our commitment to investing in effective, visionary, and collaborative leaders who motivate others, drive change, and produce results.
The Commonwealth Africa Initiative Fellowship selects leading practitioners in the public and private sectors as well as Young leaders in advocacy, public policy, academia, and the arts who are able to engage productively with the Foundations work.
The Initiative is excited about and committed to supporting and developing leaders who are increasingly better equipped and networked to effectively lead change. These leaders think bigger and think differently about what is possible in their communities. CAFI Fellows possess a vision for strengthening the common good of Africa and are devoted to making that vision a reality.
2023: Fellows
Christine Odera is a Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) practitioner with a master’s in development policy and practice from the Geneva Graduate Institute. . She has close to a decade experience on YPS with a focus on developing policies, programs, knowledge, best practices, and tools. She works to strengthen the capacity of young people, women and youth-serving organizations to advance local, national, regional, and global peacebuilding strategies. She served as the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN) Pan Commonwealth Coordinator, the Co-Chair for the East Africa Youth empowerment forum on Peace and Security (EAYEFPS). She is presently serving as the Chairperson Operations, Training and Programs at the National Youth Service (NYS) council in Kenya.
Fazle Salam is a graduate of Kings College London, where he earned his degree in Digital Culture. During his time there, Fazle specialized in Digital Journalism and Investigations, as well as Digital Research Methods. Currently, Fazle is a logistics and programme coordinator for climate NGO Faith for Our Planet. He has also worked for a world-renowned Bangladeshi NGO called “Sajida Foundation” across their health and microfinance programmes. Additionally, Fazle works for Unitas Communications – a specialist public relations, reputation management and digital communications agency that specializes in the communications interface between the Islamic and Western worlds.
2021 Fellows:
Jesse Samasuwo is a British army officer and writer for Apolitical a consultancy focused on governance. He is a former editor in the services of the African Energy Chamber and has worked as a consultant for Free Zone Watch, Free Zone Report and the African Branding Corporation.
Joel Sam is an associate director at Acumen and an expert on emerging markets who has worked across Africa and the Middle East in a number of former Commonwealth countries. A PhD graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies in the United Kingdom, his interests include renewable energy mini-grids, impact measurement and climate transition risks.