By Jim Fisher-Thompson
Staff Writer
Washington – A young Sierra Leonean working to improve his nation by strengthening civil society and job creation will share his ideas about Africa’s future with President Obama as he attends the President’s Forum with Young African Leaders August 3–5.
Donald Kalokoh is the Sierra Leone country representative for Youth Action International, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) working to empower women and youths to reach their full economic and social potential.
He also serves as speaker of the Mano River Union Youth Parliament’s Sierra Leone chapter. The Youth Parliament is a network of young people who advocate for peace, human rights and the empowerment of youth in the countries of the Mano River Union.
Kalokoh is one of 120 African youth leaders who were recently nominated by their local U.S. embassies to attend the Young African Leaders forum, which features a town hall-style meeting with President Obama.
Kalokoh, who holds a diploma in community development and certificate in human rights from the African Institute of Management, Governance and Development (AIMDG) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, told America.gov, “My vision for the future of Sierra Leone is to have a country where there is equal employment opportunity, good governance, no corruption, and economic prosperity, a situation where young people would be regarded as leaders of today and not leaders in waiting.”
“It has always been my dream to meet with President Obama, whom I consider a ‘living monument’ of Africa,” Kalokoh said. “I am looking forward to gaining a lot of inspiration from the forum because it will offer me an opportunity to articulate the views and expectations of young people in Sierra Leone and the West Africa region which my leadership has offered me the opportunity to learn and experience.”
“The forum will expand on my leadership skills by acquiring new knowledge and skills on how we can work together as young Africans to develop innovative solutions to the challenges which confront us,” Kalokoh said.
Mitchell Benedict, charge d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, told America.gov, “Under Donald’s leadership, the Sierra Leone branch of Youth Action International has blossomed into one of the country’s best-organized and well-respected NGOs striving to rebuild the country.”
Benedict predicted Kalokoh would benefit from the forum because “he has focused on creating economic opportunities for young Sierra Leoneans, and the sessions on technology and innovation and fostering healthy business climates should prove very useful to him.”
But, in a larger sense, Benedict said, “Donald will benefit from his interactions with his peers in both the U.S. government as well as the other delegates to the forum — a chance for him to network, to find out what others are doing, and take some experiences and best practices home with him.” |
