Mandela Washington Fellowship 2022 Uganda Cohort
Leadership in Business
Leadership in Business Institutes are tailored to Fellows aspiring to become leaders in the private sector or to start their own business ventures in Africa. The Institutes introduce participants to business and entrepreneurial approaches in the United States, including those that address social issues. Institutes also help Fellows build technical and leadership capacity in areas such as innovation and technology, business plan development, financial management, business ethics, the intersection of business with civil society and government, and the role of public-private partnerships.
Joan Patience Atuhaire – Kampala. Joan Patience Atuhaire has more than five years? experience in the areas of health and gender equality. She is founder of Simply FP, an online shop for sexual and reproductive health products in Uganda. Joan holds a bachelor?s degree in Community Psychology and has received significant training in gender issues, social entrepreneurship, and communications. Joan envisions a world where young people are empowered with the resources to meaningfully contribute toward the development agenda. Upon completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Joan plans to reduce barriers to access for sexual and reproductive health products in Uganda through Simply FP.
John Mary Kavuma – Mpigi. Johnmary Kavuma is an experienced advocate for environmental sustainability with more than seven years of expertise in this field. Currently, he is founder and team leader at Upcycle Africa, where he focuses on transforming Africa?s plastic waste challenge into employment opportunities for marginalized communities. Through Upcycle Africa, Johnmary repurposes plastic waste into accessories, eco-homes, and fuel, and he provides green business training to empower young people. Throughout his career, Johnmary has volunteered with various organizations, including Jangu e.V, Jangu International, and the Kaleke Kasome Foundation. He holds a diploma in Sustainability and a bachelor?s degree in Social Work and Community Development. Johnmary is committed to upskilling more than 1 million people in Africa and creating sustainable solutions to the continent?s problems. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Johnmary aims to use his newly acquired skills and experiences to create even more sustainable solutions while training thousands of young people in these techniques.
Dan Lutaaya – Kampala. Daniel Lutaaya has more than 10 years of experience in Journalism. Currently, Daniel is managing director at News 24/7 focusing on online journalism and content creation. Daniel has worked with major media organizations like NBS, Kwesé Sports, and WBS TV as a reporter, news anchor, and producer. Daniel is committed to driving the transition from traditional to online news media in Africa. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Daniel plans to grow and expand his 24/7 brand to other African countries, and to partner with other major news brands to create a digital, crowd-sourced newsroom.
Hasfa Taylor Mago – Kampala. Hasfa Mago is a social innovator, author, speaker, and literacy specialist. She is well versed in early childhood literacy development and community empowerment through the implementation of programs based on Sustainable Development Goal 4.7. She has more than six years of experience in evidence-based literacy interventions. Currently, Hasfa is founder and literacy specialist at Read to Learn Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Uganda, where she leads management and literacy interventions and authors books and training materials. She has volunteered in university programs to develop the mindset and goal-setting abilities of young people. Hasfa holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She is committed to making sure that all children have access to books, libraries, and early literacy development interventions regardless of their socioeconomic situation. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Hasfa plans to share the knowledge and experience she gained with the rest of her team in Uganda and embark on scaling her project impact in East and Western Africa.
Enoch Muwanguzi – Wakiso. Enoch Muwanguzi has more than 10 years of experience in entrepreneurship. Enoch is managing director at Deploy Resource Africa Ltd. and focuses on intelligently deploying Africa’s underused resources to make ecofriendly, long-lasting, and effective products and services. Enoch developed Ugabrush, locally made shoe brushes from cow tail hair. More than 40,000 shoe brushes have been produced and sold, 20 direct jobs have been created, and at least 1,000 kg of brush plastic waste has been substituted. Enoch is a Dunin-Deshpande Queen?s Innovation Centre program coach with the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship Program. He has trained more than 200 African entrepreneurs and assisted more than 10 enterprises in acquiring seed funding. Enoch is an alumnus of the Makerere University MasterCard Foundation Scholars? program and holds a bachelor?s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University. Enoch is passionate about merging knowledge from agriculture, engineering, and Entrepreneurship to innovate up-to-standard products and services for Africans and the world. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Enoch plans to return to Uganda and apply his new skills to expand Deploy Resource Africa beyond Uganda and coach thousands of African entrepreneurs.
Alicia Mbalire Namakula – Masaka. Alicia Mbalire Namakula has more than three years of experience in rural women’s empowerment. She is cofounder of the Women Income Network, which focuses on the economic empowerment of women through the demonstration and promotion of maggot farming. She has been a 2022 Echoing Green Fellow, a 2021 Resolution Fellow, and a 2018 Millennium Fellow. Alicia has a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Makerere University. Alicia is passionate about addressing the injustices that afflicted her own family when they struggled as menial laborers earning less than $20 per month. Such injustice is the status quo, particularly among female-headed households, and she felt obligated to pioneer financial independence for such households. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Alicia plans to transfer her new skills and agrotechnologies to struggling families in Uganda, to explore new markets for maggot products, and to build coalitions with experts and organizations to expand Women Income Network’s approaches to community development, particularly in financial inclusion and agrotechnological developments. She also aspires to establish a network of economically independent women who, in turn, will cause a “bushfire effect” using the trainer of trainee model.
Zaitun Namuwonge – Kampala. Zaitun Namuwonge has more than 10 years of experience in the oil industry. Currently, Zaitun is cofounder and managing director at Afro Lube Limited, an ecofriendly enterprise that uses recycled engine oil to produce quality engine oil. Zaitun holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Psychology. She is passionate about lessening the drastic footprints on the environment caused by used engine oil and about increasing women’s empowerment and involvement in the oil industry. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Zaitun plans to increase awareness about the dangers of used oil and the benefits of recycling it.
2023 Mandela Washington Fellows
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since 2014, nearly 5,100 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in six-week Leadership Institutes, studying Business, Civic Engagement, or Public Management hosted by U.S. colleges or universities. Throughout the Institutes, Fellows enrich local U.S. communities while sharing best practices.
Leadership in Public Management
Leadership in Public Management Institutes are tailored to Fellows who work, or aspire to work, in all levels of government, regional or international organizations, or other publicly-oriented groups and think tanks. The Institutes introduce Fellows to U.S. models and best practices in public management while building technical and leadership capacity in areas such as citizen engagement, resource management, financial management systems, and the intersection of government with business and civil society.
Abraham Onyait Ageet – Kampala. Abraham Onyait Ageet has more than eight years of cumulative experience in electrical engineering and intellectual property. Currently, Abraham is senior officer of search and examination at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, where he focuses on substantive examination of patents and designs and the creation of awareness among universities and research and development institutions. Abraham holds a master?s degree in Intellectual Property and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He is committed to facilitating the protection of Uganda?s innovative outputs to facilitate societal and economic development. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Abraham plans to implement an awareness program to help communities leverage their inherent intellectual property.
Aloisius Kalisa Buyonje – wakiso. Aloisius Kalisa Buyonje has more than 10 years of experience in Local politics. Currently, Aloisius Kalisa is a district councilor with the local government in the Wakiso District of Uganda and represents the people of Kajjansi 2. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. Aloisius Kalisa is committed to leadership, public management, and good service delivery, which he uses to improve the livelihood of the people in his community. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Aloisius Kalisa plans to widen his community project of briquettes production into a training facility for mindset change and economic empowerment among the youths in his community.
Marion Kaganda – Kampala. Marion Kaganda has seven years of experience in financial fraud investigation with expertise in public policy and governance. Currently, Marion works at the Inspectorate of Government in Uganda focusing on investigating grand corruption and anti-money laundering. Marion holds a Masters of Public Administration (International Development) from the University of York, United Kingdom. Marion is also a member of the Association of Corporate Treasures (U.K.) where she holds a certificate in Financial Fundamentals for Business (CertFIN) and Certificate in International Treasury Management (CertITM). In the summer of 2020, Marion attended the International Anti-Corruption Academy (Vienna). Marion is committed to combating corruption in Uganda which will lead to international development. Upon completion of the fellowship Marion plans to use the knowledge and skills acquired through networking and benchmarking to drive international development in Uganda.
Angellah Kiiza Kyomugisha – Kampala Angellah Kiiza Kyomugisha has more than 12 years of experience in electrical power system engineering. Currently, Angellah is senior energy officer at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of Uganda focusing on designing national electrical grid extensions and connectivity to rural communities. She also serves as a mentor in the Uganda Commonwealth Scholarship alumni group, a cell leader in her community church, and a member of Zonta International, advocating for vulnerable women’s rights. Angellah holds a master’s degree in Electrical Power System Engineering from Manchester University, a postgraduate diploma in Project Planning and Management from Uganda Management Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University. Angellah is motivated by the knowledge that every rural electrification project that she designs is an opportunity to positively transform a rural community. Upon completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Angellah plans to continue working with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, because it offers her an opportunity to serve and improve the welfare of Uganda’s citizens. Angellah’s long-term aspiration is to plan and implement electrification projects with diverse rural communities in more parts of Africa, and to make an impact globally.
Keith Maraka – Kumi. Keith Maraka has more than seven years of experience working to enable vulnerable girls to have better and safer lives. Currently, Keith is managing director at Maraka Foundation for Development, where he focuses on sensitizing girls about their human rights, advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young women in Uganda, and providing free legal services to disadvantaged girls. Keith holds a Master of Laws degree. He is committed to improving the livelihoods of economically disadvantaged girls in his community. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Keith plans to reduce the incidence of early marriages in his community. He will provide the poorest families in his community with income-generating projects, such as poultry farms and piggeries, to make them financially stable; this will reduce their motivation to marry off their young daughters in exchange for gifts and money. Other actions that he will take include sensitization and community policing to curb early marriages in his community.
Enoc Mutahi – Mityana. Enoc Mutahi has more than 11 years of experience in land administration, spatial planning, land policy reform, and land rights advocacy. Currently, Enoc is senior land management officer with the local government in Mityana District, Uganda, where he heads the land sector. He is responsible for managing orderly, lawful, and sustainable land development in the district. Enoc holds a postgraduate diploma in Urban Governance and Management, a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, and is pursuing a master’s degree in Land Management. He is passionate about acquiring expert knowledge and skills in leadership in public management to help others in his community. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Enoc looks forward to his community benefiting from his new knowledge and skills to better assist those in Uganda.
Jabura Muwonge – Kampala Jabura Muwonge with more than eight years of experience as a medical doctor in maternal and child health. Jabura is founder of Uganda Medical Interns United, which brings together all medical interns in Uganda to advocate for the welfare of nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and dentists. He is chief executive officer of Kigundu Health Insurance, a local health insurance plan that aims to see healthcare workers receive the same quality health services they give others. Jabura is secretary of health for the Buganda Youth Council, which oversees health-related activities and promotes the health of the Buganda people. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Jabura plans to continue with his advocacy work to have financially liberated health workers and to grow his health insurance to enable all health workers access to quality affordable health services.
Nusifah Nabasiita – Kampala. Nabasiita Nusifah has more than years of experience in active politics as an elected woman councilor representing Bugolobi Parish in the Nakawa Urban Council in Kampala, Uganda. Nusifah focuses on advocating for equitable distribution of national funding, pushing for women to receive benefits from government programs, representing women and youth issues in council meetings, assisting women in accessing legal justice, and ensuring that her electorates receive public services and utilities. She is chair of the Buganda Youth Council, which promotes Buganda culture and organizes youth in learning leadership skills. Nusifah is a volunteer activist at the Federation of Women Lawyers in Uganda, which helps women access free legal justice. She also operates her own flower shop and decoration company with two full-time and several other part-time employees. Nusifah holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. She is passionate about equity and fairness and, thus, advocates for gender equality, human rights protection, and equal representation for men and women in decision making. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Nusifah plans to pursue a master’s degree in Gender Studies and to open a foundation that will mentor and empower women and girls to participate in decision making.
Aisha Namugga – Kamuli. Aisha Namugga has more than 10 years of experience in legal practice and as a volunteer in social work. Aisha is legal associate for climate change projects at Earth and Rights Initiative, junior partner and associate at GM Kibirige & Co. Advocates, and a woman councilor and member of the Education and Health Committee at Njeru Municipality. She is focused on realizing the right to a clean and healthy environment, which includes executing projects that facilitate the dissemination of information and a community’s role in its protection. She lobbies for constructing boreholes to increase water supply sources, institutes cases against violators of a clean and healthy environment, facilitates measures to rehabilitate communities affected by water pollution, and other endeavors. Aisha is pursuing a Master of Laws and holds a Bachelor of Laws, a postgraduate certificate in Public Interest Litigation, and a postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice. Aisha is passionate about using law as a tool for social development and change while focusing on the right to a clean and healthy environment. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Aisha plans to better her Ugandan community by lobbying for the implementation of various social development tools.
David Okiror – Katakwi. David Okiror has more than three years of experience as a medical doctor at Katakwi General Hospital in Uganada, providing preventive and curative services for maternal and child health. He is a malaria elimination fellow under the Africa Leadership and Management for Impact in Malaria Eradication. David runs a simulation center in the district hospital training maternity healthcare providers on newborn resuscitation and labor monitoring. He has trained village health teams on integrated community case management of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, which has improved access to timely malaria treatment. He is the charter president of the Rotary Club of Katakwi, a community services club affiliated with Rotary International. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery from Mbarara University of Science and Technology. David is passionate about ending preventable causes of maternal and child morbidity and mortality and eliminating malaria. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, David plans to scaleup mentorship on neonatal resuscitation and management of complications during childbirth; to strengthen the village health teams, skills and knowledge in malaria control, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; and to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health and eventually a doctorate in health systems and policy research.
Leadership in Civic Engagement
Leadership in Civic Engagement Institutes are tailored to Fellows who are civically engaged and serving the public through non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, or volunteerism. The Institutes expose Fellows to civic engagement in the United States while building technical and leadership capacity in areas such as advocacy, strategic planning, organizational development, and the intersection of civil society with business and government.
Merab Victoria Akinyi – Kampala. Victoria Merab Akinyi is cofounder and team leader at Streetlights Uganda, an arts-based nonprofit organization. Streetlights Uganda uses art to empower street-connected children by discovering and nurturing their talents and abilities. She also initiated the Ntunga Program, empowering mothers and young girls with tailoring, fashion, and financial skills to enable them to care for their children and reduce the influx of children on Uganda’s streets. Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and fine Arts from Makerere University. She is also founder and director of VM Interiors, an interior design company. Victoria aspires to use her talent and profession to alleviate the socioeconomic challenges that lead children to the streets. She is setting up a center in Soweto, a slum in Kampala, that can accommodate up to 10 children for classes. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Victoria plans to continue with Streetlights Uganda and to establish an art academy for street-connected children and women as well as youths from marginalized communities. The academy?s mission is to produce skilled artists who are prepared to thrive anywhere in the world. Victoria also hopes to create a platform that promotes the talents of street-connected children globally.
Eddy Balina – Jinja. Eddy Balina has more than 10 years of experience in youth empowerment and peacebuilding. Currently, Eddy is executive director at the Non-Violence Project Uganda, focusing on violence prevention and advocacy. Eddy is also cofounder of Ripples of Hope Schools, which nurtures the potential of children in Uganda?s underserved communities through quality, low-cost education. He holds a bachelor?s degree in Development and is currently a student of Law. Eddy is motivated by his personal experience as a victim of violence, and he is determined to take positive action. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Eddy plans to build synergy between teachers and schools and to scale up nonviolence education across Uganda by leveraging technology, sports, and creative arts.
Dahlyn Bamuloze – Mbale. Dahlyn Bamuloze has more than five years of experience in human rights law practice and organizational programming. Currently, Dahlyn is regional manager at ICWEA, where he focuses on access to health care for HIV treatment and care. Previously, he worked with the European Union Delegation to Uganda under its Cooperation Section, where he focused on the development of strategies for sustainable business in Uganda and stakeholder engagement. He also worked with the Research Planning and Development Department of the Uganda Revenue Authority. Dahlyn holds a bachelor?s degree in Law from Makerere University Kampala and a postgraduate diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center. Dahlyn is driven by the clamor to lead an impactful life and to use his skills and knowledge to inform and advocate for better policies and strategies aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of the common person. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Dahlyn plans to use the knowledge and ideas gained from the Fellowship to engage with and help prepare vulnerable communities to advocate for themselves, to strengthen their economic muscle, and to tackle the challenges they face in their lives.
Stephen Katende- Lwengo. Stephen Katende has more than eight years of experience in community development. Currently, Stephen is founder and team leader of Kisoboka Africa, where he focuses on economically empowering women and youth in rural and refugee communities of Uganda. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. He is committed to ensuring equity in communities and to ensuring women and youth have access to productive resources to improve their livelihoods. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Stephen plans to acquire the skills needed to set up a youth innovation center, the first of its kind in rural Lwengo. He also plans to expand Kisoboka Africa?s programming to additional rural districts and refugee communities beyond Lwengo and Nakivale.
Joan Nafula Margaret – Kampala. Margaret Joan Nafula has more than eight years of experience in human rights and accounting in Uganda. Margaret is a certified public accountant, human rights advocate, baker, podcaster. Margaret holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Margaret plans to conduct online campaigns, dialogues, and meetings with mainstream media journalists to share information on inclusivity, diversity, and human rights issues.
