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Youth leadership forum held at Monash

July 2009

Youth leadership forum held at Monash
Craig Rowe, Community Engagement Officer at Monash South Africa with Phillipa Wheaton project Coordinator of the Oaktree Foundation, South Africa
Youth leadership forum held at Monash
Tom Walsh, Founder of the ENKE forum

Over 100 grade 11 learners from 66 schools in South Africa, Botswana, and the UK, gathered at the Monash South Africa campus in Ruimsig last week (13 – 17 July) to take part in the innagural ENKE Africa Youth Leadership Forum.

The name ENKE, which means ‘ink’ in Tswana, represents the unique abilty of young leaders to ‘make their mark’ on the future, and the Forum aimed to unite and empower the next generation of leaders by connecting those from diverse backgrounds and empowering and mobilising them during a week of activities and workshops.

The ENKE delegates were chosen by their schools for their leadership abilities and passion to make a difference. During the workshops they were mentored by Alan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellows, a group of 30 Monash students and Australian Oaktree volunteers.

Tom Walsh, the 24 year-old Australian founder of the ENKE Forum, said: “It was amazing to see the delegates all connecting, singing songs and sharing their dreams and passions.”

Nonhlanhla Khumalo, a delegate from the African Leadership Academy said: “It has been a great opportunity to break down barriers and connect with other young people from different cultures and countries.”

“This is a week we won’t forget. We have discussed important issues, formed friendships that will last beyond this week and collectively, we are dreaming of being the generation of leaders across our communities and countries who will change things for the better. ENKE has encouraged us to realise that we have huge potential and that we can make a difference if we work together.”

Walsh added: “The delegates were full of contagious energy and excitement. Our vision is that ENKE will become an important annual event on the youth calendar for many years to come”.

The Forum, featured presentations by Prince Cedza Dlamini of Swaziland, CEO of the Ubuntu Institute; Clem Sunter, previously CEO of Anglo American Gold and Uranium Division, and author of ‘Mind of a Fox’; Steuart Pennington, founder of South Africa Good News; Jon Foster-Pedley, Founding Director of the UCT Graduate School of Business; and Cameron Dugmore, Ex MEC for Education in the Western Cape

The Forum was run as a partnership between Monash South Africa,  The Oaktree Foundation (an Australian youth-run aid and development organisation working to empower communities through education), and GOLD (Generation of Leaders Discovered) an NGO tackling the root causes of HIV/AIDS through the roll-out of a peer education programme at schools and community sites.