Congratulations!!
Our Impact West Africa Fellows and Advanced Advocacy Program Fellows have successfully completed their fellowship year and are now part of our wider Senior Fellow Community! Over the past year, each cohort has achieved remarkable milestones and made meaningful contributions in their fields. We are honored to have witnessed their dedication and impact.
Advanced Advocacy Program
Our five Advanced Advocacy Program fellows received catalytic funding, mentoring, training and peer-to-peer networking across nine months, and they made huge achievements. We heard their wrap-up presentations on Wednesday September 24th, and we were amazed by all they have done and wish them well as they continue.
Mohamed Ali Diini, 2013 New Voices Fellowship class, advocated for Somali-led solutions to youth employment by publishing the Somalia Youth Decent Work Report and strategically engaging government, donors, and international platforms to push for direct funding to local organizations, while elevating his organization’s profile through professional rebranding. He was awarded the McNulty Prize.
ElsaMarie D’Silva, 2015 New Voices Fellowship class, worked to advance gender-sensitive policing and reduce sexual and gender-based violence in India by training police, youth, and communities, securing MOUs with educational institutions, and scaling the Safecity platform. Her work with the Haryana Police led to a model of gender-sensitive policing that she is using across other regions in India and internationally.
Naadiya Moosajee, 2019 New Voices Fellowship class, promoted investment in women entrepreneurs as a climate solution, exceeding fundraising targets with $170,000 raised, and elevating women’s voices globally through her role in South Africa’s G20 planning and 24 speaking engagements on women, technology, entrepreneurship, and climate change.
Andre Ndayambaje, 2020 New Voices Fellowship class, advocated for decentralized adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in Rwanda through community outreach, youth advocacy training, and engagement with government leaders. Due to his work, high-level government meetings, op-ed writing and speaking, teen pregnancy issues were formally submitted to the Office of the President for action.
Huguette Diakabana, 2021 New Voices Fellowship class, expanded data literacy training to embed data use in SRHR policies and programs across Africa, equipping implementers, policymakers, and communities with country-specific guidance, publishing journal articles, and launching a podcast to share the impact of strong data practices on health outcomes. Notably, she provided decision-makers with concrete, country-relevant guidance on data literacy in places like Senegal, Benin and Botswana.
Impact West Africa Fellowship
Emile Bobozi published “Au Togo les femmes sont engagées dans le développement communautaire malgré le patriarcat.” Emile in Togo led a pilot harmonizing the community health worker package and successfully advocated for increased CHW salaries from 5,000 CFA/trimester to 13,000 CFA/month.
Fenny Taylor-Diggs was appointment by the Liberian President as Co-Chair of the National Youth Advisory Council; launched Urmonae Health Liberia. Fenny also published an op-ed, “Liberia: Transforming Menstrual Health into Economic Power – Creating 7,000 Jobs While Ending Period Poverty in Liberia,” on allAfrica.
Kaata Minah was invited to speak on two panels: “What Keeps Us Going: Resourcing Feminist Leadership and Community Power” alongside Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Medecins Sans Frontieres global panel in Amsterdam on “ Linking Needs to Rights and Justice” Kaata launched her own organization, Elevate Sisters, and will welcome the first cohort of in-school girls into the program this September as the school term begins.
Kerim Youba published his first op-ed, “Mauritania: Second Chances Through Sport – How Exercise Aids Inmate Rehabilitation,” on allAfrica.
Uche Kenneth Udekwe won the Young Climate Cash Prize 2025, a program designed to empower designers, activists, and innovators under the age of 25.
Victoria Sackey was recognized of MedTrack as a finalist in the 2024 Sankalp Africa Awards; authored “Solving Africa’s Fragmented Health Records Crisis.” Victoria was recognized among the Young Global Leaders Network’s 40 Most Inspirational Female Leaders for 2024 and received the Women Healthcare Leader of the Year award. Through MedTrack, she advanced policy dialogue on digital health records, piloting integration with the Ghana Health Service and national biometric ID systems.
Bowel Diop, Mariama Jobarteh & Job Tiguem Poudiougo co-authored op-ed in Devex, “We firmly believe Africa has the development solutions it needs.”
All 2024 Fellows are featured in the WAAA Podcast Series with Saran Koly, sharing their stories and advocacy journeys.
In 2025, the Next Generation Africa: Voices of the Aspen Institute Community convening highlighted young African changemakers advancing gender equality, climate action, and health equity. Co-hosted by the Aspen Global Innovators Group (AGIG), the event amplified youth leadership and community-driven solutions shaping Africa’s future. Our Impact West Africa 2024 fellows participated as key panelists and storytellers, sharing their lived experiences and solutions across themes of tech-driven transformation, community-led climate and food security, and women’s leadership.
