Sarah Owusu

We Will Lead Africa Sarah Owusu

Who will lead Africa?Forward, onward, fully into the land of its potential. To the realization of the blossoming dream of prosperity held by so many, for so long, throughout this place we call home. Again I ask, Who Will Lead Africa?This volume includes the response to that African Town Crier's call. Thirty submissions. Exemplars of everyday African Leaders. Today's leaders. Defying the narrative of impossible and working for the prosperity of Africa. These are but a sample of the movement... We Will Lead Africa contributes an open call to practitioners to join the African Leadership conversation, and allow practice to further inform our theorizing and conclusions of where we are now and what more is needed to attain the Africa we want. It is a shift from viewing leadership in Africa from the sociopolitical lens or a theoretical lens, to a focus on leadership at every level. It neither denies the overemphasized challenges of the continent, nor privileges the Africa rising narrative. This volume simply draws on the power of personal narratives to highlight all the complexities of the challenges and inspirations of leading in Africa. It is about the power of storytelling to inspire even more change and shape the futures we want. Submitters represented all regions of the continent, many of whose work cuts across multiple countries on the continent - North, West, Central, East and South. The intersectional and diverse nature of our continent is evident in this small slice of 30 submissions. The stories in this volume cover a range of industries and topics for African Development. Many of the stories cut across multiple areas. However, for simplicity, they can be thought of in the following grouping: - Eight on Literacy and Education - meeting the massive education needs on the continent for literacy and primary education for rural and underprivileged/underserved groups all the way through higher education - Chinezi Chijioke, Elizabeth Johnson, Frankie Kie, Mwalimu Musheshe, Cecil Nutakor, Chinyere Nwabugwu, Yeniva Sisay-Sogbeh and Modupe Taylor-Pearce.- Eight on Social Entrepreneurship, Change and Policy - including the stories from Adewale Ajadi, Ajarat Bada, Veronica Flynn Bruey, Chris Mulenga, Sal Muthayan, Daphne Nederhorst, Ndidi Nwuneli, Fatou Wurie.- Five on Arts and Culture - Africans everywhere using expressions of Arts and Culture, from music to theatre to food to art and artefacts to inspire change, creativity and leadership in others, while providing development, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. These submissions are from Bolanle Austen-Peters, Liza Bel (on behalf of four Africans), Mina Girgis, Ricardo Pinto Jorge and Simon Okelo.- Four on Healthcare and Wellness - addressing healthcare needs and practices for those on the margins - girls, rural populations, autistic children, and youth seeking novel opportunities. These submissions are from Toks Bakare, LueRachelle Brim-Atkins, Pablo Imani, Robert Kalyesubula.- Four on Media and Communications - with a clear call to own and tell African stores less told, by Mimi Kalinda, Nereya Otieno, Adeline Sede Kamga and Julian Spezzati.- One on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) innovations by Chuma Asuzu. It is worth noting that we were unable to get a similar submission about an all-girls code club and to acknowledge the focus and role of STEM in Africa's sustainable development agendas. We hope to inspire more leaders to action: We: Collaborative and accountable leaders, taking unified action. Will: The leadership WILL, grit and courage to do something, anything, now and for the future, demonstrated through action-oriented and aspirational leadership. Lead: Everyday leaders, motivated by service, in every sector, including emerging leaders from marginalised groups. Africa: A focus on a prosperous continent, where divides are bridged and leaders work across boundaries and borders to achieve a broader success.