PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Vivian Anugo, Partnership Manager
(202) 670 0647 | vivian@ldiafrica.org

LDI Africa Announces 2014 EIFP Fellows

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, August 26, 2014, LDI Africa held its Fellow Pre-Departure Orientation for its Emerging Institutions Fellowship Program (EIFP) 2014 Summer Cohort at the DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs and the Embassy for the Republic of South Africa in Washington, DC. Fellows of this cohort are young global business and nonprofit leaders largely from the Diaspora communities of the United States embarking on a yearlong service in The Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa.

The Pre-Departure Orientation featured a series of events which included interactions with an Alum of the program, Emma Fofanah, a Thought Leadership Presentation from Lisa Curtis, the CEO of KukiKuli and a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, an African country presentation at the South African Embassy, and a Fellow meet and greet evening reception.

LDI Africa’s Emerging Institutions Fellowship Program provides hands-on service opportunities for emerging young business leaders from around the world in Africa’s leading investment companies and social enterprises. Fellows match financial capital invested in emerging African businesses with the human capital needed to take local companies to scale. Participating organizations include Whatana Investments in Mozambique, Convergence Partners in South Africa, Jumia in Nigeria, and Global Properties in The Gambia.

The 2014 LDI Africa’s fellowship program overlapped with U.S. President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellowship, now renamed The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. LDI Africa is excited to increasingly be recognized on the list of professional service opportunities for young leaders around the world particularly in the United States for accelerating development efforts on the African continent.

The next EIFP cycle will commence in the Spring of 2015. Applications for the next class of Fellows open on October 1, 2014. For more information on the EIFP Fellowship, please visit the LDI Africa website, www.ldiafrica.org

Vivian Anugo
Partnership Manager
LDI Africa
1825 K Street, NW Suite 210
Washington DC 20006
+1 (202) 670 4182
www.ldiafrica.org

(Washington, DC) LDI Africa, a social enterprise connecting African professionals and organizations to the global marketplace through its Emerging Institutions Fellowship Program; a program largely placing skilled volunteers from around the world to strengthen the organizational capacity of African-based for-profit and nonprofit institutions, recently reached a major milestone by expanding to the United States.

Kenneth Izedonmwem, 23, is the first African young professional to take advantage of this immense opportunity with a 6-month paid fellowship with EDUN a global fashion brand in New York. EDUN was founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono and is currently a part of the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy). Kenneth will also take fashion classes in the world-famous Fashion Institute of Technology.

Janice Sullivan, CEO Edun remarks: “Edun’s mission has always been to support trade with Africa and thus we are excited to welcome a young African talent as part of our trade and training programs. We look forward to having this young designer as part of the team in New York and wish to extend thanks to those who helped to make this program a reality,”

Kenneth was accepted into LDI Africa’s fellowship through the MTN British Council Lagos Fashion and Design Week Young Designer of the Year competition (Nigeria), a fiercely competitive program of Frallain Inc. Frallain is a Ghanaian owned luxury company that comprise of established African premium and luxury brands in the categories of Fashion and Leather goods, Accessories, Wines & Spirits and other specialty products. Roberta Annan, Founder of Frallain remarks: “Frallain is very excited about this competition! We believe that this competition will give an African designer a rewarding opportunity in which they can take their design skills to a whole new level and introduce their designs to the international market,”

Gbenga Ogunjimi, the Founder/CEO of LDI Africa remarks: “This marks an important milestone for Emerging Institutions Fellowship Program. This monumental opportunity will make it possible for rising design entrepreneurs like Kenneth Izedonmwen to acquire industry expertise, forge key networks to launch the next premier international fashion brand, and secure African designs on the world’s fashion map.

 

 

GTBank Lagos Fashion & Design Week 2014 – Kenneth Izu