1. Ibrahim Jalloh

   First Name

   Ibrahim

   Participant Headshot

   

   Short Biography

   

    

   Content created by Virtual Intern Shayna Canty

   Ibrahim Jalloh was an educator and the founder of the Volunteer Action Network (VAN), a non-profit organization that helped bring the concept of volunteerism to the general population in Sierra Leone.

   Jalloh's first exposure to the United States was on an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 2017. He traveled with youth leaders from 22 countries and gained exposure to youth engagement and leadership activities in the United States. Jalloh said that the IVLP exposed him to many diverse ideas to develop a civically engaged society.

   Jalloh's IVLP experience provided ideas to build the leadership capacity of youth in his home community. Shortly after returning to Sierra Leone, he was inspired to create VAN as an organization to help youth. VAN helped distribute school supplies to youth in need, equipping them with the tools to continue their education. The organization also implemented two non-violence campaigns that provided youth across the region with opportunities to engage their own communities.

   Prior to his passing in 2021, Ibrahim Jalloh was a community leader who improved the livelihoods of hundreds of families in Sierra Leone and developed a culture of community service through volunteerism. He exhibited remarkable passion and leadership during his lifetime and fostered the ongoing spirit of volunteerism in Sierra Leone.

    

   Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra

    

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   Home Country

   Sierra Leone

   Last name

   Jalloh

   IVLP Alumni

2. Marie-Elise Gbèdo

   First Name

   Marie-Elise

   Participant Headshot

   

   Short Biography

   

    

   Content created by Virtual Intern  Celeste Lan

   Marie-Elise Gbèdo, a human rights lawyer at Barreau du Bénin (Benin Bar), fights domestic violence, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment, and other injustices. Gbèdo is President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Benin and has received awards including the “Grand Officer” title in the National Order of Benin.

   Gbèdo credits her 1997 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) as a key influence on her career. In 2001, Gbèdo became the first woman to run for president in Benin, a decision inspired in part by meeting female politicians during her IVLP. In 2011, she participated in the launch of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Women in Public Service Project.

   Gbèdo serves as a mentor to female political candidates. She empowers women through “You Can Do It Too,” a leadership and career training initiative of the US-Benin Women Alumni Association.

   Marie-Elise Gbèdo emboldens women and girls and champions their rights.

   Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra

    

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   Home Country

   Benin

   Last name

   Gbèdo

   IVLP Alumni

3. Francisco Ussene Mucanheia

   First Name

   Francisco Ussene

   Participant Headshot

   

   Short Biography

   

    

   Content created by Virtual Intern  Nayantara Arora

   Mozambique Parliamentarian Francisco Ussene Mucanheia is a prominent advocate for environmental stewardship who has held various government positions, rising from a junior administrative officer to a member of parliament.

   As a junior officer he visited the United States on an International Leadership Visitor Program (IVLP) in 1994, after Mozambique emerged from civil war and shifted to a new democratic constitution. During his IVLP, Mucanheia visited municipal governments and witnessed a mayoral election that profoundly influenced his understanding of local politics. During his IVLP, Mucanheia saw the importance of decentralized governance and he is proud to say the IVLP formidably impacted his career.

   Since returning to Mozambique, Mucanheia has attempted to work in a bipartisan manner to reach consensus on important issues. His successes include the ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement and passage of the Conservation and Biodiversity Protection Law. Mucanheia supervises the approval of all national plans of action for the environment and natural resources management in Mozambique.

   Francisco Ussene Mucanheia's successful political career has positively impacted communities and improved environmental policies in Mozambique.

   Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra

    

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   Home Country

   Mozambique

   Last name

   Mucanheia

   IVLP Alumni

4. AWE Alumna’s Winery Ignites Economic Expansion in Rural India

   Tage Rita, an alumna of the U.S. State Department’s Academy for Women’s Entrepreneurs program, is using her business to help restore prosperity to a remote area of India known for its fruit – one bottle at a time. 

5. MEET 5 YLAI FELLOWS WHO TRAVELED AS YOUTH DELEGATES TO THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

   The United States hosted the Ninth Summit of the Americas from June 6 - 10, in Los Angeles, California.

6. Empowering Our Own: AWE Alumna Advocates for Samoan Land Rights

   [Auckland, May 2022] Samoan lawyer and Academy for Women Entrepreneurs alumna Sala Josephine Stowers-Kolo has a singular focus: to educate and provide legal support to fellow Samoans regarding their land rights.

7. The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Indo-Pacific Women-in-Tech Summit: Developing a Sisterhood of Entrepreneurial Women

   The first-ever Indo-Pacific Women in Tech Summit in mid-November helped empower hundreds of women entrepreneurs from Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

8. Empowering Entrepreneurship & Revitalizing Ukraine’s Economy: Highlights from the AWE4Ukraine Summit

   Coordinated by the U.S. Government and its partner, CEED Slovenia, the AWE4Ukraine Summit allowed Ukrainian women business owners currently living around Europe to further their professional expertise, extensive networks, and a sense of community.

9. AWE Alumna Demonstrates the Fashion in Recycling

   AWE alum María Rojas got inspired to open a business that recycles plastic into fashion accessories.

10. TechWomen SpeakOUT on StoryCorps

    

    Menekse Gencer (Silicon Valley Mentor) & Noha Abousonna (Egyptian TechWoman) talk about their journey working in technology as women.

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