Attending the Commonwealth Youth Forum at Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting: A Reflection

A delegation of Fellows from our Liberia, Ghana and Kenya programs attended this year’s Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF), which took place alongside the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). While at CHOGM, Fellows had the opportunity to learn from heads of state and discuss their experiences as young leaders. Below are some of our Fellows’ experiences at CHOGM and how they feel reinvigorated in their work with the public service.

Fellows Reflections

Love Ntumy — EPL Ghana

“The CHOGM experience is one that I will keep at heart forever. I will leverage the new networks I have built to learn and gain more ideas and solutions to different problems that the world faces. Aside from that, the country within which the CHOGM was held taught me something great. It taught me that it just takes the right leadership with the right mindset and attitude to change a problem. Again, with collective effort we can see the impact that we want to see. I’m really excited and empowered because I know I have a voice that is heard and I am the change the world needs. As Sharonice Busch said, “sometimes we are ordinary youth but we can do extraordinary things”. I’m ready to Take Charge of My Future and be at the High Table to be at a decision-making point!”

CHOGM provided the perfect backdrop for the first pan-African Fellow gathering for Emerging Public Leaders. Fellows from Kenya met Fellows from Liberia and Ghana and attended the Commonwealth Youth Forum together.

Steffast Smith — EPL Ghana

“In 2019, after my participation in the African Youth SDG Summit, I co-founded an organization which sought to increase youth participation in ensuring that the SDG Goals 4 (Quality Education) & 5 (Gender Equality) were met by 2030. However, due to certain challenges, the organization could not meet its expected objectives. Over the past few days, I’ve been pondering over the experiences and stories shared during the plenary sessions of the CYF in Kigali, Rwanda under the theme, Taking Charge of our Future. One of the key takeaways for me was when the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council, Kim Allen, during his opening remarks emphatically stressed the need to fight for the positive future we want as youth. For if we do not take action today, we would not have a sustainable future tomorrow. This remark among other experiences shared by various individuals from varied countries within the Commonwealth struck me as I questioned why amongst the panels, there was no Ghanaian youth to share his/her experience. This, therefore, informed me on the basis that, as youth from Ghana, we were either not doing enough or were crippled by the challenges we faced in our journey. I have therefore taken it upon myself to revive the organization I co-founded and soldier on despite the challenges we may encounter. In my professional journey as a Civil Service Staff and an Emerging Public Leader, I can take charge by influencing the decisions and actions in my team (directorate) which would go a long way to ensure ‘a seat at the table!’”

Fellows and Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders proudly pose with Ghana’s flag during their meeting with Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Youth & Sports Evans Opoku-Bobbie and the CEO of the National Youth Authority Pious Hadzide.

Quita Harvey — PYPP Liberia

“I extend my thanks and appreciation to the Emerging Public Leaders and the President’s Young Professionals Program for this great opportunity afforded me. With Liberia not being a Commonwealth country, not once did I imagine that I would attend CHOGM, a meeting meant for Commonwealth countries. Attending the CYF was one of the best experiences of my life. The inspirational stories from young leaders and entrepreneurs about how they faced and overcame their challenges motivated me greatly. It drives me to use my challenges as a stepping stone or opportunity to move forward in whatever I do.”

From left to right: G. Mackie Cole (PYPP Liberia), Linah Mwenda (PSELF Kenya), Mohammed Obierotenyo Swaleh (PSELF Kenya), Love Ntumy (EPL Ghana), Yawa Hansen-Quao (Executive Director of Emerging Public Leaders), Steffast Smith (EPL Ghana), Quita Harvey (PYPP Liberia)

Mohammed Obierotenyo Swaleh — PSELF Kenya

“I plan to leverage my CHOGM experience in my professional journey by being the Citizen-Centric public servant practicing utmost integrity with a sole purpose of effecting change at all levels in government that I scale. I’m yearning to actualize the vision of the Kenyan Public Service Commission. On my personal journey, I intend to capitalize on such forums to build my network and capacity to position myself in the global arena as a champion of real change.”

Fellows visited the Mastercard Foundation office in Kigali where they meet with Reeta Roy, President and CEO, and shared the impact of their journey in the Public Service Fellowships. They learned more about how the Mastercard Foundation team fosters youth leadership and is invested in their future.

Linah Mwenda — PSELF Kenya

“I plan to leverage my CHOGM experience in my professional journey by being the best example of a public servant, serving the public with a citizen-centric mindset. Not only at work, in my community, and in my home area. On my personal journey, I intend to build on my networks, learn from others and get global exposure to bring change.”