The U.S. Department of State and IREX are pleased to announce that Ibrahima Kalil Gueye, 2018 Fellowship Alumnus from Guinea, has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Leadership Impact Award, which annually recognizes the individual achievements of one outstanding member of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Network. Nominations were accepted from U.S. Embassies and Consulates, Institute Partners, and other stakeholders, and the winner will engage virtually with Alumni and selected candidates.
Since 2016, Ibrahima has led “Open and Transparent Guinea,” a program that has reached 10,000 citizens by promoting transparency in Guinea. A good governance advocate, he is utilizing the skills and connections he gained during the 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship to create strategic solutions to address corruption through grassroots citizen education and mobilization as well as national level policy advocacy and reform.
Kalil’s vision for good governance has united young leaders across the YALI Network to work together and to educate rural Guineans about their rights and their responsibilities. Kalil is a man of conviction and inspires innovation.”
Fatoumata Bangaly Barry, 2016 Fellowship Alumna
In 2019, Ibrahima coordinated the National Marathon of Governance, funded by an Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund grant from the U.S. Department of State. Over 43 days, he traveled 5,500 kilometers through rural Guinea empowering 2,300 people through workshops, conferences, and discussions with authorities to inform citizens of their rights.
Ibrahima Kalil’s commitment to ending corruption and promoting good governance throughout Guinea is commendable. We applaud the work that he is doing as a good governance advocate to promote peace, justice, and equality, values that are especially important in times of crisis. As nations worldwide face challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope that other Mandela Washington Fellows and young leaders strive to follow Ibrahima Kalil’s example.”
Kenya Jordana James, U.S. Embassy Conakry, Guinea
As YALI celebrates its tenth anniversary, Ibrahima is an excellent representative of the program’s impact, as an Alumnus of both the Fellowship and the YALI Regional Leadership Center in Dakar and member of the YALI Network.
Congratulations, Ibrahima!