Youth Leadership – A foot in the door, a seat at the table
Ujima Fellowship Program
Ujima Fellowship creates opportunities through inclusion while addressing structural racism by advancing diverse representation and equity.
“Opportunity creates opportunities,” says Alem Tesfay, an Ujima Fellowship graduate. “Once you step in one door – other doors open.”
This, in its simplest form, is what Africa Centre’s Ujima Fellowship Program is seeking to achieve. Empowering Black youth by providing them with the skills and opportunities to become inspiring leaders in their community and their professions.
When Tesfay started the Ujima Fellowship in February of 2024, he was already a sitting member of the MacEwan Students Council and on the board of the Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU).
“I have always loved being involved,” he says. So when Tesfay learned of the Ujima Fellowship he jumped at the opportunity to bolster his leadership knowledge in a culturally relevant way.
The Ujima Fellowship gave Tesfay new tools and insights on how to leverage his life experiences while embracing his identity in professional spaces.
Alem Tesfay, Ujima Fellowship Program Alumni
Tesfay and graduates of the Ujima Fellowship receive a dual certificate in Leadership Development from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and the Africa Centre. In order to receive these certificates, fellows must first complete a 10-week NAIT course that consists of 35 hours of in-class leadership training, among other requirements.
Reflecting on the most valuable part of his experience with the Ujima Fellowship, Tesfay points to the classroom teachings of Mathew Omina.
I always mention him, because his classes were one of the most impactful classes from the entirety of the NAIT course,” says Tesfay. “So much so that I go out of my way to attend anything that comes up with him through the Africa Centre.”
Omina teaches the course ‘Intersections of Work, Race and Leadership.’ This course is about equipping Black leaders and students with the knowledge to navigate professional leadership roles while acknowledging challenges they may face.