Umoja, Middlebury’s African Student Organization, is preparing to host a conference that will take place on Saturday, April 25. The conference, “Education in Africa,” will begin at 10 a.m. in Wilson Hall with a presentation by esteemed guest speaker Fred Swaniker.
Following the keynote presentation, attendees will move to Bicentennial Hall for lunch and breakout discussion sessions led by students, professors, and professionals in the field. A gala dinner will take place in Atwater Dining Hall from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature music from Inogma, Middlebury’s African Music Group, as well as a fashion show. The conference will conclude with a party in Coltrane Lounge, where there will be food and African music.
“I think it’s valuable for students to attend this conference because it exposes them to the continent,” said Hiruy Ephrem ’17, president of Umoja and leader of the conference.
“There are not too many opportunities at Middlebury to discuss Africa and this conference allows for students to learn about the different components that go into providing education. Furthermore, it’s interactive so it would not be solely lectures. There will be discussions and many opportunities to ask questions at our keynote and breakout sessions,” concluded Ephrem.
The theme for the conference, “Education in Africa,” builds upon the theme of last year’s conference, “Rebranding Africa in the 21st Century,” as Umoja continually seeks to promote Africa in a positive light.
“It is a fascinating and wonderful place, but many people either don’t know much about or have a somewhat biased view against Africa,” said Dominick Tanoh ’18, who will speak at the conference.
“When some people hear ‘Africa’ their minds automatically jump to images of violence, corruption, and misfortune. While there are still major problems on the continent, I believe that the point of this conference is to highlight the great progress that has been made and the greater hopes that Africa has.”
The conference will include a variety of speakers who will shed light on the growth of Africa. Keynote speaker Fred Swaniker will discuss the development of leadership and education on the continent. Swaniker is the founder of the African Leadership Academy (ALA). He graduated from Macalester College, received his MBA from Stanford, and went on to become a consultant at McKinsey & Company. In 2004, Swaniker established ALA as well as the African Leadership Network, a platform for students to take advantage of leadership opportunities. With over a million views, Swaniker’s TED talk, “The Leaders Who Ruined Africa, and the Generation Who Can Fix It,” has garnered plenty of attention recently.
“I think that Fred Swaniker is a perfect choice to speak on the steps Africa is taking to rebrand itself. His education programs on the continent really represent a larger movement there. By investing in the young people of Africa, Mr. Swaniker is helping change what Africa could become,” said Tanoh.
Sena Voncujovi ’17 will also be speaking at the conference. Voncujovi, a third generation voodoo priest, will lead a breakout session and will discuss traditional spiritual knowledge and philosophies in Western Africa. Voncujovi hopes to highlight what it means to be impactful on the continent.
“There’s no shortage of people who want to help, but the problem is, how do help without coming across as condescending or trying to impose your own culture?” Voncujovi said. Like Swaniker, Voncujovi believes that “Africa’s untapped resource is its people,” and he hopes that this conference will help people recognize that Africans need to be given the opportunity to use leadership to help the continent.
Armel Nibasumba ’16, Priscilla Makundi ’16, and Daniela Barajas ’14.5 will also lead breakout sessions. Nibasumba will be discussing his educational project in Burundi called Twese for Peace, which was recently featured in the Boston Globe. Makundi and Barajas will be discuss their project in Tanzania called Pamoja Tunaweza Initiative, which is aimed at empowering women through entrepreneurship and leadership training.
“I really am hoping that people come with whatever biases and preconceptions that they may have and we are able to have conversations that might challenge people to create a fuller and more realistic image of Africa and spark greater curiosity about African life, culture, and history,” Tanoh said.
