Princeton in Africa News | August 2024
Saleef Nyambok: The Journey of a Nexus Fellow
Saleef Nyambok with co-Fellow, Laura Rabago.
Saleef Nyambok knows what it is like to go from having everything, to nothing… and then back to everything again. With his parents separating when he was a young boy, Saleef grew up largely under the care of his mother in Nairobi, Kenya. Outside of phone calls and an occasional visit, he did not have much contact with his father, who had relocated to Uganda to work in the development space as a documentary filmmaker, until years later in his life. As an only child, his mother worked hard to ensure that Saleef had access to a great education and many resources. He has many fond memories of the time that the two spent together and the appreciation for the arts that she helped instill in him as a result of her career in media and advertisement. “Let’s just say I come from a media home,” states Saleef. “I grew up with a lot of magazines, access to popular tv shows, and had a very diverse childhood.”
As a result of his fortunate upbringing and his actively involved mother, Saleef excelled in school, receiving countless accolades from his teachers. In high school, he entered an exchange program that provided him with the opportunity to study and travel throughout Turkey. This experience proved life changing as it opened his eyes to a world much larger than what he had ever known. Yet, as life sometimes has the tendency to do, Saleef’s path was abruptly altered shortly after high school when his mother suddenly passed away. “Growing up with a single parent, this changed everything for me,” he states. Saleef shared the details of this harrowing experience in an episode of ‘Engage Talk’, titled: Losing Everyone. Finding Myself. Unhinged by the experience and feeling utterly alone, he was forced to put his education on hold due to the fact that he was unable to cover the cost of tuition. Having depleted all of his savings, he took on several different jobs to save money while also applying for scholarships. With enough hard work, Saleef pulled together the resources to reenroll at the United States International University-Africa and recently graduated with a degree in Journalism.
It was at school - engaged in a casual conversation with a classmate while editing media content in a lab - that Saleef was first introduced to Princeton in Africa. After sharing his desire to engage in a Fellowship opportunity, she mentioned the organization to him. “I always wanted to get into the NGO world and this sounded like a great opportunity,” states Saleef. “This encounter helped me realize the importance of networking.” Now, as a full-time Fellow, Saleef has begun his fellowship with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) where he is responsible for their digital and print communications material. “I’m really humbled to be a part of ILRI. I’m working with a multicultural group of highly qualified people who are very inspiring and motivating.” Further, he sees the significance of his position as a member of the second cohort of Nexus Fellows, especially given the fact that he is the first African to serve in his role with ILRI, an organization that has hosted Fellows for the past 4 years. “It is a huge honor and I am grateful to be a part of the Nexus cohort. This program creates the opportunity for Africans like me who are looking to engage in meaningful work and grow as professionals.”
As he looks forward, Saleef’s prime motivation is to fully commit to his fellowship by honoring the responsibilities of his role and assisting ILRI in their development efforts. He recognizes the challenges ahead as he navigates new territory but values these experiences as opportunities to develop his skills and enhance his understanding. Looking further down the road, post-fellowship, Saleef would like to pursue a career in international affairs leading development and communications efforts, while also passing on these skills to young minds as a lecturer in academia. Regardless of the path, however, it is clear that his spirit of gratitude and his desire to support those around him will continue to propel him in the right direction. “When you go through what I’ve been through in life, you get a glimpse of both sides of the world,” states Saleef. As his genuine sense of humility shines through his words, he pauses and offers a gentle smile, quietly acknowledging the fact that by so freely sharing his own story, he is helping others find theirs.
Longstanding PiAf Partner: Lwala Community Alliance
2023-24 PiAf Fellow, Sei-kashe M’pfunya pictured (left to right) with Jane Wamae, Belindah Akoth, and Vincent Okoth.
This summer, Princeton in Africa had the privilege of interviewing three staff members from Lwala Community Alliance: Jane Wamae, Senior Research Analyst, Vincent Okoth, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, and Belindah Akoth, Senior Communications Coordinator. Lwala is scaling up a model of community-led health in Kenya.
What started with a small clinic in 2007, has since grown into a movement for community-driven health across Kenya. Today, Lwala Community Alliance consists of nearly 200 staff and reaches the entire population of Migori County, an estimated 1.1 million people. “We now refer to ourselves as a movement,” states Belindah Akoth, who proudly shares the diverse array of services offered by the organization, including: adolescents and youth, community healthcare in partnership with community health workers, advocacy and policy, research and learning, and grant making. “Through our four critical components of our community-led health model, we offer a range of programs that are intended to meet the needs of each individual and strengthen the community as a whole.” At the core of their work, Lwala maintains a commitment to a tenet that stems back to the founding of the organization. “Community members remain at the forefront of our activity and guide our engagement at the local, county and national level,” states Akoth.
Consistently meeting the needs of such a large population while addressing systemic healthcare issues requires a significant amount of dedication, drive, and expertise - characteristics that are clearly embodied by Jane, Vincent, and Belindah. As a 10-year veteran of the organization, Vincent Okoth has witnessed a tremendous amount of growth and development in his time with Lwala. “We realized early on that when we are scaling from point A to point B, it must be based on data,” states Okoth. Lwala’s efforts to be data-driven and deliver evidenced-based practices have contributed to advocacy and policy reform not just locally, but also nationally as they have worked with the Kenyan government on numerous projects. Okoth also recognizes the invaluable peer partnerships that they have built over the years with other providers that have contributed to their mission. “Our relationship is rooted in the county and we are here to stay. This has included working with countless other organizations. Together, we are making a significant difference and improving lives,” he continues.
For an organization so heavily steeped in data and evidence-based decision making for programming, the partnership with Princeton in Africa has been a huge success. All three members of the team spoke of the innovative and collaborative spirit that Fellows have brought to Lwala over the years, in addition to the heightened technical skills that have helped drive projects forward. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have culturally diverse, smart and energetic Fellows working with us,” states Jane Wamae. As just one example of the long-term impact that Fellows have had on their organization, Wamae highlighted a map creation tool that a Fellow had trained Lwala staff on several years prior. “This year we were able to design and make use of this system in our tri-annual household survey and it was incredibly successful,” states Wamae. “Our work is to provide evidence of the impact of our work sooner rather than later to facilitate timely decision making at all levels,” she continues. “The Princeton in Africa Fellows don’t just inspire the community, they inspire the staff as well.”
The work that is being accomplished by Lwala is both significant and inspiring as they redefine the landscape of what it means to deliver care with dignity and expertise. Despite the complexity of needs that they experience on a daily basis, the organization maintains a commitment to their mission: Keeping the community at the forefront while continuously monitoring and improving services to those most in need. According to 2023-24 Fellow, Sei-kashe M’pfunya, her experience with Lwala has been nothing short of extraordinary. “Working with Lwala has been such an enriching experience and I am so grateful for the meaningful and lasting relationships that I have been able to build,” she states. As she speaks, it is clear that a mutual feeling of respect and partnership is felt on behalf of the Lwala team. “The people at Lwala are more than just co-workers. I can see all of them being a part of my life for a very long time because of my experience here in the last year."
PiAf Hosts Three Dynamic Virtual Sessions
PiAf maintains an ongoing commitment to the growth of our Fellows and alumni. In July and August, our staff collaborated with members of our alumni community and Board of Trustees to host 3 virtual sessions on topics that are relevant to their professional development. We are grateful to our dynamic panelists for helping to lead these important conversations.
Support our Work
At Princeton in Africa, we recognize that the fellowship experience is just the start of a lifelong commitment to the African continent and the personal and professional relationships that are born through a Fellows shared experience. Support our talented and driven future leaders by making a donation today!
