Alliance Theatre Selected To Host Young African Leader

ALLIANCE THEATRE is pleased to announce that it has been selected to host Suzyika Nyimbili, a Fellow from Zambia, in the Professional Development Experience (PDE) component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders from August 6 to September 14, 2018.

Launched in 2014, The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The program fosters closer relations and empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking opportunities. Selected from a pool of more than 37,000 applicants, the highly accomplished seven hundred 2018 Mandela Washington Fellows are leaders in public service, business, civil society, education, agriculture, and other fields. These young leaders, between the ages of 25 and 35, are playing a role in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.

The 2018 Mandela Washington Fellows are participating in academic and leadership institutes at 28 U.S. campuses around the United States through the end of July. After the Fellowship's culminating Summit in Washington, D.C., 100 competitively-selected Fellows remain in the United States to take part in Professional Development Experiences (PDE) - six-week professional placements with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies. The PDE component allows Fellows to grow as young professionals and contribute their skills and insights to American organizations.

Nyimbili is a teacher, poet, playwright, activist for social justice, and founder of Hub Theatre Zambia. Passionate about theatre, he hopes to use Hub Theatre as a livelihood option for talented young people. Furthermore, he is the Creative Director for Lufwanyama Boarding Secondary school Drama and Culture Club and uses theatre and poetry to highlight issues like children's rights and teenage pregnancy. In the future, Suzyika hopes to set up a theatre school in Zambia. He will be studying Business & Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin this summer.

As part of his PDE experience, Nyimbili will work with the ALLIANCE THEATRE to learn about the daily operations of a regional producing theater company. He will be embedded with the Alliance's administrative staff, observing marketing, development, and operations strategies and best practices.

"I believe theatre is a beautiful way to express ourselves and should hold a central role in our communities," said Nyimbili. "I want to learn how to make it more professional in Zambia and a career option for young people."

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that is supported in its implementation by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit YALI.state.gov/MWF and join the conversation with #YALI2018.

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