“UBUNTU”, by Obaid Ajoughlal

The 2018 Yale Young African Scholars program in Rwanda was an exciting, insightful, life-changing journey for me. Now, as an alumnus, I can absolutely say that my time at the program made me a better and stronger young leader.

I chose “Ubuntu”, which means “I am because we are” in Zulu, as the title of my YYAS experience, because I believe that each day of YYAS was a celebration of diversity—a celebration that made us more united, more concerned by the issues our continent faces, and more eager to solve them.

During the 10 days in Rwanda I was a Moroccan ambassador: not only did I present my cultural background but also, as an ambassador, I always looked for more ways to know about Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western African cultures, as well as Africa’s islands’ through my fellow participants.

Obaid (right) from Morocco with his new friends at YYAS 2018 from Kenya, Sudan, Ghana, and Ethiopia!

Thanks to the distinguished Yale faculty lecturers, I was exposed to Africa’s health problems, as well as their ongoing solutions and prospective solutions. Additionally, during meal times, my peers and I talked about our respective home countries. I told them how I feel when I see the Kingdom of Morocco, my beloved country, split into two territories: Morocco and Western Sahara. My peers told me about their countries’ histories, too, talking about the Rwandan genocide, the Somalia vs. Somaliland conflict, and the Zimbabwean crisis caused by former president Robert Mugabe, among other stories.

From the first meal we had to the very last moment of the program, I discovered a deep and big passion I have for our continent: Africa! In fact, I merged within a community of 29 nationalities so quickly and so easily that I felt home. Indeed, I forged lifelong friendships with peers from countries I considered with mystery, countries that I used to know only the name such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Sudan, or even Botswana! Furthermore, I was surprised at the development of my leadership skills during such a short time at YYAS, particularly during one fun activity called Afrotopia.

This newfound passion for Africa makes me think about a second answer to a question asked on the application form: “What makes you African in the 21st Century?” My previous answer was mainly being proud of our accomplishments as Africans and being hopeful for a better future. But now, after having completed YYAS, I am convinced that this definition is not enough, and I have tried to find an answer to this thought-provoking question ever since.

"In a nutshell, YYAS has absolutely influenced me and made me see the world with new eyes."

Thanks to the various range of subjects taught during seminars and lectures, and thanks to enrichment activities that built our leadership and teamwork skills, and thanks to our long, but interesting conversations with experts in Africa that made us aware of our role as Africa’s next generation of leaders, I think that being African in the 21st Century means to use the knowledge you gained in areas that attract you the most, combined with leadership and teamwork skills to improve your local community, your country, and your continent!

In a nutshell, YYAS has absolutely influenced me and made me see the world with new eyes. In fact, I have managed to use the knowledge and skills I gained during YYAS—specifically during university guidance workshops and admissions days—together with my great want to improve my local community in order to pursue higher education abroad an achieve attainable goals for many other Moroccan high school students. Thank you YYAS!

Obaid (second from left) with his workshop group at the certificate ceremony!

Obaid (right) with a fellow YYAS participant during the award ceremony.