Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF)

About us

Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF) is an organization nurturing Africa´s emerging leadership through organizational development, leadership development, youth civic engagement, good governance advocacy, and sustainable community service events.
Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF) grows the next generation of self-aware, value-driven and ethical leaders through mentorship, coaching, and training.

Mission: ELF´s mission is to provide the highest quality leadership development through training, mentoring and exchange program for young people to ensure sustainable social, economic and political transformation of the African continent.

Focus Areas: Advocacy, Civic Engagement, Community development, Education, Health

Programs:
1. Leadership development
2. Youth civic engagement and participation
3. Policy and research

ELF Leadership & Mentorship Program: ELF runs a one-year high impact mentorship program aimed at empowering the next generation of leaders to spur transformation in their communities. Each mentee is given a mentor based on their career areas of interest for coaching and guidance throughout the program. Mentees learn about self-awareness, leadership skills, life skills, storytelling, community service, human rights and participation, effective communication, and entrepreneurship. The program also has a debate and community service component for mentees to apply leadership skills. Youth leadership at ELF is important because young people are the core of society and youth leadership programs engage them at a formative stage in their lives. At ELF, leadership means young people are at the center of policy and decision-making processes.
Impacts: The program has served about 1,000 youth directly through training and mentorship, and about 5,000 indirectly, when graduates of the program go on to start their own mentorship initiatives at the grassroots level mentoring younger girls in school, or become involved in existing programs. At the individual level, ELF participants have improved self-awareness; skills in negotiation, leadership, and communication (including public speaking); and access to opportunities such as internships, jobs, volunteer opportunities. ELF has also observed linkages between women in leadership positions and their improved ability to access education to make informed choices about sexuality in their lives.

Caren Wakoli is the Founder and Executive Director of the Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.