The Future Africa Leaders’ Award (FALA) was founded by the LoveWorld President, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, in 2013 for the purpose of “identifying, celebrating and supporting young Africans who have demonstrated exemplary leadership qualities in various fields by impacting their generation positively through education, youth empowerment and mentoring.”
As part of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI), Future Africa Leaders Foundation (FALF) is an NGO that gives a platform to conscientious young people who have plans and a vision to bring about positive changes in their community and country. They lead education, mentoring, and development programs. These young leaders stake responsibility for community development and medical outreaches in their locality and beyond. In many citations we learn about the educational opportunities they create for children and youths.
Innovative Youths Identified by Chris Oyakhilome
The Future Africa Leaders Foundation sponsors mentorship programs that enable youths to make an impact by tackling the current challenges facing the African continent. The foundation identifies youths who have the potential to be remarkable leaders within their communities and nations. The foundation fosters these young leaders through training and support initiatives aimed at helping them to achieve their full ability and to use their leadership skills to improve the lives of others. The mission of the foundation is to explore and expand the leadership potentials across Africa because healthy communities and nations rely on strong, innovative leaders to guide them. The vision of the initiative was to raise financial, political, technological, intellectual, and economic giants who are driven by the challenges in Africa to proffer sustainable solutions.
FALA Acknowledges Leadership
The FALA awards are fast approaching and the special event will honor the many young African world-changers who have demonstrated exemplary leadership skills. These individuals are recognized for their talents, mentored, and celebrated for their incredible contribution to struggling communities across the continent of Africa. Every year the event attracts the biggest and most prominent partners of the ministry, as well as countless government representatives. Last year the reception was the biggest its ever been, with over 20,000 people in attendance and a live broadcast of the event in over 100 countries.
Most winners of the Future Africa Leaders are humbled at the notion of being praised and acknowledged for their work, as they were simply “doing their stuff with no expectation from anybody, or even hope that someone noticed.” What the foundation encourages is leadership. “Leadership is the ability to translate vision into reality.” Many young people are gifted with the strength and passion to bring about real sustainable change in their community. Their successes and achievements are honored with an award ceremony on December 31st.
The Prize
The winner will take home $25,000 as a token of encouragement. The rest of the nominees will receive $10,000 each from the founder and chief motivator of the Future Africa Leaders Awards, the man himself, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome.
Reaching out to those less fortunate than ourselves is a central tenant of Christianity. The LoveWorld global family provides a platform that goes beyond that. As part of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI), the Future African Leaders Foundation (FALF) is a platform for young people to bring change to their locality and homeland.
During the Nomination Show, the global audience gets to hear accounts of the projects and undertakings that these young people have led and managed. FALA nominees are aged from 16-23. The vision of our Man of God, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome that Africa will be led by Africans is a reality. It was his understanding that the youth of Africa can play central roles in the future governance of this continent that has fostered such innovative talents.
Nobel Peace Laureate
Last year the guest speaker was the former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She is a Nobel Peace Laureate, which is an award that speaks for itself. She is a leading advocate for democracy who has affected great change in her native Liberia. Her voice is a shout out for freedom, and she had sacrificed her personal liberty as part of her struggle to liberate her homeland. Her continual advocacy for universal health care for all makes her a positive role model.
During her noble prize acceptance lecture, she said, “History will judge us not by what we say at this moment in time, but by what we do next to lift the lives of our countrymen and women.” When we hear the nominations for the FALA awards we are listening to an account of how these thirty young men and women are building the lives of their generation. Her words have been brought to actuality by those who work for the Future African Leaders Foundation (FALF).
Madame Ellen Johnson recognized that her “journey was supported by my many teachers and mentors who guided (her)to a world opened up by the enlightenment of higher education, and which led to (her)conviction that access to quality education is the social justice issue of our time.” Many of the FALA nominees spearhead education projects that will transform the physical, social and economic landscape of Africa.
Like all the past nominees and winners, Madame Ellen Johnson continues to enhance lives around the globe through her courageous and inspiring leadership. In May 2012, she was appointed co-chair of the United Nations Secretary General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons. The panel wrote a blueprint for global recovery and sustainable development. In June 2016, President Sirleaf was elected the first female Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In just 6 days, another great Christ Embassy event organized by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome will take place; the eighth edition of the Future Africa Leader’s Foundation Nomination Show.
The show kicks off on Saturday, December 26th, where 30 nominees from all over Africa will be announced. For more information visit our website: www.futureafricaleadersfoundation.org. You don’t want to miss it.