Africa

A group of people with a range of light to dark skin tones pose in front of a banner that reads, “Bring Change Home.”
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2024 Year in Review
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President Obama sits in a semi circle with Obama Scholars. All are dressed professionally and have a range of light to dark skin tones. Yellow and blue signs are in the background that read, “Obama Foundation Scholars.”
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Ways to embrace pluralism in your daily connections

A 5-step guide to embracing pluralism, fostering connection, and engaging inclusively this holiday season.

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2024-2025 Obama Foundation Africa Leaders Njeke Joshua Egbe and Vera Osei-Bonsu are both tackling food insecurity across Africa, but each take a unique approach to combating malnutrition and improving access to healthy food.
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Obama Foundation Leaders are fighting hunger and malnutrition in Africa

This World Food Day, we're shining a spotlight on two Africa Leaders fostering food security in innovative ways.

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Betty, a young woman with a dark skin tone, turns around and poses for the photo while walking down a dirt path. She is wearing a striped yellow shirt, a black backpack, and has dyed pink hair.
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  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Betty’s story

See how the Girls Opportunity Alliance supports STEM education for Kenyan girls with disabilities.

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Brenda, a young Tanzanian girl with a dark skin tone, raises her hand among her classmates. The group is outside and Brenda wears a school uniform with a white collared shirt, striped tie, and sweater. They are all a range of medium to dark skin tones.
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  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
Brenda’s story

Learn how the Girls Opportunity Alliance supports community-driven solutions that advance equality and climate justice in Tanzania.

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Elpida Kokkota, a woman with a light skin tone, holds a closed lip smile. She has long black hair and is wearing red lipstick, bracelets on both arms, a white shirt, and floral skirt.
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  • Changemakers
Obama Leaders join forces across continents to create global opportunities for women

More than 140,000 women across 155 countries have educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, thanks to the 2023 Obama Leaders.

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Two women and one man pose for a photo. One woman has medium-deep skin tone, and the other two people have deep skin. Two of them wear shirts with the words "Afroclimate.com." They sit on a rock wall in front of dirt and greenery.
  • Changemakers
  • Sustainability
Obama leaders team up to address climate injustice in Africa

Find out how the 2023 cohort created a non-profit committed to a sustainable future for Africa, one entrepreneur at a time.

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Michelle Obama sits in a circle with women with a range of light to deep skin tones and Michael Strautmanis. Mrs. Obama is wearing a multicolored dress and sits with her legs crossed. A sign in the background reads, “Obama Leadership Network.”
  • Leaders
  • Michelle Obama
Leaders alumni and Mrs. Obama reconnect in Africa

We marked the fifth anniversary of the Leaders program where it all began.

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Tom Twongyeirwe Junior stands in front of a board room full of Black people or a range of skin tones. He is wearing a blue button up and striped pants. A sign in the background reads, The Universal Coalition of Affirming Africans Uganda.
  • Equality
  • Leaders
Obama leader fights for LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda

Progress for LGBTQ+ people in Uganda has been hindered by the current cultural and political landscape.

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Joseph Nguthiru, a Black man with a deep skin tone, smiles at the camera as he holds a biodegradable package wrapper made from water hyacinth. He is wearing a green shirt that reads, “Simply do good.”
  • Sustainability
  • Leaders
Meet the Obama leader in Africa turning invasive plants into a plastic alternative

Obama Foundation Leader transforms aquatic weeds into biodegradable plastic.

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Ireen Chikatula poses for a photo with 11 teenage students. They have a deep skin tone and some are wearing school uniforms. Ireen Chikatula holds a sign that reads, “Because girls matter!”
  • Equality
  • Leaders
Meet the Obama leader bringing opportunity to rural Zambia’s women

Learn how Ireen is improving the livelihood of women and girls in Zambia’s rural communities.

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A young fairly sized women with deep skin, a small high top curly fro, and a small earing on her left ear holds a soccer ball. She is wearing a red addidas shirt, black adidas pants, and pick purple shoes. The setting is a rocky dirt field with short purple cones on the ground. A few deeper toned young girls with young hair to the side cut out by the frame. There is a rusted goal also cut out on the same side behind them.
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
  • Leaders
Thuba’s story

Thuba’s story

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In this picture a lady with a deep skin tone wearing a teal shirt and a light blue dress with flower patterns is shown sitting on a tree stump.
  • Girls Opportunity Alliance
  • Equality
Rebecca’s story

Rebecca’s story

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A group of doctors stand together
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Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program concludes with acts of service across the continent

To mark the close of their program year, Obama Leaders from across the African continent volunteered to design and implement collaborative service projects that positively impacted their local communities.

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President Obama participates in a service project to commemorate Mandela Day with Obama Foundation Leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa
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Nigerian Obama Foundation Leaders band together to protest police brutality and corruption

We spoke to six of our Nigerian Obama Leaders to learn more about how they've come together to protest brutality and corruption in the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

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President Obama in conversation with Graça Machel, moderated by Lesley Williams as part of the Mandela 100 USA Celebration Gala in Washington, DC on April 27, 2019. The Obama Foundation is providing these photos for personal use only. Please credit "The O
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  • Barack Obama
Celebrating Mandela 100

Learn how we're celebrating the centenary of Nelson Mandela's birth and hear from Leaders: Africa participant Lesley Williams on the legacy and work Madiba has left for all of us to carry forward.

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A woman with a medium-deep skin tone and short blonde hair stands holding and showing a menstral cup to a man with a deep skin tone under a white tent.
  • Scholars
  • Leaders
When worlds collide: Obama Foundation Scholar and African Leader team up to help African women

When Robert Katende from the Leaders: Africa program met Vanessa Paranjothy, an Obama Scholar at Columbia University, at the 2018 Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, they discovered an opportunity to team up to help their communities.

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A man with a deep skin tone talking on stage
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Lessons of leadership from Kofi Annan

Today, Kofi Annan, pioneer and peacemaker, passed away at 80. As we mourn the passing of our friend, we wanted to share some of the wisdom he offered just one month ago at a panel during our Africa: Leaders convening.

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President Obama holds the hand of a elderly woman with a medium deep skin toned. She lays on a bright yellow couch with her legs out in front of her.
  • Newsletter
  • Changemakers
President Obama: Mandela’s most important lesson

President Obama sent a message to the Obama Foundation email list on Mandela Day and Madiba's legacy, and his reflections on the inspiring young people he met at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa convening in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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On Mandela Day, Wednesday, July 18, the Obama Foundation and The Honeycomb Project team up on the shores of Lake Michigan for a sunset beach clean up. We measure beach health, clear the boardwalk, collect garbage, and make a positive impact at Rainbow in t
  • Newsletter
  • Community Engagement
Celebrating Mandela Day in Chicago

As the 200 emerging African leaders we brought together as part of our Leaders: Africa convening to exchange ideas on how to create positive change in their communities carried out a service project to celebrate Mandela Day, we did the same right here in C

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President Obama participates in an activity that involves newspaper. He works alongside a group people with deep skin tones.
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  • Leaders
Leaders: Africa Wednesday recap with Chimwemwe John Paul Manyozo

Earlier today, Chimwemwe John Paul Manyozo shared his reflection on his experience at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, July 18.

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A group of people with a range of light and dark skin tones smile in formal attire. A green wall in the background with a white stripe going across the middle.
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  • Leaders
Leaders: Africa Tuesday recap with Simidele Adeagbo

Earlier today, Simidele Adeagbo shared a reflection on her experience at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday, July 17.

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A group of people with various skin tones, holding hands, and step on white paper plates on a concrete tennis court.
  • Event
  • Leaders
Leaders: Africa Monday recap

Earlier today, we shared the update below about the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program in Johannesburg, South Africa, recapping the inspiring events on Monday, July 16.

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A graphic of a blue background with diamond-shaped symbols in a white, grey-ish, white, red, teal, yellow, white, red, teal, yellow, and white color pattern.
  • Event
  • Leaders
Leaders: Africa Sunday recap with Veda Sunassee

Earlier today, Veda Sunassee, Head of College, African Leadership University, shared his reflection on his experience at the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa program in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, July 15.

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President Obama makes a descriptive post on Facebook talking about Africa and his endevours there.
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  • Obama Picks
Passing along President Obama’s summer reading list

Earlier today, Bernadette Meehan shared the message below with our full email list ahead of the Leaders: Africa convening in Johannesburg, South Africa July 14-18

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An illustration of four people with a range of light to deep skin tones lifting one another up on top of a paper plane. The background is pink.

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