I am Samuel Kwizera, A volunteer in a charity organization called Destiny Builders, Part of management team at Palm Springs Apartment and the Guild President of University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB) Kigali campus, I’m doing my bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at UTB On 12th to 15th January 2023, I was privileged being invited to attend the Africa Youth Leadership Forum gathering which took place in Rwanda and it was my very first-time hearing about AYLF which means I was full of expectations of how the gathering was going to be for those three days.
My experience started at the cornerstone office where we were departing from and when I came, I saw Mr. Jesse (a long term AYLF member) and I remembered that I’ve seen him in the Aspire debate competitions in 2022 and I approached him and said Mr. Jesse you are here? He just told me that everywhere there’s youth and leadership I will always find him there and as a person who really feels that leadership and impacting the society especially youth is one of my dreams that really raised my curiosity and excitement on how the gathering is going to be.
Since we arrived at the hotel and the activities started from the introduction of AYLF and all the presentation from different presenters I just felt like this is where I belong.
I have gained network with people from 6 countries, youth who are also willing and dreaming to change the negative narratives of our beautiful continent Africa
I have learned a lot from each and every one who came for the gathering as we were coming from different countries so it was a very good place of interacting with different cultures
The expectations I had for the gathering went beyond
The takeaway from the gathering will help me serve the society that I live in without expecting anything in return but their life transformation.
It will also help me work hard to make the world a better place and to not leave it as I found it , it has to be better and better
It will help me to speak up and defend what is right
It will help to tell my fellow youth that we are the ones to tell our own stories as Africans because we know it better that anybody
The gathering gave me a takeaway of revisiting the core values of our culture and promoting unity, love, peace and reconciliation to all Africans because we are all one.
It reminded me that we are the future of our continent.

Hello everyone, my name is Madiha Mahamat Alhadi and I’m a Chadian economics student at Kigali Independent University. AYLF has been one of the best experiences of me in terms of diversity, challenges and inspiration. I’ve learned about myself as an African youth and about the possibilities the world has for me and my generation.
Meeting likeminded people and getting inspired and entertained together is unforgettable.
Going to Nyamata for AYLF gathering, i expected it to be normal just like any other youth gathering but I was mistaken. This one changed my life. From the way we were received to the day we called it a wrap; everything was amazingly organized. Not only that I’m ready to change my life to the better, but I can’t wait to make an impact and make the world a better place. Thank you AYLF for the wisdom you gave me and thank you for the experience.

We all have turning points in life but my turning point was on 19th june 2013 as i was introduced to AYLF for the first time in Limuru Kenya as a student leader who was a guild president of Uganda Christian University Mukono. Of course being a guild president of a university, i knew it was satisfying enough and i knew that is what leadership was all about, fighting your way up and looking for survival and next post of leadership but it was different with AYLF.

AYLF's principles of leadership according to the personality of Jesus Christ were life changing and too serious than i ever imagined before and this to me was the beginning of my journey to understand the kind of leader i want to be and the kind of role model i would chose to emulate in leadership.

AYLF training on the 7 habits of highly effective people was a whole mind blowing experience that opened my eyes to new phenomenal aspects in leadership such as having an end in mind and putting first things first among others that made me think deeply about my life.

The AYLF love,family of friends strategy,fun and unity despite the diversity and difference in culture and background was yet another whole experienced that left me challenged. I was happy at how the group leaders merged our cultures, countries, backgrounds and professions into one family and circle of friends all other factors constant.

The AYLF use of small groups was a new strategy of leadership whose influence i had never imagined. i always thought to influence things, i needed thousands of people to mobilize and do something about society challenges but i found it different with this group. Jesus had a small group of 12 that he started with but finally his teaching spread to the entire world and has changed the world.

Having all the above perspectives in mind, i left Limuru when i had totally conceived quiet a lot of knowledge, approaches, types and wisdom on leadership and finally my pregnancy then has grown and grown over years to give birth to the following fruits;

In my term of office as guild president in 2013, i left a land mark and legacy at UCU as one of the best leaders they have ever had. I served with utmost humility, diginity and maturity using all the tools of wisdom that had been imparted in me in Limuru. Its this time that i appreciated the choice i had made to offer transformational and servant leadership which was the best method i never regretted to use during my time of service as a leader.

Still at university, I identified and formed a small group of friends to be my circle family of friends and this small group has existed until today. We are like brothers and sisters, we know each other than our own families and siblings know about us, we hold each other accountable, we are available for each other and this was one thing i learnt from AYLF.

From Limuru in 2013, i came with determination to mentor others. Since then i have so far over 50 mentees who have assisted in leadership by passing on all the knowledge i kept on getting from gatherings and events of AYLF. Among my mentees include 5 guild presidents and several other guild leaders such as ministers and GRcs in different universities.

I have not stopped there but I realised AYLF was doing everything possible to provide young leaders with information but the reading culture was so poor in the entire region thus in April 2016 this year, i started an organization called League of Young Professionals-Uganda (LYP) for readers and leaders. These are so far coming to 50 mentees from diffferent professions who i send books to read, analyze and summerise. We meet with other experienced carefully selected mentors who are readers to fellowship in small groups and share experiences with young professional to improve their attitude and culture in reading. This is a typical method of leadership that i picked from AYLF.

As a true fruits of AYLF ,the future is bright and we are taking over all institutions in the next few years. The power in starting small is so powerful and the bundle is so heavy and irresistable to anything. Let every beneficiary of AYLF have a small team of young leaders to mentor and lets do the multiplier effect over years, we will look back and appreciate the mountain we have climbed with a smile.

Special thanks to the African Youth Professional Network under AYLF which is up to date sharpening me as a professional.

God bless the founders of AYLF
God bless the leaders of AYLF
God bless the AYPN group leaders and all AYLF members