What an amazing two weeks with the EWB venture I was placed with, the Young Managers Program. The 6 month training program is looking for young leaders looking to make impact in the Ghana and be technical assistants supporting small agribusinesses in Ghana. There were over 200 applicants to the program. It was narrowed down to approximately 70 candidates. The first interview session was in Accra. We had facilitators from other EWB ventures; Mobile Business Clinic assisted with the first interview workshop. Just like this program, the interviews are not your typical interviews. The candidates formed teams, then had 45 minutes to go over a case study on agricultural value chains in Ghana. The teams presented their solutions. The facilitators assessed the teams on leadership and technical skills as they went through the case study, and presented their solutions It was a long first week. Traveling on 6 hour bus ride to Kumasi, to meet with candidates there, then on another 5 hour bus ride for the final interview workshop was Tamale. My new home in Northern Region, Ghana.
After all the interviews were complete, the team Peter Awin, CEO/Co-Founder of AfriLEAD Institute and Hermann Nare (originally from Burkina Faso) discussed what an inspiring first week it was.The second week was spent with another Professional Fellow from TransCanada, Michael Pohlod. We spent the week analyzing data, creating spreadsheets (Michael is Excel guru). It was just like working on a project in TransCanada! The space we have at the AfriLEAD Institute does beat cubicles though. Comfy chairs, couches with a large table in the middle to sit at. Very collaborative atmosphere.
By the end of the week, the team sat down and went through the list and came up with a group of amazing individuals who will be participating in YMP. Small time, Alexis
