Social media giant Facebook has named the 116 people from across the globe who will be joining the Facebook Community Leadership Program. The program was announced in February, and Facebook said it received over 6,000 applications from around the world.
The judging panel was made up of a wide range of professionals, including Facebook’s stuff and community experts from around the world. Each application was reviewed to identify Facebook Group Leaders with strong, clear, and commitment to the visions of their respective communities.
Of the 116 leaders announced by Facebook, 11 are from Africa, and they are as follows:
| Gabriel Hoosain Khan – LGBTI Community, Human Right (South Africa) |
| Nadine Maselle – Salt River High Tutoring (South Africa) |
| Lusanda Magwape – Dream Factory Foundation (South Africa) |
| Anike Lawal – Mamalette (Nigeria) |
| Savio Lule Mark – The Youth Hub Uganda (Uganda) |
| Mamadou Sy, Docteur Nakamaou (Senegal) |
| Felista Wangari – 53-Week Savings Challenge |
| Caroline Kihusa – Still A Mum (Kenya) |
| Truphosah Mona – Women and Realities of Disability Society (Kenya) |
| Asha Mweru – #WomenWorkKE (Kenya) |
| Pamellah Oduor – Let’s Cook Kenyan Meals (Kenya) |
“Many community leaders worldwide and in Africa turn to Facebook to create connections through Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, or Messenger. This program is all about empowering them with the tools, support, and funding they need to advance their causes and build their communities,” said Nunu Ntshingila, the Regional Director of Facebook Africa.
The program has further identified a separate list of five Facebook Group leaders under the Leaders in Residence category. They will each get $1,000,000 in funding to help their community achieve their vision.
For instance, in Kenya, Noah Nasiali was selected as one of the Leaders in Residence. After bringing together over 100,000 farmers from across the African continent under one Facebook Group under just one year’s time.
“Africa Farmers Club was formed to help farmers come together to access credible, reliable, and applicable farming information that will help them develop their skills and most importantly help them to get a market for their produce and in the end get returns for their hard work,” said Nasiali.
“I invite group members to share their stories both positive and negative through pictures so that we can learn together. Whenever possible, I personally visit members face-to-face to see for myself their challenges, and we discuss how they can overcome and at the same time and improve.
Our community aims to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal, which is to end hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.”