By Mary Afolabi | OMLA Project Director
At St Louis Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria, the summer of 2024 witnessed the ignition of a transformative vision: The One Million Leaders Africa Bootcamp (OMLA 2024). The bootcamp's vibrant young minds, aged 13 to 18, embarked on a week-long journey exploring realms of leadership and sustainability, entrepreneurship, climate change and more.
The One Million Leaders Bootcamp is not just an event; it's a movement Organized by NELIS. OML seeks to connect, inspire, and empower a million young minds from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East and North Africa by 2030, creating leaders capable of forging a positive and sustainable future. This year’s Boot Camp is the second edition of the program for teenagers, focusing on reaching out to secondary school students.
With registration and healthcare teams in place, 120 participants attended the bootcamp. Participants showcased what they developed from what they learnt during the entrepreneurship practical sessions.
The training sessions ranged fromunderstanding climate change, its effects and how to mitigate it; to leadership skills, career orientation, embracing technology, and entrepreneurship.
After each day’s lectures, students gather in their assigned teams to assess their newly acquired knowledge. Participants have the opportunity to express themselves and share their own leadership initiatives
The entrepreneurship workshop also provided practical training on metalwork, including the use of steel to create frying pans, cake pans and packers. Participants also learned about food processing techniques and produced cakes and puff-puffs.
Participants were trained on how to plant trees to combat climate change. Now these bots and girls can independently plant and grow trees in their communities.
A memorable grand finale saw sponsors, teachers, and dignitaries gathered together, celebrating the achievements, knowledge gained, skills acquired, mind-set shift and products crafted by the participants. In addition, five exceptional students were recognized for their outstanding performance throughout the bootcamp and awarded scholarships to an ICT center. Additionally, teams showcased their skills through engaging presentations, including speeches, talk shows, and spoken word performances. The team with the most impressive presentation was awarded a special prize.
OMLA 2024 Bootcamp has established a new baseline. The young minds' potentials, combined with expert mentorship, have proven that with the right guidance, Africa's future is bright. We await the next edition with your continued support, envisioning greater reach, and deeper impact.
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