Valarie Neema Waswa of Kenya is among the inaugural cohort of the Generation Connect Young Leadership Programme (GCYLP) fellows who recently completed their development week in Switzerland. The GCYLP, an initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with Huawei, supports 30 fellows each year for a period of three years.
Fellows, aged 18-28, receive mentorship and financial support to use digital technology to drive community development over the course of one year. The program’s week-long activities include leadership fireside chats, an intergenerational panel discussion, and visits to Geneva University, Palais de Nations, and Huawei Switzerland in Zurich. Beyond the development week, the program provides online mentoring sessions, virtual “fireside chats” with industry experts, group projects with other participants, and other online programs.
Ms. Waswa, selected by a global jury from a pool of 5,249 applicants from over 200 countries, is an upcoming lawyer passionate about women and youth inclusion in governance and decision-making processes. She has worked with various organizations, from youth activism to serving as a youth envoy and advocate, promoting peace and socio-economic development for women and youth.
“Seizing opportunities and creating new ones, being collaborative and resilient, as well as adopting a multi-disciplinary approach for a multi-sectoral world in which we find ourselves, will go a long way in helping you succeed and impact people’s lives around the world,” said Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau.
Selina Wen, Chief Representative to the EU Institutions and Vice President of Public Affairs for Europe at Huawei, emphasized the importance of young leaders in the digital era, noting their role in harnessing the power of technology to address pressing social challenges. “The projects you have presented are exactly what the real world is calling for,” she said.
The fellows’ project ideas span various fields, including inclusive healthcare, innovative digital skills training, efficient energy storage, and the circular economy. The program, announced in November 2023, opened applications for the inaugural cohort in February. Over the next two years, two more groups, totaling nearly 100 young visionaries from around the world, will embark on similar journeys.
