Mandela Fellows wrap up Maine visit, media report
Maine Public and WABI (Channel 5) reported 25 young leaders from 18 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa concluded the six-week Mandela Washington Fellowship program at the University of Maine. UMaine hosted the 2017 Mandela Washington fellows, who toured the state, met the governor and made business and personal connections, Maine Public reported. “The biggest population in Africa is of young people, which means the continent is growing, and with that level of growth in terms of access to energy, that is the biggest thing for young people and that is the biggest opportunity right there,” said Obakeng Sethamo, a 2017 Mandela Fellow, and founder and director of Climate Exploration Hub in Botswana. Carol Kim, associate vice chancellor for academic innovation and partnerships at UMaine, told Maine Public the demographics of Africa point to future growth. “I find this a fascinating fact: that 60 percent of the age range is less than 39, so 1 in 3 is between 10 and 24 years of age — really young, and super rich in natural resources,” she said. The fellows will now travel to the Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit in Washington D.C., where they will join the other 975 fellows from host institutes across the nation.