I received an invitation to be the Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach at the University of Delaware in 2019 for a group called the "Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders."  I had no idea how much my life would change when I accepted the engagement!  Since then, I have participated in several reciprocal exchange programs with alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (including one in person to Benin just prior to the pandemic).  My dear colleague from Benin, Sènou Francis DEGBEGNI, and I have dreamed of impacting Africa with programs for underserved communities focused on building resilience, wellness, and health.  Now, through MGI, you can be a part of our dream.

The program we are designing will include the following elements which will be delivered through a combination of in-person, virtual, and pre-recorded methods:

1.  Participants will understand their strengths and receive coaching on how they can use what is right with them to be more productive and engaged in their activities;

2.  Participants will explore the concept of having a growth mindset and learn what it means to view life events as opportunities, not road blocks;

3.  Participants will learn how food choices and growing methods impact their own health, as well as the health of the environment;

4.  Participants will have the opportunity to explore lifestyle medicine, leveraging the natural qualities of food, cooking methods, and self-care.

This first phase of fundraising will allow us to conduct research, develop, and deliver a "train-the-trainer" pilot program in Africa at a yet-to-be-determined location in sub-Saharan Africa.  We will be training leaders of NGO's (Non-Government Organizations similar to nonprofits in the U.S.).  After the pilot program, we will make any necessary adjustments to the program based on our learnings and work with Sènou and his team to select our first project!  Each project will have its own budget which will be summarized for donors to see (the budget for this first phase of fundraising is still under development).

Thank you in advance for your interest and consideration!  If this is not a good time for you to give financially, would you consider forwarding this campaign to others in your network who may be interested in supporting this great cause?

Thank you!

Lorraine

[email protected]