What is better than a world-class pan-African leadership institution in our neighbouring country, South Africa, that was established with five beliefs and is based on the fact that Africa’s greatest need is ethical and entrepreneurial leadership? Meet the African Leadership Academy (ALA), which was founded by Fred Swaniker, who himself had lived in different parts of Africa growing up. Afterbreak caught up with Vision Tobias, an Alumni and Ambassador of ALA to tell us a little bit more about the institution.
Experience with Vision
Vision Tobias, born and bred in Namibia, is now an Alumni Ambassador of ALA and finds joy in teaching her classmates Oshiwambo and Namibian slang. She had started at ALA in the middle of her 11th grade in high school, and says that her academic and perceptive lives have drastically changed since then.
“I became a better thinker, writer, communicator, and researcher due to her conversations with my teachers and fellow students,” Tobias says.
Her views and thoughts on identity, society, and systems were also influenced by the core courses she took at ALA, and this stems from ALA consisting of different world-class nationalities.
Vision had widened her perception of the world through the stories and lessons she had come across through mere conversations and casual interactions. Some of Vision’s closest friends originated from countries she barely knew anything about: Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The exposure to such a diverse community made her want to learn more about Namibia and her background, as she was usually the point of reference for everyone she met.
Education
Founded in September 2008 in Johannesburg, the ALA has two distinct programmes, namely the Diploma Programme and a suite of short-term Global Programmes. The programmes include the Cambridge Advanced International Examination (CAIE), AS Level, and A-Level.
The Diploma Programme, a 2-year pre-university programme, is based on a curriculum that goes beyond academic theory and examined content. It primarily consists of Core courses, Arts & Humanities, Sciences & Mathematics, and electives. It also has additional SAT tutoring, university guidance, guest speaker programmes, and external opportunities.
The Global Programmes are suited for teens aged 13–19 years old, and they branch off into three different programmes:
- The Global Scholars Programmes which practice leadership by working with South African entrepreneurs and community members;
- The Chevron Engineering Leadership Programme, which has a focal age group of 15–18 years for high school students who are interested in STEM career opportunities;
- And the Model African Union, which practices the skills of research, academic writing, critical thinking, debate, and negotiation for the development of diplomatic leaders.
ALA is my epitome of diversity.
Vision Tobias
Living on campus
ALA’s campus is designed around a quad with dormitories, classrooms, a dining hall, auditoriums, and science laboratories. Students share rooms with other students of the same gender but different nationalities, prompting students to learn more about their roommates’ culture, nationality, and religious practices.
The academy offers different sports codes that consist of soccer and netball, as well as frisbee, dodgeball, rugby, and tennis. Robotics, African dance, and the school choir are some of the clubs and societies available. The Academy has its own Student Leadership, which is selected by the student government to represent students’ interests.
The Core Courses subjects are what make ALA’s curriculum special; they include entrepreneurial leadership, African studies, writing and rhetoric, and wellness. ALA has an alumni network, which caters to internships and work experience for when you are done with the offered programs. If you are young and ambitious, the African Leadership Academy is the place for you.
