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MARSHALL J. BAILLY II |
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mbailly@leadershipinitiatives.orgMarshall created Leadership Initiatives to empower men, women and children around the world to determine their own future. Marshall has previously headed several organizations including American University’s Freshman Service Experience that maintains more than 1,000 members and employees and for which he coordinated over 15,000 hours of community service. Marshall has extensive development experience working in the South African Parliament and has independently created several community development programs on the continent of Africa. Marshall attended American University for his bachelor degrees in International Relations and Political Science from the honors department and a degree in Leadership. He also earned his Masters Degree in Public Administration with a focus on Non-Profit Management from American University.
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ANTOINE F. ELOI |
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Antoine has been working with Leadership Initiatives since May 2004. Having studied and worked with Executive Director Marshall J. Bailly at American University, he believed in Marshall’s vision and was willing to work alongside his colleague and friend to establish a credible, efficient, and successful organization. With his experience researching and working with grassroots initiatives at the South African Catholic Bishops Conference - CPLO and the Surplus People’s Project, organizations based in Cape Town, South Africa, and volunteering at DC Kitchen and My Sister’s Place in the District of Columbia, Antoine has been able to shape and improve Leadership Initiatives’ program in Nigeria through enhancing the project capacity and strengthening organizational partnerships within the community.
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GIACOMO BERGAMO |
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Giacomo joined the organization in December 2005 as the Videographer for the planned 2006 trip to Peru and became the Director of Media and Technology shortly thereafter. He was attracted to the position because it allowed him to use skills gained in film and the non-profit world while helping to create opportunities for underdeveloped communities in South America, where he was born. Prior to joining Leadership Initiatives, he researched solutions to problems in the fields of counterterrorism, military strategy, labor economics, and health at the RAND Corporation (for clients such as the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Labor, the State of California, and the country of Qatar), worked on broadcast documentaries for NOVA and the Discovery Channel, and volunteered as an interpreter in a hospital ER. He currently teaches photography at the USDA Graduate School and is the cinematographer with Revolver Films, a small DC-based studio that regularly produces indie shorts for competitions and just for fun. Giacomo studied economics, computer science, and film at Brown University and the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.
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REBECCA GRAY |
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Rebecca brings extensive organizational and management experience to Leadership Initiatives. The driving force behind several successful entrepreneurial endeavors, Rebecca founded and led a community based non-profit arts organization dedicated to the revitalization of an historic local theater in 2003. As part of that effort she orchestrated an initial fundraising drive which garnered over $60,000 in just a few short months. She also has experience working in and with local government in Washington, DC as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner dealing with a variety of constituent concerns at the grassroots level. Rebecca expects to complete her JD at Georgetown University Law Center in May of 2009. A firm believer in the power of the individual to effect change, Rebecca is thrilled to be part of expanding LI's operational capacity.
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MOHAMMED LAWAN KHALIFA |
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After graduating from the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in 2005 with a degree in Islamic law and participating in both of Leadership Initiatives' previous programs there, Khalifa went on to study federal law and become LI's first Director of Nigerian Affairs. Khalifa gained experience managing development projects by serving as the Project Coordinator for LI's Real Change project, the aim of which was to eradicate illiteracy among the Muslim youth in the poor and densely populated Hausari Ward of Maiduguri in order to elevate their standard of living. Through his work and the work of fellow students, over one hundred students to date have gone through the literacy program. As a result of their newfound skill, 50 of the students received scholarships for further education, 25 received new employment, and 10 received promotions at their current workplace. Also, through partnering with the Agency for Mass Literacy, local imams, and Qu’ranic and public school, Khalfia ensured that the project was run efficiently and reflected the interests of many members in the community.
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JOSHUA NGWAKAWA
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Joshua Ngwakawa is a graduate of Computer Science and a Master degree holder in Business Administration (MBA). He is currently pursuing a Certification program in CISCO and an Msc in Computer Science. Joshua came up with the idea for the Computer Literacy Project. Serving as an IT Instructor at the University of Maiduguri, he saw the opportunity to take the skills he acquired in his studies and offer them to a broader audience. Due to his expertise and willingness to instruct students for free, his project became the most feasible of all project ideas suggested and gave him opportunity to interract with other NGOs, CBOs, Donor Agencies and other stakeholders on Youth and Women Development on ways to help the Nigerian less developed Communities.
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IAN LYNCH
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Ian brings years of experience to the Leadership Initiatives Organization. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking, his films have been screened worldwide at the Cannes International Film Festival, the Scene First Film Fest, and at the Director’s Guild of America. His passion for the moving image and ability to translate story into film make him a valuable asset to the L.I. team in continuing to create awareness about the success of their mission worldwide.
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WHITNEY DERBER |
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Whitney is inspired by fellow American University alumnus Marshall Bailly II and Antione Eloi's dedication to community-identified, established and funded programs as a method for sustainable development. Currently in her final semester at Washington College of Law, Whitney is focusing her JD/MA studies on the effects of trade and foreign investment on local development, as well as methods for creating sustainable economic development. She has traveled extensively throughout the developing world, and has a broad background in business development, intellectual property rights and development methods.
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ADETOUN OLUMIDE |
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Toun Olumide is a communications professional with experience in political campaigning, fundraising, public affairs, corporate communications, media relations and non-profit communications.
Ms. Olumide currently works as a Legislative Aide to Maryland Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam who represents Baltimore County, 10th District. In 2006, she was campaign manager for Delegate Nathan-Pulliam’s re-election campaign. In April 2007, she was deputy campaign director for the Cleve Mesidor for Ward 7 D.C. City Council election campaign.
As president and co-founder of a non profit organization called the Nigerian Youth Association of Maryland, Toun has been instrumental in bringing together Nigerian youths in Maryland and organizing activities that encourage, leadership, education, cultural enrichment and community service. For the past five years, she has played a major role in establishing and developing the annual African festival in Baltimore City, which draws over 6,000 attendees and celebrates the culture and heritage of the African community in Baltimore.
Graduating Summa cum Laude from Towson University, Maryland, Ms. Olumide earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and minors in Political Science and French.
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JEREMEY TRIPP |
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Jeremey has been an integral part of Leadership Initiatives since its inception. During this time he has worked in almost every aspect of the organization leading to his current role as Webmaster. Jeremey brings with him media skills developed while working in promotions for JetBlue, as website designer of HOBY's Washington DC chapter and through ongoing work as a professional photographer. Having grown up with LI founder Marshall Bailly, Jeremey is passionate about LI's commitment to transforming today's youth into the leaders of tomorrow.
NAMIBIA:
BEAUTIFUL DOORGwanire Muyaba
Age: 21
Grade: Third Year
The Leadership Development Program has opened a door for me to create a community work project among the poor people in the squatter camps of Windhoek, Namibia. I want to do this project mostly because people in these parts of the city are unemployed, have a minimal level of formal education, and are greatly affected by HIV/AIDS. They cannot interact effectively with their environment so it thrusts them into situations most vulnerable to poverty and HIV/AIDS. A project in skills development will give them an opportunity to enhance their well-being and improve their quality of life through empowerment.
Bianca Maravanyika
Age: 20
Grade: Third Year
The project I am working on is skills development in squatter camps, focusing on developing employment opportunities for the residents. We will be teaching them domestic skills since most of them do not have any formal educational background. With the help of the churches and other interested community members, I am very confident that our project will be successful.
Zimi Mcingolwane
Age: 21
Grade: Third Year
Through Leadership Initiatives, I am able to aid those less fortunate than myself and, in doing so, give back to the community. This is a great learning opportunity that I look forward to applying to my career and lifestyle choices.
Tobias Muyaba
Age: 27
Through personal experiences, I was inspired to participate in Leadership Initiatives and help others who can not help themselves. I seek to improve my society so that my dreams, and indeed the dreams of nearly every child, can be achieved. I am a part of the system that helps to fight socially created maladies, increasing HIV/AIDS rates, crime, drugs and alcohol abuse. All these problems in this part of the world seem to fall under one umbrella…poverty. With the tools that I have gained though my work with Leadership Initiatives, I have been able to effectively fight against these issues with the project I am helping to develop, New Phase.
Ernest Mweemba
Age: 29
I have worked very closely with organizations that are spearheading the fight for human rights and I am currently the Secretary General of the AFRONET Task Force. Through Leadership Initiatives, I am able to coordinate human rights programs in Zambia. All of my Human Rights work has prepared me to effectively get New Phase off the ground with the help of Leadership Initiatives
Brian Chanda Mutale
Age: 23
Grade: Final Year
I am working with fellow students to develop New Phase, a peer-to-peer communication project with the aim of empowering the youth to make responsible decisions, to make them act on the positive information they receive about HIV/AIDS on a daily basis. It aims to tackle the youth on an individual level rather than generalizing for all of them, as has been done in the past. Through my education, community work, and travels, I have been inspired to use Leadership Initiatives as a vehicle to accomplish my goals for New Phase.
Victor Chabinga
Age: 20
As a member of this community, I am involved in a number of community activities and projects in Zambia both as a hobby and for career development. Other community involvements include volunteering with the Zambia Work Camps Association and the Youth to Youth Association. I am currently working with a team of young and dynamic people in running the New Phase peer-to-peer communication project, an ambitious project that seeks to empower young people to make responsible decisions and to encourage them to act on the positive messages they are receiving.
Killa Janda
Age: 21
Grade: Third Year
I have a very strong sense of community and connection to my continent. Because of this patriotism, I feel the obligation to help others. Through Leadership Initiatives, my university, and New Phase, I plan on doing my part for the community.
Julianda Suzetha Gomaxas
Age: 23
Grade: Third Year
I want to make use of the knowledge I have gained in social work to explore and make a difference. Through Leadership Initiatives, I have been able to apply what I have learned in the classroom to real situations. In four years time, I see myself as an established social worker and so I am inspired to dedicate all of my time and energy to this project.
Alisa Amupolo
Age: 20
Grade: Third Year
I like helping out others and also motivating them. At the moment, I am running this project along with two colleagues that collects clothes for refugees at the nearby Osire Refugee Camp. This came as a result of the Leadership Development Program, which I came across a few weeks ago through Marshall Bailly, a teacher from Washington who was brought to UNAM to as a leadership program director to motivate students interested in leadership. I am interested in becoming the Program Director for another project that aids vulnerable families.
Jacky Katjivena
Age: 24
Grade: Final Year
I’m a very open-minded and social person who is interested in learning about other cultures and traditions. Participating in Leadership Initiatives through my university has helped me develop relationships with other people through outreach and education.
Zaa Nashandi
CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGNNamasiku Yvonne Nalisa
Age: 20
Grade: Third Year
Evelina, Antoinette and I are working on a research project that will try to reduce crime by examining the physical environment. We want to try and implement a method that has been used in other countries but is fairly new to Namibia. This method is known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. We want to find out if factors from the physical environmental such as lighting, riverbeds, high wall fences and dense bushes can be used by the criminal to his advantage.
Evelina Ashipala
Age: 22
Grade: Third Year
Crime is influenced by the physical environment in which it takes place. Through our project we are addressing different urban issues that occur in areas of Windhoek which contribute to crime and crime rates.
Pumulu Antoinette Makendwa
Age: 22
Grade: Second Year
It is my ambition in life to utilize my skills and knowledge to enhance the world’s perception of Namibia and also of the continent of Africa, especially where education is concerned. The Leadership Development Program has helped me to see that there is no limit to what the mind can create. My group is doing a research project on how environmental factors (i.e. lighting, riverbeds, location) affect the crime rate. This would help establish whether these environmental factors can be manipulated to the effect that residents are less likely to be victims of crime.
NIGERIA:
ANOTHER FACE OF LIFEModu Grema
Age: 28
Grade: Final Year
My experiences as a student leader and activist motivate me to undertake projects that are directly involved in youth affairs. The Leadership Development Program provided by Leadership Initiatives opened a door for me to create a community work project among the drug-addicted youth in the Maiduguri metropolis, more particularly the Premier Cinema area of Mafoni ward. We want to do this project because too many of them are drug addicts with a very low level of formal education and no employment history. By helping them to develop work skills and receive counseling for drug abuse, this project can enhance the level of productivity and creativity in the whole community. They will be empowered through this project.
Glory Mani Emmanuel
Age: 22
Grade: Fourth Year
My father is in the clergy and is a man of high integrity and valor. He has always been my source of inspiration and my mentor. This environment has fostered particular concern for the disabled, which is now my project topic and my area of interest in the community at large. My father taught me creative ways to alleviate their suffering and it has motivated me to make his dreams mine: through Leadership Initiatives’ Development Program, I was able to create a community project to improve the lives of the disabled youth of Nigeria.
Gilbert Nyanganji
Age: 28
Grade: Final Year
I have been President of the University of Maiduguri Conservation Society for two years. The organization is a voluntary, non-profit, non-governmental organization with an aim to create conservation awareness among students and the country of Nigeria. I recently was trained by Leadership Initiatives’ Development Program at the University of Maiduguri. With all of these experiences, I was inspired to create Another Face of Life because I love and respect my fellow humans, and I possess a zeal to give my children and grandchildren a fair and free world.
Muazu Mohammed Dikwa
Age: 27
Grade: Fifth Year
My experiences as a student leader and activist have inspired me to undergo projects that are directly involved in youth affairs. I am an orphan, but this will not deter me from indulging in such activities. The Leadership Development Program I went through opened a door for me to create a community work project among drug addicted youth in the Premier Cinema area of Mafoni Ward, Maiduguri.
Fatima Mohammed
BETTER CITIZENSChristopher Jiddu Danyil
Age: 29
Grade: Final Year
I advocate honesty and openness and I dislike the feeling of disappointment. My mentor, Philip Kotler, has helped me develop the Better Citizens project through Leadership Initiatives.
Adamu Malagwi
Flang Bulus Musa
Nwonye Nnamdi
Samuel O.B. Igwe
LIBERATIONIbrahim Abubakar
Age: 24
Grade: Final Year
I believe strongly in positive change. Since my adolescence, I strongly believe that a leader is made, not born. I have faith that I am among the many who can bring about positive change not only to my community, but to the world at large. I have worked with several development organizations and I won three peace awards for achievement. I am only 24 years old, but I am a hardworking and dedicated student as well as the only male child in my family. I have held varied political positions in my school and will always be interested in effecting positive political change in the future.
Stanley Kingsley
Age 24
Grade: Final Year
A well-known broadcaster always said “there is a time to be born and a time to die, in between is your life-time, an opportunity to live, to live for the betterment of mankind and rare service to humanity.” This is my major motivation and the reason why I am participating in this Leadership Initiatives project. For me this project shall only be a success if we are able to raise the standard of life for orphan children.
Kamla Ishmael
Age: 30
Grade: Final Year
My membership in the Roteract Club has challenged me to always serve humanity and assist the less privileged in society. We create great positive change in the lives of the needy. It is this mentality that inspired me to become involved with Leadership Initiatives and the Liberation project.
Umar Bukar Gans
Age: 28
Grade: Final Year
I have been a student leader all of my educational life, believing that it is always important to serve and help those around you. Above all, I cherish serving humanity at any point in time and at any place, even if my own resources are exhausted. This has moved me, through the help of Leadership Initiatives, to develop the Liberation project with my fellow students.
Mohammed Hamzah Dnotu
REAL CHANGEJibrin Umar Bolori
Age: 25
Grade: Final Year
I live in a community where illiteracy is a major societal problem. Because many parents do not advocate Western education, illiteracy is common. For a long time now, I have been seeking a way to assess the problem in my community because I strongly believe that change starts with the individual. The Leadership Development Program has opened a door for me to embark on an educational project: to promote literacy among my illiterate peers. This program will go a long way in solving many societal problems such as the growing number of HIV/AIDS patients, corruption, human rights violations, and drug and child abuse.
Festus Iyke Agbuzu
Age: 24
Grade: Year Three
I grew up in a service-oriented family that was committed to improving the lives of those around us. Most notable among the various humanitarian organizations I have engaged in since my youth is the Rotaract Club, an international service organization. Currently I am the 17th Rotaract President of the University of Maiduguri. My leadership mentor is the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and I have adopted his philosophy of selflessness in service.
Mohammed Jajere
Age: 27
Grade: Final Year
My childhood was built upon Islamic norms and practices. With this background, I learned that one should not obtain ends through deceitful practices but rather honesty, openness, and community; the golden rule should govern. I also was taught to be more aware of my environment. I realized that the main problem in my community is illiteracy, and Leadership Initiatives has challenged me to design a project to achieve literacy among my people. As my father used to tell me, “It’s all about sharing and caring.”
Mohammed Lawan Khalifa
Age: 27
Grade: Fifth Year
In the area where I grew up, most of the youth are illiterate. I was lucky to be among the ones with an opportunity to attend school, and I feel sincerely affected by the unfortunate who were not given the same opportunities. I chose to participate in this Leadership Initiatives project because the illiterate cannot interact effectively in our community. This project will provide them with the opportunity to improve their knowledge, well-being, and awareness so that their voices can also be heard.
Danjuma Dangwaran
Age: 30
Grade: Forth Year
The Leadership Development Program has opened doors for me to create a community work project among the poor of Maiduguri in Borno State. I want to develop this project because the people in this part of the city are unemployed, have minimal education, and are greatly affected by political problems. This project was designed to provide awareness about political thuggery in Nigerian politics that exists especially in the northern states of Nigeria. We are examining the causes and effects and will then recommend action for the target group. Major targets are the students of post-primary and secondary schools, unemployed youth, and unskilled laborers.
Emilia Umegbulam
Age: 22
Grade: Fourth Year
I am a female activist with a vision and dreams for the youth of the future. Leadership Initiatives will help me realize my potential and discover my ability to create a community-based project among the youth to help them gain employment and acquire skills in Borno State. I feel honored to be a part of this community project because most of the youth are secondary school drop-outs with minimal education and are unemployed. I particularly feel that service projects that create jobs and are skill-building will help them enhance their potential and improve their living standards.
Eba Alphonsus Ogar
Age: 30
Grade: Fourth Year
I have, since my years in primary school, been maintaining and concentrating on the development of leadership skills. I am a student activist and youth leader with a vision to turn the socio-political, economic and moral vices of our misdirected youth into virtues. The Hope Access Foundation that my colleagues and I created in collaboration with Leadership Initiatives is the key to the solution for our political problems; it is the brainchild of our desires for peace.
Mohdauwal Haruna
Age: 25
Grade: Third Year
I am attending university to pursue a career in law due to its applicability to my aspirations, as I wish to become an advocate for the voiceless and a promoter of peace.
The Leadership Development Program has opened a door for me to be part of a project that steers our fellow youth away from the ills of political thuggery. I want to do this project because people in this part of the city are unemployed, illiterate, and school drop-outs. They are most likely to pursue violence, as an idle mind is often the devil’s workshop. Together we can dissuade them from political violence and direct them towards productive ventures.
Chaida J. Bulama
Age: 26
Grade: Final Year
I served as the treasurer for the National Association of Agricultural Kilba for the University of Maiduguri chapter, and I am an active member in the student representative assembly as senator of the student union government also at the university. The Leadership Initiatives’ Development Program has re-awakened my leadership potential to serve as a better citizen and leader of my generation.
We run at least one program abroad each year. The duration of the programs is usually around six months and we require a commitment of 10 hours/week for several months before departing from the U.S. Once in-country, Leadership Initiatives offers a stipend that is competitive with that of other international development programs. Roundtrip airfare, basic medical insurance, and room and board are also covered. We are currently operating in the Philippines and plan to return to Nigeria and Namibia in January and May, respectively, of 2007. Following the two Africa programs, Leadership Initiatives will expand to Latin America in late 2007 or early 2008. Although we do not currently have any positions available, be sure to check our website and Craigslist.org for future openings. We will advertise on Craiglist.org and our website when we have positions available. The three positions are always the same: Manager, Teacher, and Videographer.
The Manager is in charge of developing and running a program in a country of interest. His or her responsibilities include partnering with a university in the country, attracting students to the Leadership Initiatives program, networking to make contacts in the media, government, educational institutions and other NGOs, planning the logistics of the trip (obtaining transportation, office and classroom space, etc.), maintaining the program budget, and starting the educational partnership program (EPP) with secondary schools in the program country and the U.S. Most importantly, the Program Manager works with the students to turn their ideas into locally sustainable development projects throughout the duration of the program.
The Teacher creates the country-specific curriculum and lesson plans for the program country, networks in the U.S. and in the program country to find speakers for the classroom and mentors for the student projects, interviews students at the partner university to find the best candidates for the Leadership Initiatives program, and teaches the initial 2-3 week leadership and development course. At the end of the course, the teacher spends the following six months helping the students apply what they have learned by creating their own locally sustainable development projects.
The Videographer is responsible for creating a full-length video documentary about the country program on MiniDV as well as documenting the program through photographs, journals, blogs, etc. Additionally, the Videographer is expected to update webpages about the country program and help the students create webpages and graphics (logos, promotional materials, etc.) for their development projects. Essentially a visual jack-of-all-trades, the Videographer should have prior experience in film, photography, and digital graphics creation.
We accept interns for academic credit through their universities or high schools, and a limited number of federal work study students. Interns and general volunteers may choose the organizational area they wish to develop.
Interested in volunteering? Send us a note:
