Bongekile Matsenjwa on her YALI Experience
“What is evident is that we each have various gifts and talents to which we can contribute to make the world a better place, we can even do more when we collaborate and share resources.” - Bongekile Matsenjwa, Integrated Lean Six-Sigma Engineer.
My Mandela Washington Fellowship Journey!
How It Started: Receiving My Fellowship Confirmation Letter
When I applied for the Mandela Washington Fellowship in 2019, I knew that I needed to grow my leadership skills. I was looking for a program that would give me the right skills, knowledge, and networking connection to grow not only professionally but also personally. So, I was very excited when I received my “Congratulations” email in March 2020. I was looking forward to meeting other young leaders in Sub-Sahara Africa as well as networking with US Professionals and organizations in the US. Unfortunately, my excitement my short-lived. COVID-19 happened, and travelling was restricted. Ironically, the theme for the fellowship was resilient leaders and we got an opportunity to practice our resilience as leaders. I was tempted to reject the offer and re-apply in 2021 with the hope that travelling would be allowed and COVID-19 would be long forgotten. But I wasn’t sure that I would be accepted again. Someone once said to never let an opportunity slide but to grab and maximize every opportunity. So, I took the opportunity.
My virtual fellowship journey began in 2021. I went through a slew of zoom meetings and met amazing young African leaders from Sub-Saharan African. I got to learn about the great work they do, this also helped me learn from them, improving on the work I do in Eswatini. I still keep in touch with some of them to this day. Despite it being a virtual experience, I learned a lot from the speakers, professionals and the participants. I grew my leadership skills, I learned to make strategic networks, I was able to develop a leadership growth plan as well as a strategic development plan for my organization. I met my coach and my mentor who are still working with me to date. Yes, I was disappointed about not going to the USA, but the virtual experience helped to enhance my leadership skills. And so, the journey continues…
My Fellowship Experience
“Congratulations, you have been selected to participate in the Alumni Enrichment Institute” I was excited when I received the email confirming my participate in the Alumni Enrichment Institute (AEI) experience. This was an opportunity to finally meet other Mandela Washington Fellows and network with them in person. The Mandela Washington Alumni Enrichment Institute – a follow-up opportunity of the Mandela Washington Fellowship – to collaborate with U.S. counterparts and other fellows and continue building our professional and leadership skills we developed during the 2021 virtual Leadership Institutes programme. IREX and the US department of State arranged a program that was unique to the 2021 Mandela Washington Fellows that was a follow up from the virtual fellowship program. The objective was to enable the fellows to meet, network, and collaborate with the counterparts from the US. In addition, all the participants were placed in 8 different universities across the US based on their areas of expertise. The AEI program was a duration of three weeks of networking and experiential training. The organizing team was excellent, sharing the detailed schedule of the program weeks in advance which helped me plan what I wanted to get out from the program and how to get it. To maximize the experience, I knew that I needed to prepare myself well in advance.
My Time in Washington, DC
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." -Robert Kennedy.
I was reminded of the importance of seeking to serve others rather than seeking to be served. Just because you can’t help everyone doesn’t mean that you can’t help anyone. And it starts where you are. Whether a social entrepreneur, businessman or a professional, it is good to do a continuous analysis of your impact to gauge whether your work still serves your beneficiaries. Keep your hands clean by maintaining your integrity. It takes time to build trust but only takes a few minutes to lose it. It is also difficult to build trust again once lost. "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
My first week on the program was spent in Washington DC where I got to meet various professionals working in NGOs like USAID and those working in the academic space, specifically at Howard University. I also learnt about the beautiful American culture, from their food to home traditions. America is rich with African American culture and that was evident when I toured Howard University. I learnt about how the university was established and the key people who established the university. As an historical black college or university, Howard University was the first school in America to admit African Americans.
Kendra Spencer once said, “When one succeeds, we all succeed.” It was also a privilege to also share my experience during the Community Learning session having been chosen from a group of 200 young leaders. As a panelist I discussed best practices, solutions, and tools related to running a non-profit organization. Leaders continuously learn and grow. Learning from leaders across various sectors has been insightful. Sharing my culture and experience with great leaders from in and outside Africa has been rewarding. What is evident is that we each have various gifts and talents that we can contribute to make the world a better place. We can even do more when we collaborate and share resources. One of the main key takeaways from the experience is that Africa has a lot of potential to outgrow all other continents. Young leaders are key in the development of the African continent. We need leaders who will stand against corruption of all sorts and seek to serve rather than to be served. Each one of us can be a force for good and change.
My Time in Jackson State, Mississippi
“You don’t need everything to be perfect before you start. Sometimes you just need the right people with the right vision.”
Jackson State University (JSU) in Mississippi was one of eight U.S. educational institutions selected to host the Alumni Enrichment Institutes designed to offer insights into the United States’ diverse culture and society, resilience and ethics in leadership, and social justice principles. During our two-week stay, we participated in social and networking opportunities to help foster connections and collaboration with professionals in the greater Jackson area. I was amongst the 25 young leaders who were selected to spend two weeks in Jackson State in Mississippi. My time in Mississippi was amazing it helped me learn about the history of the civil rights movement and about the individuals who played pivotal roles during that time which has inspired me to also serve my community and leave a mark in the world.
I was placed at the JSU college of business which recently celebrated 50 years and has produced successful graduates with 100% employment. The college Dean Ikem Fidelis, has successfully led the college in providing an outstanding management education to a diverse student body which includes those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. The College produces ethical, technologically advanced, diverse global leaders who provide creative business-centered solutions that promote economic and social advancement through the faculty members. I learned about the various academic opportunities available at the college, we also had lectures on leadership and the college arranged visits to historic museums where we continued to learn about the history of Mississippi.
“Dynamite does come in small packages.” – Napoleon Dynamite Toni Cooley is a true reflection of this. I had the opportunity to sit and learn about her work in Mississippi. Toni Cooley established a manufacturing company, Systems Electro-coating in Mississippi with limited experience and knowledge but was able to make a success of it. Visiting Systems Electro-coating Company and seeing her manufacturing company inspired me to dream even bigger. Toni started the multi-million company with limited knowledge about the engineering field but she had the vision and the people. This taught me to be strategic about the networks I make. I learned to believe in myself and my capabilities instead of looking down on myself. The grass is not greener on the other side but greener where you are. I also learned that money is not everything but changing lives is more important. Toni Cooley hosted all 25 of us to a networking session that included company leaders from various industries in and outside STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), allowing us to partner and collaborate with the US professionals.
Other companies I visited while at Jackson State included;
The Mississippi e-Center, a cutting edge facility that demonstrates Jackson State University’s commitment to Cyber technologies. The e-Center is a novel, state-of-the-art complex with the computing and network infrastructure, and the IT faculty and staff to support a wide range of activities, including: electronics-based teaching and learning (e-Education), research (e-Research), and community outreach and service (e-Service).
Foot Print Farms that produces fresh, naturally grown food and education about healthy eating available in many underserved Jackson neighborhoods.
HOPE, a family of development organizations dedicated to strengthening communities, building assets and improving lives in the Delta and other economically distressed parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Atmos Energy that delivers natural gas to approximately 269,000 customers in Mississippi. In addition to that they work with Habitat for Humanity International through sponsorship to build zero net energy homes for the less privileged.
My leadership experience was fully impacted and enriched, I’m truly grateful for the opportunity. Meeting the young leaders from Africa was a great learning opportunity and I was able to identify potential partners to collaborate with in the near future. I would recommend the opportunity to any young leader who wants to enrich and enhance themselves. A big thank you to IREX and the department of State together with Jackson State University for planning and organizing the great experience. Thank you to WomEng for allowing me opportunities to serve women and girls in STEM and my amazing team at WomEng Eswatini, who supported me while I was away.
