Leadership Development for African Women Scholarships

The need for effective and unifying Christian leadership has never been greater. Poverty, economic disparity, conflict, theological confusion, and innumerable other challenges shape the spiritual and material well-being of individual people and, indeed, the interdependent fabric of all societies. The implications are global, and the need and opportunity are especially compelling throughout the continent of Africa.

WGM can play a critical role in developing African leaders by creating and supporting a leadership program that integrates Christian spiritual transformation with the knowledge and practical skills required of leaders capable of addressing the challenging pace and complexity of the modern African context.

Much of the world seems to struggle with notions of leadership, typically viewing the activity of leading to be one of using power and control over others. Jesus asked His disciples to walk with Him throughout three years of teaching and modeling. Even then, His closest followers were struggling to shift their mental models to begin to understand this radical thing called the kingdom of God and the work of leadership within it.

Authentic and effective Christian leaders are needed in every sector of African society. Spiritually transformed people who are prepared to face adaptive challenges are needed in government, NGOs, businesses, the media, schools and universities, hospitals, counseling centers, churches, and in other domains.

Patricia's Story

Patricia Ali is the first scholarship recipient. She is 29 years old, and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where her father served in the Nigerian miliary. Her family is of the Wurkun tribe, which is from Taraba State in northeast Nigeria. She has three sisters, and her mother recently passed away.

"I am grateful that I was able to complete my undergraduate degree in Christian education in Nigeria," Patricia shared. "Now, I feel a call to further prepare myself in the field of education, and I have been accepted at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya, to earn a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership."

"I am honored to be able to participate in WGM’s Leadership Development for African Women Program. I welcome the mentoring component of this program as an opportunity for my personal transformation, as well as for growth in understanding how to engage in the hard work of leadership. My dream is to go back to Taraba State and to create educational opportunities and a support network for women, many of whom are suffering greatly. I hope to help them to become empowered to live lives of meaning and purpose for the Kingdom of God.”

Program Components

1. Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund allows emerging leaders to enroll in a leadership program within an approved African university, preferably for graduate professional studies and for study in the field to which they sense God’s call (education, communications, business, political science, counseling, etc.).

2. Mentoring Program. Students actively engage in a leadership mentoring program, mentored by a WGM missionary or African leader. The mentoring includes a focus on the student’s ongoing spiritual transformation as well as reflection upon curriculum learning and practical application.

3. Practical Outcome. Students will create and implement a leadership development program in their home country after the educational program is completed. Initiatives may include establishing mentoring programs, designing curricula and academic programs for tertiary settings, creating leadership institutes for particular sectors of society, etc. The goal is for students to use what was learned during their program, creativity, and their own gifts to design, implement, and oversee one such program within the first two years of completing the Leadership Development for African Women Program. Therefore, these women would be reaching out to help many women in rural sub-Saharan Africa.

4. Ongoing Professional Development. It’s important for graduates to continue to learn and grow within a collaborative setting of Christian fellowship and professional expertise. To that end, graduates will conduct and participate in ongoing development opportunities, such as retreats, conferences, forums, workshops, writing circles for publications, etc.

Impact

The goal of the Leadership Development for African Women Program is to see Spirit-led, transformed Christians develop into leaders who possess discernment ability, critical thinking and analytical insight, the ability to engage people in the process of conflict transformation, and the courage and creativity to embrace the hard work of adaptive leading, as opposed to the technical and command and control authoritarian ways of “leading.”

Furthermore, the goal of this program is to see new African women emerge as leaders and take their places throughout different sectors of society—leaders who are true followers of Jesus and who do not seek office, prestige, or power for themselves.

Financial contributions to this project provide resources for tuition, fees, textbooks, mentoring materials, transportation (from and to home country as well as within the host country), and room and board for the recipients of the scholarship program.