By Dennis Shisia

i was admitted in the 8th Cohort of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) that commenced on 30th of May 2016 together with other young East African leaders who were eager to effect change within their spheres of influenced. This was just 7 months after I had launched The Campus Lady Magazine and about two months after unsuccessfully applying for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. YALI provided me a launching pad for my transformational leadership journey within the business and entrepreneurship track.

Throughout the program, I was not only able to interact with amazing leaders from across East Africa but also with inspirational facilitators that ignited the passion to develop solutions that would be of impact within my society. I was able to clarify the vision I had for The Campus Lady Magazine (TCLM) and form amazing partnerships that have positively impacted on my journey of transformation. The experience I had working with fellow young leaders opened my eyes to opportunities and possible alternatives to every social problem that I encounter.

Upon graduating from the program, I knew what I wanted for TCLM; where I wanted it to go; what I needed to do to get it there; and how I would do what I needed to do to get the Magazine to new heights. Together with my team, we have transformed the journey for the Magazine realising more impact within our focus community of college women. We have been able to organise events that centre on empowering college women to take charge of the change they aspire to achieve. We have also been able to partner with other organisations to enhance our impact within the society because YALI taught me the power of collaborations in effecting change.

A notable course that we have embarked on as TCLM that would enhance our impact within the society is Her Seminar, a forum for college women to network, learn and interact with phenomenal women from across different sectors of the economy. Our first event was held early November 2018 where 25 women were taken through 4 hours of insightful engagement on career development, the business of fashion and digital branding. Following the success of the event, we plan to roll it out across different institutions of higher learning in Kenya for enhanced impact.

In a nutshell, YALI was an enabler of my vision for The Campus Lady Magazine.