The Africa Champions Network

A Growing Network of Transformative Leaders — Connected, Inspired, and Building Together for Impact | Associated with @LeoAfricaInst

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

We are thrilled to share that Turunesh @turuneshwav, a member of our Griots Fellowship Class of 2026, has officially been named a Voting Member of the Recording Academy and the Grammy Awards.

A third culture Tanzanian and independent alternative musician from East Africa, Turunesh credited the underground creative scenes of Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Vancouver, and Toronto with nurturing her voice. She described this new role as an honour to advocate meaningfully within the Grammy Awards process and to uplift artists whose work is heartfelt, innovative, and reshaping genres.

We congratulate Turunesh on this remarkable achievement and celebrate this recognition of her artistry and advocacy on a global stage.

#GriotsFellowship #AfricaChampionsNetwork #Grammys #RecordingAcademy

[Awel @Uwihanganye_A]

I was very inspired by your work at #SleepingWarriorCamp @JulieGichuru You are a trailblazer- and a distinguished #ALIFellow - honored to have you as a Cde & a valued partner in our mutual passion, investing in #Leadership for the #AfricaWeWant Keep walking sister!

[The Africa Champions Network @LeOAfricNetwork]

Uganda's tax-to-GDP ratio sits at 14%, below the 15% minimum widely regarded as necessary for sustained development. Only 6.8% of the economically active population is registered for taxes. The country loses an estimated UGX 1 trillion annually from untaxed informal businesses alone. Closing that gap requires people inside the system who understand both the technical architecture and the human realities of compliance.

Johnson Mwebaze @jmwebaze is one of those people.

As an Officer in Domestic Taxes at the Uganda Revenue Authority, Johnson works at the heart of how the state funds itself. Before joining URA, he spent over five years as Head of Finance at mfeyti. He is also Finance Officer at Top Bloggers Uganda, supporting financial discipline in a digital content sector that is growing faster than its structures.

What makes his position particularly layered is that he is also a co-founder of Zaabu Creatives and CEO of Zeon Tile Market, enterprises operating in precisely the kinds of sectors revenue authorities are working to bring into the formal economy. Johnson is not observing that challenge from the outside. He is living it from both sides simultaneously.

A Huduma Fellow of the LéO Africa Institute, Class of 2023, he brings to public service the same discipline he applies to building his own enterprises.

➡️ https://t.co/b1uaPHlLrm

#AfricaChampionsNetwork #DistinguishedFellow

[The Africa Champions Network @LeOAfricNetwork]

East Africa's intra-regional trade surpassed $11 billion in 2024. Uganda earned a record $2.4 billion from coffee exports in 2025. The headline numbers are striking. But behind them sits a structural challenge that trade specialists are watching closely: minerals dominate exports, manufacturing is shrinking, and intra-regional trade still represents only 12% of total EAC exports.

The people doing the work of closing that gap rarely make headlines either. @donald_ntare Byamugisha is one of them.

A trade and business consultant working across private sector competitiveness, market systems development, and export-led growth, Donald's clients include the World Bank, USAID, FCDO, and the International Trade Centre. His current focus is Uganda's tourism sector, supporting enterprises to build the systems, standards, and market access that turn natural assets into reliable economic opportunity.

His approach is grounded in a conviction he traces back to his time as an inaugural YELP Fellow of the LéO Africa Institute, Class of 2017: that sustainable impact is built not on performance, but on being grounded, present, and intentional in how you lead.

In a field where pressure for quick results can pull practitioners away from genuine systems change, that clarity is not a soft quality. It is a professional asset.

➡️ https://t.co/XPE0rpmCsz

#AfricaChampionsNetwork #DistinguishedFellow

[Awel @Uwihanganye_A]

The conversation on Africa leading the world in reshaping the #Trust architecture that has guided global cooperation for half a century - started in Nairobi, today, & I am honored to be a #TrustChampion Thanks for your leadership Senior Cde @SingoeiAKorir & guiding this process!

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

The 2026 Griots Fellowship Seminar was a weekend to remember. 📸 Relive every moment through our photos from both days right here:

🔗 ➡️ https://t.co/o8pJNvZeBi
🔗 ➡️ https://t.co/uXcKaCKPGa

@KasUganda

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

Every griot must know how to open a story 🪘 — how to draw the listener into the circle before they even decide whether to stay.

A session on Story Architecture: Crafting Your Hook & Opening brought the craft front and center, facilitated by Twasiima Bigirwa, Associate Faculty Member at LéO Africa Institute.

At the heart of Twasiima's guidance was a conviction that reframed the entire room: your responsibility as a storyteller is not only to your own story. It is communal. A duty to your society, to your people, to the voices that have not yet found their way into the circle.

The session was anchored by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's iconic TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story, a timely reminder of what is at stake when only one version of a story gets to be told. 🎙️

🔗 ➡️ https://t.co/cDViacrbNp

The Griots are not just learning to tell stories. They are learning who those stories belong to. 🌍

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

Day 2 of the 2026 #GriotsFellowship Foundation Seminar is here and before we dive in, let's take a moment to savour what Day 1 gave us. 🌅

Fellows came as strangers and left as storytellers who know each other's stories. Over conversations and shared meals, the bonding began in the most natural way possible, by telling the oldest kind of story there is: their own. 🍽️🔥

Some moments just have to be seen. 📸 Relive Day 1 through the lens right here:

🔗 ➡️ https://t.co/o8pJNvZeBi

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

#BelindaKatumba — Founder and CEO of Can We Talk, East Africa's leading conversation card brand, Belinda is changing how people relate to each other, one intentional dialogue at a time. With 3,000+ decks sold across East Africa and the diaspora, 50+ conversation spaces facilitated, and an online community of 15,000+, her work sits at the intersection of storytelling, mental wellness, and cultural connection. She is proof that the simplest tool, a card, a question, a conversation, can carry the weight of community healing.

Ruth Atim — Founder of Gender Tech Initiative Uganda and host of an active podcast, @RuthAtim is bridging the digital divide for women, girls, and marginalized communities through digital literacy, cybersecurity training, and ICT innovation. Her podcast extends that mission further, using storytelling and conversation to amplify voices on technology, gender equality, and digital inclusion. For Ruth, every platform is an opportunity to expand who gets to participate in the digital age.

These are your 2026 Griots Fellows. Storytellers, advocates, and changemakers from across the continent, bound by a shared conviction: that Africa's story deserves to be told with truth, dignity, and power.

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

Session One took Fellows straight to the heart of it: The Griot Tradition — Know Thyself: Identity, Character & the Foundation of Leadership.

@MpindiAbaas invited Fellows to think beyond this weekend, to anchor themselves in the long-term impact they want to create, and to carry that intention through every conversation ahead.

Because before you can shape Africa's story, you have to know your own. Fellows were invited into an honest personal inventory, examining the values, beliefs, and formative experiences that have made them who they are. The first and most essential act of leadership, it turns out, is self-knowledge.

The reflection was anchored in Judy Brown's powerful poem The Trough, a reminder that stillness and depth are not weaknesses but the very source of a storyteller's strength. 📖

Fellows also explored what it truly means to lead from the inside out through Lars Sudmann's TEDx talk on self-leadership.

The Griots doing the inner work. And that is where all great stories begin. ✨

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

The #Griots have arrived and the energy in the room says it all! 🌍✨

This morning, our Partnerships Lead @AworiEmmanuel and Co-Founder @Uwihanganye_A set the tone beautifully, reminding our Fellows why they are here: to change the narrative about Africa, claim their space, and use their voices to uplift their communities. And honestly? We could already feel the room rising to that call. 🔥

We are so excited for what this day and weekend holds, new perspectives, real conversations, and the magic that happens when storytellers find each other.

Our theme this year is Finding Your Unshaken Core: Character, Courage and the Power of the Story. We have a feeling this one is going to stay with us long after the weekend ends. 🎙️

Watch this space. 👀

@KasUganda

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

🔎More of the Griots...

Hellen A.O. Mbune — As host and content strategist of Dadas Show at Kenya Broadcasting Corporation @KBCChannel1, Hellen is reframing narratives around modern African womanhood. Through storytelling-driven media campaigns, she creates space for honest, underrepresented conversations about identity, health, and agency, building a community of women who are not just entertained but heard and empowered.

Canary Mugume — Senior Investigative Journalist and news anchor at NBS Television Uganda, @CanaryMugume uses the power of broadcast to hold power accountable. From anchoring NBS Live At 9 to hosting political debates and a mental health podcast, his practice spans the full breadth of public discourse, anchoring stories that drive policy change and civic accountability.

Linus Mugume — Creative writer and archivist at ITI Uganda Centre, @mugumeofficial is doing the quiet but vital work of preserving Uganda's theatre heritage. Through his podcast The Archives, he captures the stories of theatre practitioners and ensures that the history of the craft is never lost. His creative writing in plays, poetry, and short stories adds yet another layer to his storytelling practice.

Kekimuri Sarah — As CEO of Nalaw Foundation, Sarah is democratizing access to justice for young people and marginalized communities in Uganda. By simplifying legal information through media, storytelling, and community engagement, she is proving that the law too can be a narrative tool for liberation and empowerment.

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytelling

[The Africa Champions Network @LeOAfricNetwork]

RT @LeoAfricaInst: Destiny Gladys Chaiga @ChaigaDestiny — Poet, spoken word artist, and founder of Hatma Creative Initiative, Destiny uses…

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

Namugula Joanita @j_namugula — As Cultural Programmes Coordinator at Goethe Zentrum Kampala, Joanita curates a rich annual programme spanning literature, visual arts, music, theatre, and film. She is building a cultural ecosystem where diverse African artistic expressions find a home and an audience.

Amisha Janat Mukasa @amishamukasa — At Nation Media Group, Amisha transforms editorial and TV content into compelling short-form digital stories for Instagram, YouTube, and X. She understands that the future of African storytelling lives where the audiences are, and she is meeting them there.

#EdithCherotichNdiwa — Founder and Executive Director of Color My Dreams Africa, Edith brings stories to children in marginalized communities through libraries, mobile libraries, and grassroots storytelling initiatives. At the intersection of literacy, gender equality, and narrative change, she is planting seeds of possibility one story at a time.

#JordanMegolonyo — Legal Officer at ACTV Uganda and Founder of Lonyo Arts Consortium, Jordan holds a rare dual practice: defending human rights in courtrooms and healing communities through poetry, music, and performance. His work is a powerful testament to storytelling as both shield and sanctuary for the vulnerable.

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#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytelling

[The Africa Champions Network @LeOAfricNetwork]

RT @LeoAfricaInst: #LamaroLindah Angel — As Artistic Director at Humura Theatre and KITF Coordinator at Tebere Arts Foundation, Lamaro harn…

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

📍Introducing Our 2026 Griots Fellows

Africa's story is best told by those living it. We are proud to announce the first cohort of the 2026 #Griots Fellowship — storytellers, advocates, and changemakers shaping authentic African narratives and building the continent through the power of storytelling.

Yvonne Mpambara @__Mpambara — As a social justice lawyer and founder of the Foundation for Female Presidential Aspirants (FFPA), Yvonne is writing a bold new chapter in African political history where women lead at the highest levels. Her work is a story of power, dignity, and possibility for African women.

Achola Dinah @DinahAchola — Achola is reshaping Uganda's education narrative. As Fellowship Marketing & Recruitment Officer at Teach For Uganda and president of its 400+ member alumni network, she is building a community of leaders invested in expanding access to quality education, a story of equity and generational change.

JulietGrace Luwedde @JulietGracey — JulietGrace tells Africa's climate story from the ground up. Co-Founder of Isheja Eco-Legacy Foundation, she bridges grassroots communities with global policy spaces, centering youth, women, and marginalized voices in environmental justice and land restoration.

#RodridgersOsinde — At Save the Children International, Rodridgers drives transformation in humanitarian systems, aligning teams, managing change, and ensuring communities are served better. His work narrates Africa's capacity to build resilient institutions from within.

Together, these fellows embody the Griots spirit — preserving what matters, challenging what must change, and narrating Africa's future with courage and clarity.

🔗 Learn more about the Griots Fellowship: https://t.co/Kbk8ZGTWta

More fellows are loading...

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfricaInstitute #AfricanStorytellers

[Uwantege @RLUwantege]

Grateful for the recognition & highlighting not only the work of shaping Rwanda’s #builtenvironment, but the privilege of serving thru @Maranyundo growing thru @LeoAfricaInst, & expressing life through poetry. #AfricaChampions
Many paths, 1 purpose: build things of lasting value

[LéO Africa Institute @LeoAfricaInst]

🥁🥁🥁

We are proud to #announce the Griots Fellowship Class of 2026. Journalists, advocates, artists, public scholars, and social entrepreneurs from across Africa, each carrying stories their communities need to hear.

They convene for their #FoundationSeminar on 26th and 27th June in Kampala, where the work begins... with turning inward, finding their unshaken core, and asking what makes a #story worth telling in the first place.

The #griot is not merely a storyteller. The griot is the memory of the people.

Read more ➡️https://t.co/sUwBnLo73U

@KasUganda

#GriotsFellowship #LéOAfrica

[The Africa Champions Network @LeOAfricNetwork]

#Kigali is growing at 4% a year. Behind every development breaking ground in this city is a layer of engineers doing quiet, exacting, consequential work that rarely makes headlines. #LydieUwantege is one of them.

As a licensed Civil Engineer and Operations Manager at Delta Developers, Lydie manages multi-level residential developments in one of Africa's fastest-growing cities. But her work extends well beyond any single project. She mentors student engineers, reviews technical papers, sits on the board of a STEM-focused girls' school in #Rwanda, and contributes to the professional ecosystem that African cities will need as they continue to grow.

She is also a published poet. #Engineers and #poets are asking the same question: what endures? Both are working out how to make something that will outlast the moment of its making.

A #YELP Fellow of the LéO Africa Institute from the Class of 2023, Lydie describes the fellowship as having reoriented her leadership, anchoring her in intention and in the conviction that the greatest change is never made alone.

The structures she raises will stand long after the scaffolding comes down.

Read more➡️ https://t.co/Ukx0kedqni

#AfricaChampionsNetwork #DistinguishedFellow

[Awel @Uwihanganye_A]

A real treat to spend the evening with some of the #YELPFellows from Kenya! @LeoAfricaInst #AfricaChampions