Ebène, 05 August 2023: Ten regional teams presented their community based projects for assessment at the national level on Saturday in the context of the National Leadership Engine (NLE) 2023. The event took place a week after regional assessments were held, whereby the ten teams emerged as regional winners among a total of 31 teams across the ten regions.
The ten finalist projects were as follows:
· Re-Tyre (Black River)
· Paraboot (Flacq)
· Parapli (Grand Port)
· Papie Latwal (Lower Plaines Wilhems)
· Women Through Spheres (Moka)
· Sap Zanimo (Pamplemmousses)
· Cap Lor Recyclage (Port Louis)
· Hybrid Integrated Vegetation Ecosystem - HIVE (Rivière du Rempart)
· Ene dezieme sans (Savanne)
· Eartlery (Upper Plaines Wilhems)
The projects were implemented in areas including the environment, mental health, animal welfare and women empowerment among others. The winner and two runner-up teams will be announced at a National Convention Scheduled on 25 November and will be attended by participants of NLE 2023, former NLE participants, members of the NLE Action Drivers (NLEAD) and youth around the island along with other stakeholders.
The NLE is organised by the NPCC in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation. The project aims at creating a pipeline of leaders to achieve higher productivity and better living for the nation.
Training in leadership skills for some 250 youth aged 16 and above started in April this year and spanned over some 12 weeks combining face to face and online sessions as well as practical sessions for project implementation. They were empowered with personal and social competences which they had to demonstrate by conceptualising and implementing community-based projects in their locality.
Mrs. Sandhya Boygah, Executive Director of the NPCC, pointed out that the NLE project, which is at its fifth edition this year, has become a reference for youth leadership over the years. She also expressed her satisfaction about the commitment of young people who participated to the current edition of the NLE.
“Youth leadership plays a crucial role in driving productivity and fostering progress in our society. As the next generation of innovators, influencers, and decision-makers, young leaders possess unique perspectives, boundless energy, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. By empowering and entrusting young leaders with responsibility, we unlock their creative potential and forward-thinking ability to drive, innovate, embrace change, and harness technology to create an environment conducive to productivity, propelling organisations and society towards a brighter and more prosperous future,” she points out.
The ten project were assessed by a panel composed of Ms. Vichittra Purdassee, Project Manager at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Zoubeir Emambokus, Associate Director of Learning Development at the African Leadership College and Mr. Bheerajlall Ramdoyal, Acting Principal Industrial Analyst at the Ministry of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives.
“I am genuinely impressed with the projects presented during this evaluation. The level of creativity, innovation, and commitment demonstrated by the participants has been truly remarkable. The dedication and passion of the aspiring leaders behind these initiatives are evident in the meticulous planning and execution of their ideas. It is immensely gratifying to witness such a diverse array of projects, each with the potential to create a lasting impact on our communities and beyond,” says Mr. Bheerajlall Ramdoyal.
It is worth mentioning that the NPCC is considering a review of the NLE training after five successful editions. The objective of this review will be to adapt the training to the current context and taking into account new challenges of the 21st century.
Click here to download the press release.