Strength in Return: An Ashinaga Graduate Giving Back to Gabon
After receiving an Ashinaga scholarship to study in the UK and completing our leadership development programme, Gaelle returned to her come country determined to make an impact. Her journey not only displays resilience in overcoming challenges but also a deep commitment to give back to her community. In the reflection below, she shares how her experiences abroad have shaped her vision for the future and her role in contributing to development.
My name is Gaelle, I come from Gabon, a small country in Central Africa.
In 2014, I heard about the Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) scholarship and took my chances to apply. Despite my low level of English, I passed all the necessary exams and met the criteria to be awarded the scholarship. I am glad to say that I was the first AAI scholarship awardee to be offered the opportunity to study at a prestigious university in the UK.
After completing the year-long pre-university preparation programme in Uganda, I arrived in the UK to study Politics and International Relations at SOAS, University of London. Several years of hard work, resilience and improving my English allowed me to achieve my Bachelor’s degree. After graduating, COVID-19 affected my job and postgraduate prospects, and so I returned to Gabon. At first, it was difficult to find a job in my dream field. However, I had a strong CV as a result of two internships in Gabon during the AAI scholarship, as well as work experience in London, and so I secured a job in the Gabonese President’s Office as a political adviser and interpreter. In 2023, as a result of the coup d’état, the entire country’s political system changed, and I lost my job.
It has been difficult to secure a new job in my field; nonetheless, that has not stopped me. I have improved my English skills and now work as an English teacher, a translator for official documents and an interpreter. My favourite sentence, as many of my fellow Ashinaga Scholars will remember, is “I don’t speak English’’ - during my free time, I continue to improve my English skills and to help those in need with the English club that I created
I have worked on seeing my kokorozashi (an Ashinaga-coined term for heartfelt ambition to make an impact) come to reality: to provide school supplies for children in rural areas. I faced difficulty and competition to try to secure sponsors to finance my project, and so I have used my savings. At the end of 2024, a friend of mine asked me to work with him on a similar project. We adopted my financial plans and strategies to establish this project, and we also used the name that I chose for my NGO: Un don pour la vie (A Gift for Life). I am happy to see the results and the joy we bring to children who do not have access to adequate school supplies.
Going back to my country was a big challenge, and I know that many Ashinaga Scholars could be nervous to do the same. However, we have learned to be leaders through resilience and perseverance, and we are able to create a path where there are no opportunities.
Words are not enough to express my gratitude.
By empowering orphaned youth from across sub-Saharan Africa with opportunities to unlock their potential, Ashinaga is sparking a ripple effect of change which touches entire communities. None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters. To help us champion the next generation of Young Leaders for Africa, get in touch with us via partnerships.uk@ashinaga.org or donate by clicking here.