The South’s very own shining star
Kayan also recently returned on an exchange from France upon invitation by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development in recognition of her contributions in the field of human rights and civil society.
KAYAN Leung (32), a public interest lawyer and local Robertsham resident, has been selected to represent South Africa among the continent’s best young leaders as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders on June 15.
The fellowship was founded under former US president Barack Obama in 2014. Its goal is to empower young people through academic coursework, leadership training and networking.
Mandela Washington fellows have proven track records of leadership and demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing their skills and talents to strengthening and serving their communities.
Out of 64 000 applications received, Kayan is one of 1 000 selected from across sub-Saharan Africa, joining the 2017 cohort.
A human rights lawyer and humanitarian who is dedicated to advocating, protecting and promoting rights of marginalised and vulnerable groups, she will be placed in the Civic Leadership track at the Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona, for six weeks. There she will exchange ideas and best practices in building South Africa and the region. She will focus on issues concerning refugees and migration, gender equality and the use of information and communication technology to improve access to social justice.
Thereafter she will participate in a summit in Washington, DC, with members from 48 other African states. She will be networking and engaging in panel discussions with US leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors.
“This is such an incredible privilege and I fully intend to absorb all that I learn, develop strong partnerships with people doing similar work in their home countries and come back home to implement these invaluable lessons.
“I think South Africa has so much knowledge to impart, based on our historical past and where we have come and are still going as a nation. I think it’s important to let young people know that they are the future that shapes the world and should not be despondent about their environment. There are so much untapped, undeveloped skills and talent out there and the world needs you,” noted Kayan.
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