At emerging leaders conclave: Foretia Foundation urges participants to uphold integrity, mentor generations.

It was organised by the Nkafu Policy Institute, a leading think tank of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation. The 2025 edition held under the theme: “Driving Impact”.

It sought to empower Cameroonian women and youth with essential leadership skills through focused training and mentorship.

It is also aimed at engaging participants in policy formulation and advocacy, raising awareness about governance, democracy, and the rule of law.

Through the programme, organisers also aim to foster a network of proactive young citizens committed to governance and democracy, and promote global moral values for an inclusive and united society. 

According to the co-Chair of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation and Executive Chairman of the Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr Denis Foretia, the programme aims to bring out something powerful from the participants through their cultural, professional, and geographical backgrounds uniting them. 

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Dr Denis Foretia said the programme targets young Cameroonians who are already doing amazing work in their communities.

“We are acknowledging the amazing work that these young leaders are doing in their communities from all 10 regions of the country, ensuring that they get to meet each other and form a network, team, cohort, that they can support each other going forward,” he said. 

Dr Denis Foretia used the occasion to underscore the importance of leadership, while justifying the importance of the Emerging Leaders Programme.

“Leadership in an organisation makes a major difference in that organisation, whether it's at the community level, individual level, countries or continental level…we are looking for transformative leaders, who are going to go beyond their communities, families, to bring people together to be able to accomplish a targeted mission,” Dr Foretia stated. 

The co-chair stated that the foundation is supporting the leaders in their initiatives back in their communities to lead with purpose and integrity. 

Reiterating on the theme driving impact, Dr Foretia told the leaders that impact is really not about doing more but about doing what matters.

“Driving impact is leadership in a strategic, and sustainable way, and doing that with other people, we can learn a great deal from some of the many transformative leaders that we have had in Africa,” he stated. 

He urged youth leaders to dream big, insisting that “dreaming big is one of the core values of the foundation”.

Quoting Dr Wangari Maathai, the late Kenyan environmentalist who ended up being a Nobel laureate for turning tree planting into a movement for social change and women empowerment, he called on participants to stay true to themselves and remain strong in their domain.

“Stay true to yourself and work towards the change you want to see in the world…build teams in whatever you're trying to do,” Dr Foretia advised. 

Expectations from participants 

He said after the three-day workshop, the foundation expects the participants to come with challenging ideas, share experiences, and to contribute to each other's growth. 

“We ask you to think beyond your current projects because there will be some support to implement community initiatives, but that's only the beginning. We are here because we believe you have the capacity to shape policy changes, to shape institutions, and to really mentor other generations so think big, boldly and think long-term,” Dr Foretia said. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3525 of Wednesday August 06, 2025.