Mastercard fetes 10 Kenyans after a year-long training

Mokeira Masita (L) CEO of Research PLUS Africa, Grace Nzambi a Young Impact Associate and Casper Pedo the Mastercard Foundation- Country Program Head. [Lewis Nyaundi, Standard]

Ten Kenyan youths were on Friday feted after a year long professional development and leadership initiative in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL).

The program is part of a training initiative dubbed the Young Impact Associates (YIA) Program and conducted by the Mastercard Foundation's visionary approach.

The training program, launched in 2022, is inspired by the late Sulley Gariba, a Ghanaian thought leader in the MEL and International Development sectors.

The 10 graduates, aged between 21 and 35 years, are part of the pioneer cohort, comprising 59 other participants.

The Program's goal is to empower its participants to access dignified and fulfilling work opportunities within the MEL field.

It also aims to shape the discourse surrounding Monitoring, Evaluation and Leadership

Research PLUS Africa, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, played a pivotal role in designing, managing, and delivering the program's training curriculum.

Salline Handa, Team Lead for Research PLUS Africa, said the program's will enrich the value chain in evaluating programs through locally grown expertise.

"We look forward to continually decolonize the MEL space and providing actionable insights for program implementation and evaluation." she said.

Faith Ronoh-Boreh, Program Lead at Research PLUS Africa, highlighted the importance of young professionals taking prominent roles in the MEL space,

The program's graduates expressed their gratitude, stating that it had not only equipped them with valuable knowledge and skills but had also broadened their perspectives on monitoring and evaluation. .

Antonio Capillo, Director of MEL Innovation and Impact Labs at the Mastercard Foundation, reiterated the program's core mission, saying, "We wish the young graduates the very best in their journey and anticipate their leading impact on the continent."