PAYLP Alumnus Brian Sibanda’s Journey from Poverty in Zimbabwe to Scholarship in the United States

Posted under: Center for Global Leadership By /

Brian Sibanda poses in a PAYLP t-shirt in front of Pomona College

For 18-year-old Zimbabwean Brian Sibanda, discovering that he had been accepted to Pomona College in California was nothing short of a dream come true. “I was very shocked and for a couple of days I thought I was dreaming.” A former participant in the Pan-African Youth Leadership Program (PAYLP) administered by Meridian International Center in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), Brian received a full scholarship to attend Pomona College this year where he is now just days away from completing his first semester. As someone who faced adversity at a young age, this feat represents a major milestone in Brian’s ongoing journey to empower himself and the lives of youth like him in countries across Africa. Continue  

Program Theme Spotlight: Energy Security

Posted under: IVLP By /
co-author:

An IVLP Energy Security group from Europe surveys solar panels installed by students atop a school in Anacostia, District of Columbia

The issue of energy security is defined by the International Energy Association as “the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.” A U.S. foreign policy priority and a key topic for the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), projects on energy security and related topics will be coming through the programming pipeline with increasing frequency.

Continue  

IVLP Alumni Spotlight: Renewable Energy Studied in Iraq

Posted under: IVLP By /
co-author:

Dr. Firas Albadran examines Nextera Energy wind turbines in Oklahoma on his IVLP project

IVLP Alumni Spotlight features U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni as they reflect on the impact of the program and how it has affected their work and lives. Here we feature one alumnus who participated in a multi-regional project examining energy security. The participant spent three weeks in the United States exploring the roles and work of energy suppliers, technology developers, and university researchers. The program also introduced visitors to multiple sides of the energy debate including advocates for increased use of fossil fuels, renewably sourced energy, or “all of the above.”
Continue