EFFECTIVE LEADERS PROGRAM: ELP

Nurtures leaders committed to the development and common good of Africa.  

ELP has two stages: The Immersion Year and NEAL.

Stage 1: Immersion Year 

The immersion year prepares new intakes for a life-time leadership training, support and growth at CSAAE’s Network of Effective African Leaders (NEAL).  The immersion year has two phases.

The Enculturation Phase (6 months): Introduces new members to the:

• Vision and mission of CSAAE
• Values of CSAAE including: Solidarity, integrity, creativity, punctuality and accountability.
• Theory and practice of effective leadership as well as key elements of effective leadership including leadership finance, leadership communication, creative and ethical leadership 

Discernment Phase (6 months) : Helps new members:

• Explore leadership areas they are passionate about.
• Develop leadership big dream plan. 
• Identify social or business enterprises to tackle specific socioeconomic problems in Africa.
• Develop bankable business plan.

Stage 2: NEAL

After the immersion year, new members are inducted into NEAL, a special community of leaders committed to the common good of Africa. Its sole goal is to take over the leadership of Africa for good. To achieve this, NEAL members:

• Run for political offices.
• Serve in government.
• Launch ethical businesses.
• Bear on each other and other leaders on good governance.
• Mentor future leaders.
• Champion social impact projects.
• Shape public policies.   

Key NEAL activities:

• Education of Future Leaders: Supports university education of future leaders through scholarships.
  • Open to NEAL members and their children.
  • Scholarship can be for undergraduate or postgraduate studies.
  • Scholarship is both need and merit based.
  • Scholarship is awarded annually between February and April.
  • Emergency scholarship may be awarded at any time of the year to at risk students.
  • Applicants must demonstrate how scholarship would be of relevance to their big leadership dreams.
  • To receive NEAL scholarship, one must be a member of NEAL Cooperative Society

• Ethics and Character Formation: Imbues future leaders with the morals for effective leadership
  • NEAL members are required to sign and commit to NEAL Code of Ethics.
  • NEAL members are required to sign and commit to NEAL non-compete policy.
  • Breach of code of ethics is a ground for removal from NEAL and/or denial of benefits.
  • State chapters organize ongoing ethics and character formation activities each year.

• Enterprise Development Support: Assists future leaders to establish social and business enterprises that tackle social and economic problems in Africa.
  • Open to NEAL members in good standing.
  • Provides small interest-free business loans and/or grants to start-ups or scale-ups
  • Provides free or subsidized enterprise development support for NEAL members.
  • Helps NEAL members access credit facilities to scale up their enterprises
  • To benefit from EDS, one must be a member of NEAL Cooperative Society.

• Leadership Building Experience: Connects future leaders with established leaders for mentoring.
  • One-on-one mentoring open to NEAL members in good standing.
  • Group mentoring open to NEAL members and Immersion Year members.
  • State chapters organize group/individual networking and mentoring activities each year.

• Leadership Skills Training: Trains future leaders in effective leadership skills
  • Open to NEAL members and Immersion Year members
  • State chapters organize Leadership Skills Development Trainings each year
  • Provides free or subsidized leadership certifications.

• Leaders Welfare: Provides opportunities for the personal, financial and health security of effective leaders.
  • Open to NEAL members only
  • All welfare support come through NEAL COOPERATIVE SOCIETY
  • Only NEAL members in good standing with NEAL can benefit from LWS
  • Welfare support include but not limited to:
    • Group Health Insurance
    • Group Life Insurance
    • Retirement insurance
    • Group investment opportunities
    • Car insurance
    • Education insurance
    • Housing scheme
    • Zero to low interest loan schemes
    • Wedding, bereavement and ill health moral and financial support

Eligibility: To join the immersion year, applicant must:

• Must be between the ages of 18 and 26.
• Must be an undergraduate or a graduate.
• Must show evidence of creative leadership experience at any level.
• Must show evidence of a strong spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Must show evidence of good character.
• Must commit to CSAAE Ethics policy.