Coaching Pan African Youth for the US

Five students heading to the US for a 3-city, 3-week tour with their teacher Bovid Atouta, 
President of the Congo Fulbright Scholar Alumni Organization

One of the most enjoyable opportunities I have had here in Brazzaville is to work with young people who are earnestly trying to becoming fluent in English. I met many of them at the weekly English Club program of the US Embassy. Upwards of 80 young people come weekly to hear a short talk in English and engage in a Q&A afterwards. Some who come can recognize a phrase or two, like "Good question!" Others are skillful enough to get up and ask about American foreign policy in the Mideast and Ukraine.They can be tough.

Another group of about twelve meets every Wednesday to watch a film or an episode of West Wing. They take apart the fast talk and the sports idioms that abound to try to understand what is going on. Then they address questions like, "If you were president, what would be important to you?" On that one specifically, the answer was a resounding, "Jobs!" Unemployment is very high here, especially among youth. Some things seem to be universal. They want opportunity, just like our twenty-somethings who can't find work.

Recently when I ramped up my French study, I also became very involved in coaching a group of high school students who have been selected to represent Congo in the State Department's Pan African Youth Leadership Program this fall. All of them had participated in an essay contest during Black History Month and it was from those entrants that five were chosen based on their current demonstrated leadership, their English ability, and their essay. As you can see from the photo, four are young women and one is a young man. He is the only one who has another year of high school to finish. They all come from private high schools in Brazzaville.

According to the Department of State's partner in implementing this program:

This dynamic leadership development exchange program will bring together 72 African students and adult mentors in three cohorts from across Africa, for three weeks, to strengthen their understanding of civic rights and responsibilities, respect for diversity, and the importance of community engagement. Special emphasis will be placed on opportunities for economic empowerment and skills based development.

Each Friday morning I meet with the Congo group and their mentor in the Embassy Information Resource Center for 90 minutes. We practice conversation in dialogues and talk about alternative (polite or more polite) ways to say things. They ask me questions about the U.S., American families (they will stay with three host families each), and what the weather will be like. The first week or two they were a little shy about showing their English. But after Stro included them and their teacher in a big welcome dinner honoring visiting NBA and WNBA veterans (to which they all came beautifully dressed and used their English!), they have warmed up. The last day I spent with them, it seemed like a contest as to who would start a new dialogue first. I have seen their pronunciation and confidence grow in three short weeks. I am at the stage in learning French where I can be completely sympathetic. It seems like a perfect line-up.

In September they will travel with Bovid, who is a former Fulbright scholar and Kansas University grad, to Washington, DC, where they will join other African youth for the program. They will live with a host family and eat breakfast and dinner with them. After a week in DC, they will move to Chicago for a week, and then finally to Portland, Oregon, to close out the program.


In our final session together I explained the word "bittersweet," when I described my feelings about leaving. Then I gave them each a Vermont post card addressed to me and asked them to write me a message in English during their visit to the U.S. I assured them they could say anything so long as it is in English. I know it will be fun to hear from them.

They will see a subway for the first time, probably eat the inevitable Big Mac, and visit some of our best sights and institutions. Through their host families, they will establish a real connection with Americans who do not live in the headlines. But best of all, they will begin to see themselves and their whole group as future leaders of Africa. Given the very high proportions of population under age 14 in their home countries (in Congo the median age is 17!), they represent the vanguard of Africa's future. Only they can imagine it.