Webinar: Storytelling, the importance of our memories.

Meet the Panelists

Panelist: Debra Ouma

Debra Ouma is a Communications and Tech Professional with over 15 years of experience leading projects, campaigns, and teams across Africa. She specializes in technology adoption within low-income communities, leveraging her expertise in customer success, communications, and business to drive human-centered, user-centric solutions. As the Founder of Positive Circles, she is passionate about equipping women with the skills and knowledge to make better life choices, with a strong track record in partnership development and program design.  

Panelist: Hammed Kayode Alabi

Hammed Kayode Alabi is an edtech leader, 2x TedX speaker, poet, author, and social entrepreneur known throughout Africa for his advocacy for education, youth, and sustainable development. He describes himself as a product of grace and circumstance. He grew up in the largest floating slum in Africa “Makoko-Nigeria”, lost his mother at age 7, and watched his father struggle to find employment and this became his motivation for empowering young leaders in his community and education offered him that pathway. By the age 15, he was already teaching in a basic rural school in Lagos and later founded a nonprofit, the Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative -KLCI. With over 100 volunteers across 10 states in Nigeria, KLCI has provided life, 21st-century skills, leadership development, and career readiness training to over 9000 secondary school students in rural, displaced and underserved communities in Nigeria and Africa. He also created the teachers-in-training fellowship that leverages technology to empower 70 student-teachers in Nigeria with innovative teaching methodologies. Outside of KLCI, he has worked with Peace First as a Regional Manager and board member supporting youth social innovation in over 150 countries to create social change, and impacting hundreds of thousands of young people across the world. Hammed spoke at the Pre-Summit of the Transforming Education Summit at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris where he shared his vision to revolutionise 21st-century skills based education to over 50 ministers of education across the world. He has written three books and authored over 192 articles focusing on personal, community, and global development. His work has earned him several awards including the US Consul General Award, Africa Talent of the Future, Western Union Foundation Fellowship and Mastercard Foundation Scholarship where he completed an MSc in Africa and International Development at the University of Edinburgh. He currently works as a Transitions Coordinator with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at the University of Edinburgh and supporting African Scholars transition into graduate career roles and coordinating scholars alumni activities. He is also transitioning one of his social innovation Skill2Rural Bootcamp to an edtech start-up (Skill2Rural.Org) to democratise access to 21st-century and life skills for underserved young people such as displaced young people and those who live in highly marginalised settings such as rural and slums in Africa. In just 3 months of launch of Skill2Rural.Org, the platform had reached over 315 users and the educators signed up on the platform are currently reaching 97,000+ young people across Africa. 

Panelist: Promise Nyalungu

Promise Nyalungu is a creative entrepreneur and community leader known for blending storytelling, youth empowerment, and innovation. As the founder of Struu Artzz Entertainment, he advances digital storytelling for social impact. In his role as Admin and Marketing Officer at the UNIVEN Centre for Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incubation, he fosters youth entrepreneurship on campus. As the Visual Storytelling and Media Production Specialist for the For Youth, Promise supports youth-led change globally. His work with FYBY and the youth-led pan-African civic network paNhari has contributed to a vibrant youth leadership ecosystem. 

Panelist: Fri Mercy Koti

Fri Mercy Koti is a dedicated nurse, born and raised in Banja Bamenda, Cameroon. Growing up in a rural community, she made a personal commitment to address the pressing issues faced by her community. This drive led her to co-found two non-governmental organizations: the Community Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Initiative (CoHePar Initiative) and a micro health insurance scheme. Currently, she serves as the Project Coordinator for CoHePar and as the Administrator for Gracious research and education association, an initiative that has given birth to two education projects. She also serves as a cohort recruitment and selection specialist consultant for the FYBY Movement Mercy is deeply passionate about empowering a new generation of problem solvers and change-makers.