Introduction
Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa (ELF-Africa) is an African youth-focused nonprofit organization working to develop values-based leadership, strengthen active citizenship, promote accountable governance, and expand economic opportunities for young people. The organization focuses particularly on enabling young women and men to participate meaningfully in governance, the economy, and public affairs while contributing to positive social, economic, and political transformation.
ELF-Africa’s work is built around the vision of a just and dignified society anchored in values-based leadership and active responsible citizenship. Its mission is to promote responsive, inclusive, and accountable governance through leadership development and active citizenship. The organization’s principal programmatic areas include Governance and Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, and Leadership Development.
For organizations, young professionals, community groups, development practitioners, and researchers interested in youth leadership and governance in Africa, ELF-Africa provides an example of a nonprofit model that combines leadership training, mentorship, civic engagement, economic empowerment, and support for grassroots organizations.
History and Background
Emerging Leaders Foundation was established around the belief that effective leadership can influence individuals, families, organizations, communities, and nations. According to the organization’s materials, ELF has been developing values-based leaders since 2012, with a focus on equipping young Africans with practical leadership, mentorship, governance, and livelihoods skills.
The organization has developed its approach around the concept of leadership as service. Rather than focusing solely on formal positions of authority, ELF-Africa seeks to build the capacity of young people to identify challenges in their communities and become solution providers.
Over time, ELF-Africa has expanded its activities beyond individual leadership training to include civic engagement, public-sector leadership, economic empowerment, organizational strengthening, social accountability, and support for community-based organizations.
Its work is primarily associated with Kenya and broader African youth development, with programs designed to strengthen the participation of young people in public institutions, communities, civil society, and economic activities.
Mission and Purpose
ELF-Africa’s mission is to catalyse and promote a culture of responsive, inclusive, and accountable governance underpinned by values-based leadership and active citizenship. Its vision is a just and dignified society based on values-based leadership and responsible citizenship.
The organization’s purpose can be understood through several interconnected objectives:
- Youth leadership development: Building the knowledge, skills, confidence, and ethical foundations required by emerging leaders.
- Active citizenship: Encouraging young people to participate constructively in community and public affairs.
- Good governance: Supporting responsive, inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance.
- Economic empowerment: Helping young people strengthen their livelihoods and economic participation.
- Grassroots capacity building: Supporting community organizations to improve their systems, structures, and ability to address social challenges.
- Public-sector leadership: Developing ethical and capable young professionals who can contribute to improved government and public-service delivery.
ELF-Africa identifies integrity, servant leadership, African dignity, partnership, excellence, equality, and active citizenship among its core values.
Governance and Structure
ELF-Africa operates as a nonprofit organization with programmatic and organizational structures designed to support youth leadership, governance, economic empowerment, and community development.
Its activities are delivered through dedicated programs and partnerships with public institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders. This partnership-based approach enables ELF-Africa to combine leadership development with practical opportunities for young people and grassroots organizations.
One important example is the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship (PSELF), which is jointly implemented by the Public Service Commission of Kenya, Emerging Public Leaders, and Emerging Leaders Foundation-Africa, with the Chandler Institute of Governance involved in curriculum development. The fellowship focuses on developing ethical, high-performing young leaders within Kenya’s public service.
The organization’s governance approach is also reflected in its emphasis on accountability, ethical leadership, partnerships, and institutional capacity. Its annual reporting provides information about programs, financial performance, expenditure, and organizational activities.
Funding and Grants
ELF-Africa finances its activities through project-based support and partnerships with development organizations and other funding partners. Its funding model supports leadership development, civic engagement, economic empowerment, research, organizational strengthening, and community initiatives.
The organization’s 2023 financial information reported total income of approximately KES 183.98 million. The same report recorded approximately KES 98.85 million in program costs, KES 50.43 million in administration costs, and KES 19.92 million in other costs.
ELF-Africa also administers or participates in programs that provide financial support to grassroots organizations. For example, its 2023 Now Us! Awards, funded by Voice in Kenya, supported ten grassroots organizations through capacity-building activities. Following a competitive process, three organizations received sub-grants totalling €50,000 to strengthen their community-level work.
This demonstrates that ELF-Africa’s funding role can extend beyond financing its own programs to helping community organizations access resources, strengthen institutional systems, and implement locally driven solutions.
Organizations interested in partnership or funding opportunities should consult the official ELF-Africa website and its publications for current calls, programs, partnerships, and financial information.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Leadership Development Programme
The Leadership Development Programme (LDP) is one of ELF-Africa’s central areas of work. It aims to equip emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills, and values required to address complex social challenges and contribute to positive change.
The program uses training, mentorship, coaching, experiential learning, and other forms of leadership development to help young people become effective leaders in their communities and institutions. ELF-Africa describes leadership as service and places significant emphasis on ethical and values-based leadership.
iLEAD Fellowship
The iLEAD Fellowship is described by ELF-Africa as its flagship leadership development program for young people aged 18 to 35. The fellowship provides values-based leadership development and seeks to prepare participants to become positive contributors within their communities and wider society.
In 2023, Cohort 10 recruited 30 fellows from across Kenya, with 28 successfully completing the fellowship. Participants subsequently continued their leadership journeys in their respective communities.
Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship
The Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship focuses on developing a new generation of ethical and capable public servants. The initiative aims to strengthen public leadership, ethical conduct, citizen-centred service delivery, and responsible management of government resources.
The program brings together public-sector and leadership-development partners and provides young professionals in government with opportunities for professional development and leadership training.
Governance and Civic Engagement
ELF-Africa works to increase youth participation in governance and public decision-making. Its governance and civic engagement activities encourage young people to understand public institutions, participate in civic processes, engage decision-makers, and promote social accountability.
Research published by ELF-Africa on youth-led social accountability highlights the organization’s interest in understanding how young people can influence policy and decision-making processes and hold government institutions and other stakeholders accountable.
Economic Empowerment Programme
Economic empowerment is another major pillar of ELF-Africa’s work. The organization seeks to help young people develop the capabilities and opportunities needed to participate more effectively in economic activities.
Its broader approach connects leadership development with livelihoods, entrepreneurship, organizational development, and community-level economic participation.
Now Us! Awards
The Now Us! Awards provide an example of ELF-Africa’s approach to supporting grassroots organizations. In 2023, the initiative worked with ten community organizations through capacity-building training. Three organizations subsequently received sub-grants totalling €50,000 to support their work addressing social issues in their communities.
The initiative demonstrates the importance ELF-Africa places on locally led development and strengthening the institutional capacity of community-based organizations.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
ELF-Africa’s impact can be seen through its investment in young leaders, public servants, grassroots organizations, and community-led initiatives.
One example is the development of fellows through the iLEAD Fellowship. The 2023 cohort included 30 young leaders, of whom 28 completed the fellowship and proceeded to apply their learning within their communities.
Another example is the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship, which seeks to improve public leadership and service delivery by equipping young government professionals with ethical leadership and citizen-centred approaches.
ELF-Africa’s impact stories also illustrate how leadership training can contribute to practical community outcomes. One example involves Mourice Achola, a Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship participant who developed sign-language skills and worked to improve communication and access to services for people with hearing and speech impairments in a correctional facility. He was subsequently recognized as a National Hero under the Human Rights category during Kenya’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.
The organization’s work with grassroots organizations provides another layer of impact. Through capacity-building and sub-grant support, ELF-Africa has helped community organizations strengthen their systems and pursue solutions to social challenges at the local level.
ELF-Africa also produces research, publications, stories, and other knowledge resources that document youth participation, leadership development, social accountability, and community impact. Its resource library includes publications, news, videos, and other materials.
Conclusion
Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa is a youth-centred nonprofit organization focused on values-based leadership, active citizenship, accountable governance, economic empowerment, and grassroots development. Since its establishment in 2012, the organization has worked to equip young Africans with leadership capabilities and create opportunities for them to contribute to social, economic, and political transformation.
Its major areas of work include the Leadership Development Programme, iLEAD Fellowship, Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship, Governance and Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, and initiatives supporting grassroots organizations.
Through leadership training, mentorship, public-service development, civic engagement, research, organizational capacity building, and sub-grant support, ELF-Africa demonstrates how investment in young people can contribute to stronger communities and more responsive institutions.
For more information, visit here.
