Hi everyone! My name is Yasmin and for my LiA I will be working with Lead for Ghana. LEAD for Ghana is a non-profit organization committed to ending educational inequity by placing trained teaching fellows in underserved public schools across Ghana. The organization works to ensure that every child—regardless of geography, socioeconomic background, or resource limitations—receives a high-quality and empowering education. Its mission is grounded in leadership development, community-centered teaching, and long-term systems change.

My first week in Lead for Ghana has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I started working on something tangible right from the first day! One of my goals going into the organization was to engage with alumni associates of the flagship fellowship program and that’s just what we did on the first day. I met two alumni from the first cohort who shared their reflections on their time in LFG and how LFG shaped their work experiences post their fellowship in underserved communities. I found this super helpful as it was a firsthand experience by alumni associates which helped me understand clearly what the fellowship experience looks like. I also joined in on virtual meetings with current associates on a verbal progress report on how they are doing in the schools in their assigned communities and what help/support they need. It was a great convergence hearing from both alumni and current associates.

Week one also involved a lot of meetings and a series of on-boarding activities in a bid to help me understand the organizational structure and introduce me to the scope of the work. My highlight in the first week was the Monday Morning meeting where I got to meet the team both in person and virtually. I will also be reading “ The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell as part of my reflections on leadership. I am excited for the prospect of the next few weeks! This is the longest time I will be in Accra since summer of 2023 and for someone interested in contributing to educational equity in Ghana I view this LiA opportunity not only to make a contribution but also build an understanding of the educational landscape.