A week-long East Africa Leadership and Development Conference aimed at empowering young African leaders concluded in Uganda on Sunday.

Organized by Global Horizons Inc. under the theme “Rising Together: Leadership Rooted in Community,” the conference brought together 40 participants from countries including South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.

The conference was held in the eastern Ugandan city of Mbale from May 17-21 and focused on leadership and strategic planning, sustainable fundraising, governance, accountability, and compliance.

Participants also toured GHI project sites and visited Murchison Falls National Park from May 22-24 as part of the programme.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, Dr. Anna Malaika Muhovich-Bera, GHI’s U.S. East Africa Conference Lead, described the conference as a “game-changer” that promoted social interaction, partnerships, and learning among participants.

“The conference came together after we reviewed feedback from GHI projects and identified the tools our partners needed to become more successful by enhancing their leadership capabilities,” she said.

“This is our pilot inaugural conference, and we were excited to host it in East Africa where we are implementing many projects,” she added.

Muhovich-Bera said the training in sustainable fundraising, reporting, and communication would help young African leaders initiate and manage projects needed for sustainable development across the continent.

She reiterated GHI’s commitment to supporting projects that promote leadership growth globally.

One participant, gospel minister John Ajak Oma, said the conference had equipped him with skills to foster change in South Sudan.

“I learnt a lot from the leadership training, project site visits, and wildlife tourism,” he said. “These new skills will strengthen my work in counselling, trauma healing, and Christian-based leadership.”

Another participant, Rev. Domnic Misolo, leader of Kenya’s Institute for Faith and Gender Empowerment (IFAGE), said the conference enabled him to share perspectives on gender equality from a biblical viewpoint.

“For too long, harmful social norms driven by the misinterpretation of biblical texts have denied women and girls dignity, agency, and opportunities,” he said. “Engaging faith communities can help shift harmful social norms and create pathways for transformation.”

Global Horizons Inc. is a Christian non-profit organization that supports mission projects and missionaries through fiscal sponsorship, capacity-building, training, and strategic partnerships. The organization focuses on leadership development, community empowerment, sustainable development, and faith-based initiatives in underserved communities. Radio Tamazuj