Thatha Wena host for USA

Bruce Ndlovu
A month after the show which he co-hosts with Mbo Mahocs took the airwaves by storm, debuting on ZBC, Bulawayo socialite and media personality Gilmore Tee is set to add another feather in his cap when he travels to the USA as one of the 60 young Zimbabweans that were selected to be part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (Young African Leaders Initiative).

Gilmore, who is known for his intensive work in the fashion industry where he works in grooming designers, linking them to local and international markets, joins 59 other lucky individuals who were selected for the programme.

From over 2 680 applications from Zimbabwe, Gilmore Teea��s works in the creative industries shone through enough to be shortlisted and considered with 59 entries deemed worthy by the US State Department.

The Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) was launched in 2010 to recognise and support the critical and increasing role of African Youth in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.

The programme has three components to it with one being the Mandela Washington Fellowship which began in 2014 and is a flagship programme of the YALI which empowers young Africans through academic coursework, leadership training and networking.

a�?It is such an honour to be one of the selected individuals who will represent Zimbabwe and Africa at large. Out of 2 680 plus individuals that applied from Zimbabwe, the initiative saw it fit for me to be one of the voices that should be heard from Zimbabwe, this is extremely humbling. I look forward to sharing my experience, being the proudly Zimbabwean I am, and also learning from other peoplea�?, expressed Gilmore Tee

a�?One of the things I am looking forward to doing, is coming back and further collaborate with local stakeholders in finding solutions that are relevant to us as a people, especially in the fashion and creative industries. I hope this experience will benefit a lot of young people from Zimbabwe that might not have gotten the opportunity to be directly involved in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.a�? .