Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative: U.S. Consulate celebrates 17 Nigerians
The United States Consulate has hosted a graduation ceremony to celebrate the accomplishment of 17 young Nigerians who formed the 2021 cohort of the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative (CYFI).
The consulate in a statement on Sunday said that the 17 fellows aged 21-35, were selected through a competitive process, adding that the cohort was the first graduating class since the passing of Ambassador Walter Carrington.
The consulate said the fellows implemented social service projects focused on health, education, civil liberties, environment, and economic empowerment during the 12-month long fellowship.
Public Affairs Officer at the consulate, Stephen Ibelli, commended the graduating fellows for their selfless service and commitment to the values championed by the late Carrington, a former U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, after whom the initiative is named.
Highlighting the positive impact of the initiative, Ibelli said the 2021 cohort established a farmers’ business school and taught 30 rural farmers to farm sustainably.
“You upskilled 30 kids in Lagos juvenile homes on ICT skills and advocated policy reforms in juvenile administration. You trained school counselors on addressing mental health challenges in public schools.
“You taught rural women basic recycling skills and trained public school teachers on the use of modern teaching methods and aids,” he said.
According to Ibelli, the projects implemented by the 2021 CYFI cohorts are truly inspiring, meaningful and impactful.
He added that the fellows had laid solid foundations for future work, noting that he looked forward to seeing the progress of the initiatives.
Wife of late Ambassador Carrington, Dr. Arese Carrington, congratulated the 2021 cohort and urged them to remain exemplars of honesty and concern for the welfare of the less privileged.
“The innovative projects you designed and carried out during the past year have impacted lives positively.
“Never stop dreaming or daring to effect the needed change because you are the hope for the future,” Carrington said.
According to the consulate, CYFI is built around year-long social innovation projects that are designed by fellows and supported by the U.S. Consulate and private partners.
“To date, CYFI has graduated 174 outstanding young Nigerians who bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the table, and share a common vision with the goal of positively impacting the Nigerian society.
“Motivated and self-driven young Nigerians interested in becoming a CYFI fellow can apply by filling out the application form at, http://www.cyfinigeria.org/appl/,
“The consulate said in the statement.
