Lira Momunalieva (left) and Abubaker Sekatuka (right) will be joining the LeadMN team as Community Solutions Program fellows.
GET TO KNOW LIRA MOMUNALIEVA AND ABUBAKER SEKATUKA, LEADMN'S NEWEST FELLOWS!
Lira and Abubaker are the newest members of the LeadMN team! Connect with Lira at lira@leadmn.org and Abubaker at abubaker@leadmn.org.
About the Community Solutions Program—
Community Solutions Fellows complete a four-month fellowship with a U.S. nonprofit organization or local government agency. The Community Leadership Institute provides an integrated leadership curriculum and individualized coaching throughout the fellowship. After, fellows return home to apply their new skills through a community action project.
The Community Solutions Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IREX.
Lira—
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.
I graduated with a BA in Sociology from American University of Central Asia in Bishkek,
Kyrgyzstan and am currently a fellow of the Community Solutions Program with Lead MN under
the support of the US Department of State. I have experience working on human rights promotion
among youth through Youths Acton Fund, a program at the Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan, girls
rights through athletic opportunity with American Councils for International Education, and many other volunteering and civic engagement projects. I had the chance to attend summer school in Germany, working with concentration camps, and in Turkey, focusing on youth development. I am an Access Program alumni and currently the president of Access Alumni Association in Kyrgyzstan, making accessible opportunities for leadership development, cultural exchange, and personal, professional, and social development for youth throughout the country.
WHAT INTERESTED YOU IN WORKING FOR LEADMN AND WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON?
I believe that everyone has the right to accessible education, adequate standard of living,
and equal opportunities. LeadMN works on empowering youth through leadership, breaking
down barrier to access, and communications and soft skills development. They believe in dreams
becoming reality, so do I.
WHAT INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I enjoy walking, hiking, cooking, traveling, meeting new people, and adventuring with my friends
or people that I know. I am in for everything that might be interesting and new.
Abubaker—
TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.
After my Nursing training in Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery, I joined Uganda Martyrs university where I graduated with a Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion. Shortly after my graduation, I joined the Living Goods organization as a Community Health Supervisor of digitally enabled Community Health workers trained in Integrated Community Case Management of childhood illnesses(ICCM). I later served as the Expansion Coordinator in the same organization, scaling the organization model to new districts across the country through creating partnerships with local governments. I was later appointed as DEI champion in the same organization tasked to respond to all Diversity Equity and Inclusion related issues among staff. When COVID19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern, I explored new ways of working by joining the Rhize Global coaching fellowship as a Fellow. This gave me an opportunity to be accepted as a Mentor of grassroots leaders and organizers. I am currently a Community Solutions Program Fellow at LeadMN.
WHAT INTERESTED YOU IN WORKING FOR LEADMN AND WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON?
We are working in a diverse world with people from different backgrounds and technological know-how. I am just excited to move this journey of lifelong learning as well as understanding various diversities and how they play a role in social justice work.
WHAT INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I am a lover of sight seeing and long travels. I enjoy books and building my capacity to be a better leader, hence a desire to further my education by joining a graduate program.