Fellow

Patricia S. Tarplah is a PYPP Class X Fellow currently working as a Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Chairman of the National Investment Commission. Before joining the Office of the Chairman, she was assigned in the Investment Promotion Department, where she contributed to the LIFT Project, a $40 million World Bank portfolio geared towards providing a line of credit for Small and Medium Enterprises, as well as building their capacity to access markets over the next five years. In the Chairman’s office, Patricia attends high-level conferences and meetings, serving as rapporteur, and further advises the Chairman on making key decisions on behalf of the National Investment Commission.

Fellow

Solomon K. Jarpah, Jr. is a PYPP Class X Fellow currently placed at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, where he serves as Technical Assistant to the Deputy Director General for Technical Services as well as an Event-based Surveillance Analyst. As Technical Assistant, he provides regular technical updates from the five divisions in the Department of Technical Services. As an Event-based Surveillance Analyst, he supports the Cross-Border Surveillance Enhancement Project, where he works with bordering communities to enhance surveillance activities. He also provides weekly support to the Disease Lead to update Liberia’s epi-bulletin, showcasing the number of cases detected as well as the government’s intervention. Additionally, Solomon conducts daily, weekly and monthly scans on Liberia’s digital surveillance platform to detect diseases earlier to enable prompt response.

Alumni

Kortee Baysah (Class VI) was promoted as Border Patrol Officer in the Customs Department in the Customs Risk Intelligence Management and Compliance Section at the Liberia Revenue Authority. In his new role as Border Patrol Officer, he conducts risk analysis on all shipments imported into the country through the Freeport of Monrovia and other major ports of entry in Liberia. His role is critical to national development and security as he is responsible for monitoring inconsistencies in customs declarations at various ports of entry in Liberia, helping to determine which shipments warrant further inspection.

Alumni

Dr. Joseph Lavela Saysay (Class I) and Mr. J. Alben Greaves (Class III) had a mini PYPP reunion on the sidelines of the Multi-Country Workshop to Promote the Ratification and Implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade In Tobacco Products In the WHO African Region in Dakar, Senegal. Joseph is a Project Officer at the United Nations, while Alben heads the Child Justice Division at the Ministry of Justice in Liberia.

Fellow

As an Cohort 4 EPL Fellow at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Aliyata Uthman has been privileged to work with an individual consultant in 2022 at the Resource Recovery Secretariat under the National Plastics Management Policy, where she visits stakeholders within the plastics value chain — plastic producers and importers, pickers and collectors, consumers, recyclers and innovators — to learn their methods of operation, challenges, and strategies through which effective collaborations can be instituted. Following these visits, Aliyata has made informed and insightful recommendations to the Ministry on innovations to reduce plastic pollution.

Fellow

Diana Nkunu (Cohort 4) was nominated as part of the delegation representing Ghana’s Ministry of Energy at the ministry’s conference aimed at creating awareness and strengthening inclusive participation in the energy transition agenda. Organized in collaboration with key energy stakeholders, including the Petroleum Commission of Ghana, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, the Electricity Company of Ghana, and the Ghana Standards Authority, among others, the conference focused on finding sustainable solutions to pressing issues facing Ghana’s energy industry, with a particular emphasis on the role of women in the transition agenda. At the conference, Diana participated in discussions and advocated for areas where women in the energy sector can make their impact felt as Ghana transitions to a greener future.

Alumni

Jennifer Amuah is an EPL Ghana alumna (Cohort 3) and MasterCard Foundation Scholar. As an EPL Fellow placed at the Ministry of Finance, Jennifer was a critical part of her team, contributing to various projects and helping to facilitate the department's transition to new collaborative technology during the pandemic. With her passion for community development and international relations, Jennifer remains dedicated to making a difference in Ghana and beyond, and has continued her work at the Ministry of Finance, where she is an analyst. Jennifer co-founded the United Kings Club, an NGO focused on empowering youth in Africa and beyond. She has also participated in numerous leadership conferences and internships; she was a panelist at the African Women’s Leadership Conference in Massachusetts, USA, and a participant at the United Nations’ Youth-Led State of the World Population in 2019.

Alumni

While working at the Ministry of Education, Josephine Apeea Awuku (Cohort 2) was involved in all aspects of her department. As part of the small team responsible for school inspections, she was involved in policy development, committee meetings, and administrative support. Josephine’s superiors recognized her ability and trusted her to take on increasing responsibility as a project assistant. Josephine coordinated three different policies during her time in the ministry, coordinating meetings, inputting changes and drafting documents. Her work and recognition as an efficient and competent civil servant build to her long-term goal of strengthening her leadership skills.

Fellow

Khadija Mohamed, a young public servant working as a Probation Officer in Lamu County, shared that the PSELF program has been transformative and practical, instilling in her skills in public policy design and implementation, human-centered design thinking, leadership, and networking, among other things. The training on citizen-centric public service inspired her to advocate for the inclusion of more women in decision-making platforms and the establishment of advocacy networks in Lamu County through her school mentorship initiative. As a result of her work, Khadija was appointed to the Board of Directors of Bomani Secondary School and as a member of the Children's Court Users Committee. Key county government stakeholders, including the Education Department officers and the Deputy Governor's Office, have expressed interest in the program she initiated.

Fellow

A nutritionist and the Head of Nutrition Department at Nyeri County Referral Hospital, Henry Ng'ethe is a PhD finalist studying the role of fortification of finger millet in the management of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. He has gained skills in evidence-based approaches, policy design and implementation, and leadership through PSELF, which shaped his outstanding performance in his work station. This year, he was appointed chairperson of the strategic plan development secretariat and serves on a number of committees in the Nyeri County Referral Hospital, which he owes to his PSELF experience. He has also contributed to the development of the Ministry of Health's nutrition advocacy, communication, and social mobilization four-year strategy, as well as the mid-year review for the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP), resulting in citizen-centric and impactful programs. Henry was also awarded with a fully sponsored internship at the Wroclaw University of Business and Economics in Poland starting in January 2023 to focus on the rheology of finger millet in Kenya.