By Yange Ikyaa in Cape Town
The Black Impact Foundation (BIF), which is chaired by Dutch football legend, Clarence Seedorf, is to invest in supporting the development of talents among young Africans in different sectors in order to help them access opportunities for social and economic independence and stability.
Seedorf, who is currently in Cape Town, South Africa where he is participating in proceedings at the African Energy Week, wants to see a more prosperous Africa emerge through the use of talents that abound among the youth of the continent but must be properly harnessed and strategically deployed.
“There are young leaders that we need to give the space to have a voice, young leaders that have brave ideas and even better solutions than the elderly people,” said Seedorf, while addressing a gathering of African energy leaders at the conference.
Also on the Board of BIF are NJ Ayuk (Vice Chairman), Rachel Drielinger (Treasurer), Ivolaine de Nobrega (Member), Wilma Gillis-Burleson (Member), Vincent Hooplot (Member) and Ron Lemmers (Board Secretary).
The vision of BIF is to create a cohesive global black community where black people across the globe are empowered to take control and improve the quality of their lives, assert their value, and be protected from exploitation, while building their capacity for socio-economic independence and social responsibility.
It also strives to embrace everyone who identifies him or herself as black and everyone with an affinity with the black global community.
As a mission, BIF aims to be a solid pillar and catalyst to empower, build, protect, sustain and further develop an inclusive and equal society through entrepreneurship, education, research and legal support to improve the overall development of character, sense of worth, and a flourishing value system, while encouraging social mobility.