History
Dunstan Wai 1947-2005   The World Institute for Leadership and Management in Africa Inc. was the inspiration of Dunstan Wai, who spent the bulk of his professional life at the World Bank where the work he did for the Bank reflected his deep knowledge of and passion for Africa. He is well known for his contribution and his commitment to capacity building in Africa, which he believed to be the most important investment that can be made in support of development. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

2001

Through the African Center for Economic Growth, based in Nairobi, WILMA meets African academics, participates in seminars on leadership and management, interacts with the Development Management Policy Forum (DPMF), and begins a long association with Prof. Ahmed Mohiddin. Prof. Mohiddin prepares a study for WILMA titled "Partnership for the Promotion of Leadership for Growth and Sustainable Peace," which frames a strategy focused on empowering the "able poor" through community-based organizations.

WILMA and Save The World Fund create and document a business model of community-based "social enterprises" partly owned by community-based organizations that are certified by WILMA as having satisfied specified standards.

Using the business model developed earlier in the year, WILMA and helps the people of Ahakishaka, a remote area of scattered hamlets in northwest Tanzania, organize into the Solar Village Institute (SVI). The purpose of SVI is to bring solar electric power to households far from the national power grid, and as part of this process, WILMA and SVI intend to educate people on how to acquire, use, and maintain the necessary equipment. Every household in Ahakishaka signs up and pays a small membership fee.

WILMA helps a group of young Tanzanian leaders to create the Tanzania Leadership Network (TALENT), a cooperative network of organizations with a shared vision for the country's development. The initial members included: Organization     Representative     Solar Village Institute     Stan Bash Tanzanian Youth Aware Trust Fund (TAYOA)     Peter Masika Professionals for Leadership     Aidan Eyakuze Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT)     John Kondoro DigIT Africa     Dickson Maimu The Kambona Foundation     Nema Kambona WILMA     Paul Armington

Beginning in 2001, WILMA supplies an ongoing mix of mentoring, technical, and fundraising services to these and other TALENT members: SVI remains WILMA's flagship rural village CDA and will be the future half owner of a JVCE in the village of Ahakishaka, Karagwe District. WILMA is instrumental in raising a large, multi-year grant for TAYOA from PATH (a conduit for Gates Foundation grants), and its founder, Peter Masika becomes one of Tanzania's top youth leaders with high potential in national politics. Professionals for Leadership eventually evolves into a research function preparing briefs for Parliament on policy issues, and the idea of associations of young professionals to create useful networks continues. Using WILMA's expertise in IT software, DIT is able to take a leadership role in preparing the Tanzania component of a major UNESCO program, "The Culture of Maintenance," which leads to complete upgrades of DIT's teaching facilities for information and communications technology. The upgrades are financed by a grant from SIDA. DigIT Africa becomes, with WILMA's intensive mentoring, a successful monthly publication aimed at young computer enthusiasts and finds unexpectedly that it can cover its costs without donor support.

Using lessons learned from early community-based experiences, WILMA documents "The Pilots Program: A New Way to Practice Socioeconomic Development," a strategy for mentoring and supporting leadership for both commercial businesses and social enterprises advocated by members of TALENT.