Kelo Kubu, Curator of TEDx Johannesburg, named as Country Director
WASHINGTON, DC, USA | June 6, 2024 — CorpsAfrica is expanding its global presence by launching volunteer programs in South Africa, the organization announced this week. Founded in 2011 by former Peace Corps volunteer Liz Fanning, CorpsAfrica recruits and trains educated African youth as volunteers to live and work in rural, under-resourced communities in their own countries. Operating on the core belief that African youth are the Continent’s greatest resource, the organization places volunteers in remote communities for up to one year, to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that are identified by the local community, many of which are related to health, economic empowerment, and climate change. Currently, CorpsAfrica has over 900 volunteers in ten African countries, with plans to eventually expand to all 54 African nations.
Kelo Kubu, curator of TEDx Johannesburg, has been appointed as CorpsAfrica’s Country Director in South Africa. Kubu served as co-host of TED Global 2017 and is a former Skoll World Forum Fellow. She is the founder of KuMo and Company, a speaker coaching and sourcing consultancy. She is also a co-founder of Peo Labs, an ag-tech accelerator focusing on women farmers in Southern Africa, and a founding member of the Mandela Poster Project, a global design initiative. Kubu holds degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
“We are absolutely delighted to expand our presence into South Africa,” says Liz Fanning, founder and chief executive officer of CorpsAfrica. “Our commitment is driven by our deep respect for the rich history of this great nation and our belief that African youth can make a positive contribution towards its continued growth. Kelo’s innate ability to connect with people and communities across South Africa will help to grow our presence there and add depth to our efforts across the Continent more broadly.”
CorpsAfrica has begun accepting applications for Volunteers in South Africa and expects the first cohort to begin serving in rural communities by late 2024. For more information on CorpsAfrica or to apply to be a Volunteer, please visit https://www.corpsafrica.org/where-we-work/south-africa/.
CONTACT:
Miji Bell
Director of Global Communications, CorpsAfrica
[email protected]