ALCHE Strengthens Community Ties on Its Tenth Anniversary

The tenth anniversary is deeply rooted in social responsibility, community partnership, and collective actions. To kick off the celebration of its tenth anniversary in Mauritius, the African Leadership College of Higher Education (ALCHE) launched the "Hands of Change" project in collaboration with the NGO Lakaz Lespwar. This initiative aims to promote social responsibility, environmental awareness, and engagement with local communities, and it took place in two phases: a donation drive that began on April 25 and a recycling day held in Solitude on April 26.

For two weeks, the donation drive allowed ALCHE students and staff to donate and collect food products to support Lakaz Lespwar’s community program. On Earth Day, university students also cleaned the surroundings of ALCHE's campus in Beau Plan as part of a collective effort for environmental protection.

On the 26th, ALCHE students and staff joined forces again for a full day of volunteering at Lakaz Lespwar in Solitude. Participants worked with children to paint and transform wooden pallets into sofas for the NGO’s common space. Combining sustainability, creativity, and youth empowerment, the project reflects ALCHE's unwavering commitment to providing higher education that serves a higher purpose.

Commenting on the success of these initiatives, Gabriella Moocarme, Senior Projects Associate at ALCHE, stated: "This project embodies the essence of what we stand for at ALCHE. As we celebrate a decade of presence in Mauritius, we wanted to strengthen our ties with the community that welcomed us, particularly with our new cohort of students. Our collaboration with Lakaz Lespwar, which began in 2019, is rooted in the shared belief that education extends beyond the classroom. Through initiatives like these, we aim to shape the next generation of leaders by fostering social responsibility and cultural exchange. There will certainly be more collaborations with this NGO and others in the near future, as our main goal is to train tomorrow's leaders by exposing ourselves to various social environments."

For her part, Lakaz Lespwar director Christiane Pasnin expressed her deep gratitude: "We are deeply thankful for this collaboration with ALCHE. It offers our youth a unique opportunity to connect with university students, be inspired, and dream bigger for their futures. The camaraderie between the children and students from across Africa greatly enriches our community. We look forward to strengthening this partnership by providing our children with more opportunities to engage in these types of activities."

The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of Sofap Ltd and Gros Cailloux, which provided material assistance. In the future, young people from Lakaz Lespwar will also benefit from English classes conducted free of charge by ALCHE students—a further step in empowering youth through education and intercultural exchanges. As part of the university's decade celebrations, this community service event is the first in a series of initiatives planned throughout the year to honor the community of students, parents, staff, and partners who have enabled ALCHE to innovate and cultivate the future leaders of Africa.