Prosper Tornyi selected for 2022 Community Engagement Exchange Program in US

The Founder and Executive Director of Proswrites Foundation, Mr. Prosper Tornyi has been selected for the 2022 Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program in the United States of America.

The 28-year-old native of Battor in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region and a trained Electrical Engineer Mr. Prosper Tonyi had the opportunity to be chosen for this year’s Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) program in US.

He was selected on merit after Proswrites Foundation submitted a detailed proposal and action plan to the US Embassy towards the program.

According to Prosper Tornyi, he hopes the program which has been scheduled for 14 weeks will empower him to organize digital lab for youth, women and girls to strengthen their problem-solving skills, foster community engagement skills through digital literacy, mentorship and leadership training.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has launched a bold new civil society initiative: the Community Engagement Exchange (CEE) Program. The CEE Program equips emerging civil society leaders with the expertise, resources, and skills to support resilient communities around the world.

This program, sponsored by the U.S. government, equips emerging civil society leaders with the expertise, resources, and skills to support resilient communities around the world.

According to information available to Coverghana.com.gh, the program, will among other things, strengthen participants’ ability to lead collaboratively and ethically, while addressing issues of public concern.

The CEE Program is a multi-tiered professional exchange designed for civil society actors and influencers aged 21-28 in over 100 countries, working in five broad themes: Civic Dialogue and Peace Building, Open and Participatory Government, Women and Gender Issues, Resilience and Sustainable Development, and Youth Engagement.

The program is also designed for young visionaries, new to or starting careers in the civil society sector, are invited to apply for an immersive exchange program that includes a three-month individually tailored practicum in the United States at a diverse range of host organizations, as well as program mentorship and opportunities to expand participant’s networks by connecting with an ecosystem of civil society leaders.

The CEE Program also includes opportunities for Americans to connect and grow their networks and support local efforts through global collaboration. The first cohort of CEE Fellows will arrive in the United States in fall 2022 to begin their journey of transforming innovative ideas into actionable community projects in their home countries.

Biography of Prosper Tornyi

Prosper Tornyi is the Founder & Executive Director of Proswrites Foundation, a trained Electrical Engineer who works in the International Development Sector in the areas of youth policy development, leadership, skills and employment, women and gender programs aimed at economic
empowerment, innovation, digital transformation, climate action, SDGs, entrepreneurship, data analyses and STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics).

In his previous role as the Skills hub Curator at Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa (YOTA), an ECOSOC-accredited NGO at the forefront of youth development policy, practice, and research, he managed the skills hub portfolio and implemented various strategies to create an inclusive community to take advantage of equitable opportunities available on the Pathways for sustainable employment for women and youth project funded by BMZ-Germany, implemented by YOTA and Plan International – Ghana to provide construction jobs for 1200 opportunity youth in Ghana.

Prosper was born and raised in Battor, the district capital of North Tongu in the Volta Region of Ghana with his family. He had his basic and junior high school education in Battor, at St. Dominic’s School and later went to Accra Academy to pursue General Science.

His first degree was in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Accra Institute of Technology, an affiliate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology where he became the student council president while on campus in the year 2016/2017.

During his 3rd year in the university, he volunteered on the Youth in Action project that was implemented by Canada World Youth and Student Youth Travel Organization in Ghana and Canada.

Through one of the engagements on this project in Buru-Kazigu in the Kassena Nankana district, he discovered there were several socio-economic challenges that affected the quality of education, access to electricity and portable water for the community members.

He started the Proswrites Foundation with the vision to connect talents in rural and peri-urban communities to impactful opportunities to inspire, support and equip them to overcome economic challenges.

Since 2014, the initiative has impacted over 1,000 beneficiaries through collaboration with various organizations and individuals such as; Battor Catholic Hospital, BrainStore-Switzerland, R.E.A.C.H, Threads by Dreads Foundation, Akwasi Frimpong, Dutch-Ghanaian sprinter and bobsledder and 2018 Olympian, Sedesel Publication, Village of Hope, Ghana Volunteer Program, Troski Journal, Eqwip Hubs, eCampus, Jay Kay with the recent pilot of the Mentor Circle for Girls initiative that connected mostly high school and university students to professionals virtually to learn, connect and share career experiences.

Prosper has experience in promoting youth engagement, community management, project design and management and evident based research. He is a member and the outgone curator of the Global Shapers Community – Accra Hub, an initiative of the World Economic.

In 2016, Impact quared UK (now Dalberg Media) discovered and honoured his contribution to youth empowerment as part of the 100 faces of impact. He is an Alumnus of the UNDP Ghana Global Entrepreneurship and innovation bootcamp scholarship program 2022, Common Purpose Africa Venture Fellowship 2019 and Life Link Model UN 2016.

While on the Community Engagement Exchange Fellowship 2022, prosper will complete his practicum with Youth Technology Corps (YTC) in Illinois, Chicago and finish his course work at the George Mason University as a component of the fellowship.

He hopes to organize digital lab for youth, women and girls to strengthen their problem-solving skills, foster community engagement skills through digital literacy, mentorship and leadership training.

During his spare time, he listens to music, plays football, reads, go hiking, journal, cooks, talks about politics & policies.

Prosper holds an Executive Education online certificate from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University in Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh