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Tembo Awards
The Tembo Global Program
The Tembo Global Program is a premier youth leadership, mentorship, and empowerment initiative designed to groom the next generation of Renaissance leaders in Africa and beyond. By uniquely leveraging sports and music as universal platforms, Tembo builds cross-cultural bridges and fosters the overall well-being of youth.
The program targets youth scholar-athletes and adaptive pro-youth athletes aged 16–26, equipping them with leadership skills, emotional resilience, and entrepreneurial training to become positive agents of change. Crucial to this mission is a "Global" mindset—thinking locally and acting globally—which is brought to life through strategic institutional partnerships, a robust digital archival ecosystem, and dedicated physical innovation footprints.
Tembo Awards Beneficiaries
The Tembo Awards seek to raise funds for the Tembo Global Program that supports youth athletes and adaptive pro-youth athletes who embody excellence, resilience, inclusion, and leadership. The awards aim to advance opportunities for young athletes, promote inclusive sports development, and nurture leadership through sport, health, and community engagement. By bringing together institutions, partners, and advocates we seek to empower emerging talent and contribute to a more inclusive and promising future for African sport.
Tembo Awards November 10 -12, 2026
Celebrating Ledership, Excellence & Innovation
We are thrilled to announce the Tembo Awards, taking place November 10–12, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya! Under the theme "Grooming the Next Generation of African Leaders," this premier 3-day event is proudly hosted by Global Tides Group Philanthropies (GTGP) and the University of Nairobi Center for Healthcare Innovation, in a powerful partnership with the Global Alliance for Sports Medicine (GAFSM). Together we are stepping up to support our incredible youth athletes and adaptive pro-youth athletes.
Bridging three generations of African sports and leadership:
Day 1: Preservation – Recording crucial oral history and wisdom from elder mentors through documentary filming.
Day 2: Intergenerational Exchange & Honor – A live fireside chat and the prestigious Tembo Awards Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony featuring Vanessa Rose and Albie Sachs with an interactive youth Q&A.
Day 3: Stewardship & Vision – A multi-stakeholder sports medicine summit, hosted by the Global Alliance for Sports Medicine, focused on building a sustainable regional ecosystem and the grand opening of the Ongeri Moore Mentorship Hub.
Join us in support as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and empower the future of African sports leadership.
Tickets are now available above and via the QR code below.
Tembo Awards Sponsorship Levels
1. Tembo $50,000
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Investment: $50K and Above
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Tier Level: Platinum
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Core Value: Our highest-tier corporate partnership offering maximum brand visibility, premium and VIP access, automatic membership to the exclusive Tembo Society and naming recognition across all primary initiatives.
2. Twiga $25,000
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Investment: $25K
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Tier Level: Gold
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Core Value: High-impact placement featuring strong corporate alignment, Premium and VIP access, prominent marketing reach, and dedicated presence.
3. Tausi $10,000
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Investment: $10K
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Tier Level: Silver
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Core Value: Mid-tier support delivering excellent brand exposure across our digital and physical networking assets and VIP access.
4. Tai $5,000
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Investment: $5K
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Tier Level: Bronze
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Core Value: Supporting-level partnership focused on shared community awareness and baseline visual marketing.
5. Tatu $2,500
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Investment: $2.5K
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Tier Level: Copper
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Core Value: Entry-level tier designed for introductory partners or local businesses looking for brand recognition within the network.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
- Arthur Ashe
Tembo Award Categories
The Silent Waters Award
Honorees
The SWA Category is a prestigious accolade designed to honor exceptional young to mid-career professionals and senior executives (Ages 16–50) whose impactful leadership anchors the continent's progress. Grounded in the profound wisdom of the African proverb, “A river that runs deep flows in silence,” this award recognizes individuals who understand that true progress leaves a lasting footprint without making a loud noise. This distinction celebrates the distinguished and quiet leaders of Africa—those who shun the spotlight to focus entirely on driving measurable, sustainable transformation. They are the understated pillars of Africa whose life's work builds, protects, and supports entire communities from behind the scenes.
The Friends of Africa Inductees
The FOA Category is an elite, non-resident Global Diplomatic and Humanitarian Honors category. It is reserved exclusively for non-African nationals, ages 40 and above who serve as international allies to the continent’s growth and governance.
Purpose and Distinction
The primary purpose of this induction is to formally recognize and integrate global leaders into a lifelong fellowship dedicated to Africa's self-determination. It distinguishes itself from standard humanitarian prizes by requiring that recipients already hold prestigious global accolades, ensuring that only the world's most accomplished and verified talents are inducted. Rather than just celebrating past charity, this category honors strategic partners who have actively elevated African leadership, policy frameworks, and institutional capacity on the world stage.
Wall of Fame
Inductees
The primary purpose of this crowning designation is to permanently etch the names of Africa’s greatest pillars and global allies into the historical fabric of the continent. It distinguishes itself from standard annual awards by serving as an eternal institutional archive. Inductees are not merely celebrated for a single season; they are selected to form the living foundation of Africa's leadership history. Their inclusion serves as an unshakeable testament to the fact that their life’s work has fundamentally redirected the trajectory of African advancement, governance, or culture for the better.
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tembo Awards Patrons
Vanessa Rose Sachs
Vanessa Rose is a South African urban architect and designer who is widely recognized as the wife of the celebrated anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court Justice, Albie Sachs, whom she married in 2006. Based in Cape Town, where she runs her own design practice, she balances her professional architecture career with a dedicated role in preserving her husband's historic legacy. Together, they have a son named Oliver, and she remains deeply involved in curating and managing the Albie Collection at Constitution Hill, an archival project that documents their family's contributions to human rights and liberation in South Africa.
Donald G. Simpson
Dr. Donald George Simpson, C.M. was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada on April 17, 2024, and officially invested on December 12, 2024, for his profound impact over a seven-decade career dedicated to cross-cultural engagement and innovative leadership development across Canada, Africa, and more than 70 countries globally. Recognized by Governor General Mary Simon, his legacy includes co-founding Canadian Crossroads Africa and creating the African Students Foundation in the 1960s, which brought 300 African students to Canadian universities.
As an educator, researcher, entrepreneur, and mentor, he also served as an early staff member at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Director of the Centre for International Business at Western University, and Vice President of the Banff Centre for Management. To bring collaborative, compassionate innovators together to change the world for the better, he founded both the Innovation Expedition and the Renaissance Expedition.
Ambassador Prof. Sam Ongeri, EGH
Ambassador Prof. Samson Kegengo Ongeri, EGH, is a physician, statesman, and sports administrator. Trained at the University of Bombay (MBBS), the University of London (DCH), and the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP), he practiced and taught medicine at the University of Nairobi before entering public life.
He represented Nyaribari Masaba in Parliament, served as Cabinet Secretary for Education and then
Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was Kenya's Senator for Kisii County from 2017 to 2022, and represented Kenya as Ambassador to UN-Habitat and the United Nations Environment Programme. Ambassador Ongeri chaired Athletics Kenya from 1974 to 1984 and played a prominent role in organizing the 1987 All-Africa Games in Nairobi, his presence lends GTG and its initiatives the gravity of a generation of Kenyan leadership committed to Africa's wellbeing.
Tembo Awards Advisory Council
Dr. Jared Mecha
Dr Mecha is a distinguished medical lecturer and public health leader at the University of Nairobi School of Medicine.
He heads the Center for Healthcare and Innovation serving as Principal Investigator for major USAID-funded initiatives like Fahari ya Jamii to expand equitable HIV and healthcare access across Kenya. An expert in health systems and translational research, he holds degrees from the University of Nairobi, Imperial College London, and UC Berkeley. Dr. Mecha frequently collaborates with the WHO, UNICEF, and Kenya's Ministry of Health to advance clinical education and medical research implementation.
Edith Alusa-Bosire
Edith Alusa-Bosire is a social scientist and environmental sustainability expert with over 25 years of experience in engineering, tourism, horticulture, climate change, and energy. A Chevening Scholar, she holds a degree from the University of Eastern Africa–Baraton and an MSc in Water and Environmental Management from Loughborough University. Formerly the CEO of Ecotourism Kenya, she is now the Executive Director of the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund, Africa's first public-private conservation trust. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Global Ecotourism and is a co-founder of EED, promoting African solutions to local challenges.
Dr. Avrum Jacobs, MD
Dr. Avrum Jacobs is a board-certified cardiologist and staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic, where he serves as Director of the echocardiography laboratory at Hillcrest Hospital. Specializing in advanced non-invasive cardiac imaging, he holds board certifications in cardiology, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology.
An active member of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Jacobs has published research in peer-reviewed journals and serves as a manuscript reviewer for the American Journal of Cardiology. He brings vital expertise to the sports medicine landscape, specializing in cardiac care and athlete-heart screening to anchor health and performance protocols for elite and developing athletic programs.
Bob Nance
Bob Nance, affectionately known as "Uncle Bob," is a renowned basketball trainer and mentor who began his own basketball journey as a high school co-captain alongside future NBA star Charles Oakley. Alongside his 20-year career with Cleveland's water department, Nance has spent over three decades running the Bob Nance Basketball Academy. He uses low-cost clinics to instill discipline, education, and hard work, serving as a father figure to youth. Nance's rigorous elite training has successfully guided several alumni to professional basketball careers and helped produce multiple NFL players who credits his training for their elite work ethic.
Monalisa Chisango
Monalisa Chisango) is an award-winning Zimbabwean television and film producer, entrepreneur, and CEO of Monzyice Creations. A powerhouse in African media, she has served as Series and Line Producer for major global and regional hits, including Netflix's Young, Famous & African(Season 3), The Ultimatum South Africa, and The Real Housewives of Durban (Season 1).
Recognized with the Emerging Brand in Africa Award and an honorary Zimbabwe Achievers Award, Chisango is a fierce advocate for local filmmakers. She champions job creation, mentorship, and corporate support to empower the next generation of African cinema talent.
Dr. Wesley Fluellen Sr.
Dr. Wesley Fluellen Sr. is a former professional basketball player, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and youth mentor dedicated to inspiring the next generation. Having overcome childhood adversity, including abuse, neglect, and foster care, he transformed his experiences into a mission of empowerment and service. During his 12-year professional basketball career, he played with the Orlando Magic and competed internationally. He later founded Fundamentals First Basketball Academy, using sports to teach young people discipline, leadership, responsibility, and character. Through mentorship and motivational speaking, Dr. Fluellen continues to champion resilience, personal growth, and opportunities for young people to realize their full potential.