AGE Africa Welcomes Ambassador Jeanine Jackson as Board Member
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ncing Girls’ Education in Africa (AGE Africa) is pleased to announce Ambassador Jeanine Jackson as a new member of the Board of Directors. AGE Africa’s mission is to provide life-changing opportunities to young women in Malawi through targeted initiatives in education, mentoring, and leadership development. Ambassador Jackson brings an extensive and impressive list of qualifications that help support the mission.
Ambassador Jackson served as U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso from 2006 to 2009 and as U.S. Ambassador to Malawi from 2011 to 2014. In Malawi, she led a $250 million development, governance, and security assistance program. She oversaw multi-sector partnerships with the Government of Malawi, non-governmental organizations, and provincial, village, and traditional leadership. The programs in Malawi led by Ambassador Jackson included an analysis of culture, language, family, religious, and hierarchical traditions, and many expressed a passion for women and Malawian empowerment, like the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), promoting young Malawian leaders and entrepreneurs.
Ambassador Jackson says, “During my six years in Malawi and Burkina Faso, I realized that education for girls should be a global priority. Mutu umodzi sungathe kunyamula denga is a Malawian proverb reminding us that ‘one head alone cannot carry the whole roof.’ We would say ‘by working together we can achieve more.’
It will take all of us– mothers, fathers, boys, governments, and organizations like AGE Africa– to raise girls to their full potential, which in turn will improve the health, education, economy, and security of nations. I am thrilled to be a part of the passionate and dedicated Board of AGE Africa as they help educate thousands of Malawian girls, thus enabling them to make meaningful and lasting contributions to their families, communities, and country.”
In addition to serving as U.S. Ambassador to Malawi and Burkina Faso, since 2015, Ambassador Jackson has worked part-time for the U.S. Army’s Mission Command Training Program, training and mentoring thousands of military leaders on the importance of working with the U.S. Government Interagency and international organizations during both peace and war situations. She is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer and a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army Reserve.
AGE Africa’s Executive Director, Concepción Gaxiola, shared her thoughts about Ambassador Jackson’s election to the Board of Directors: “We are honored and delighted to welcome Ambassador Jackson to the AGE Africa family. Ambassador Jackson’s tenure in Malawi, along with her involvement in implementing a vision to improve the lives of the people of Malawi, makes her a great addition to the Board of Directors. Her dedication, enthusiasm, and passion will make a tremendous contribution to pushing forth AGE Africa’s mission.”
AGE Africa is a recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Since 2005, AGE Africa has partnered with 24 schools throughout southern Malawi to provide full-tuition scholarships for 240 disadvantaged, yet academically talented young women. In 2013, in addition to providing full scholarships, AGE Africa introduced it’s Creating Healthy Approaches to Success (CHATS) after school programming, currently reaching more than 2,500 young women, teaching them important life skills and preparing them for their future beyond school. AGE Africa also supports the long-term success of alumnae by helping with the transition to higher education, job-skills training programs, and postsecondary employment. For more information about AGE Africa and to donate, please visit www.ageafrica.org.