Ahmad Ba has more than 10 years of experience in youth empowerment and community building. Currently, Ahmad is an executive project assistant at NuWorld, where he focuses on investing in the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. He is the founder of Ahmad's Masterclass, an online platform that provides masterclasses on personal development, leadership, and mental health. He also works with Starfish International, which educates and empowers Gambian girls, and with Declic, which promotes integrated civic youth leadership and community development and engages young in personal, organizational, and community development. Ahmad is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Communications and Media. He is committed to helping younger and older generations use their natural talents to benefit their communities. After completing the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, Ahmad plans to strengthen his collaborations with organizations that bring about change in the world.

What do you do in your home country and what do you hope to do upon completion of your Fellowship? In particular, with the integration of your experiences with Drexel University?

After spending these recent years serving with two NGOs in The Gambia, I came back to Senegal in 2018 for a full-time study program.

In May 2020 I started my own online masterclass where I invite young people, either studying or working, and provide life skills training sessions. The goal is to empower the youths with a set of tools that help them navigate through life. As the host and main trainer, I also invite professionals to come and share valuable skills with us depending on their field of work. We hosted psychiatrists, psychologists, bankers, civil engineers, and activists to talked about a variety of things that are important for us, the youths, to know.

This year, in partnership with my school, I started workshops to raise awareness on how the quality of our lives is deteriorating due to social media and screen addiction.

Upon completion of the fellowship with Drexel, I am going to start my own organization that I will call "Impact". With Impact, I will work with students in high schools with the goal to equip them with life skills with which they may build a fulfilled life. Impact will also work with companies and organizations to train their staff and help build a work environment in which employees and employers feel safe and inspired.

What is your favorite thing about your home country? What are you most excited about learning about Philadelphia?

My favorite about my country is the peace in which we live day in day out. It is a blessing!

I am excited about learning about what makes Philadelphia special.

Do you have any hobbies or an interesting fact you wish to share about yourself?

I would like to share my music. I am an artist as well. I produce rap songs.

If I were to come to your home country, what is the first thing I should eat?

If you were to come to Senegal, the first thing you should eat is "Chebu Jun", the official national main dish.