DEF Scholar: Dagbedji Fagnisse
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Home country: Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire
Activities: Francophone club, agriculture, football
Dagbedji is determined to improve infrastructure in West Africa and will begin to put theory in to practice by majoring in civil engineering.
Dagbedji’s Dream:
I have a passion for systems, especially their organization. This organization is, I think, the main factor of efficiency. Whatever the initial asset, the final value is determined by how well-assembled the parts are. Let’s use the carbon element as an example. It is the core element of graphite, the dark graphite that I waste each time I sharpen my pencils. Yet, in other circumstances, it presents itself as a precious and mysterious stone: a diamond. Looking at it closely, one discovers that the difference between the graphite and the diamond is the strength of the inter-molecular bonds. Let’s replace the molecules of carbon with the people of Africa. Imagine the graphite and the diamond represent the possible state of the continent. Consequently, the state of the continent is determined by the strength of the bonds between its people.
Personally, I have come to believe that only communication, information and exposure can strengthen peoples’ bond. This is what drove me as inaugural president of the African Leadership Academy francophone club and as co-founder and head of the African Leadership Academy agriculture club. This is what drives me as web services representative of iALA – the executive committee of the African Leadership Academy ICT support team – and as CEO of Agro-Experts, the student-run agricultural farm on campus. This is what will drive my professional career either as an engineer or a businessman, but always as an agent of positive change.
I am Dagbedji Fagnisse, Togolese by descent, Ivorian by education, African by love, Human by creation.
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I’ve been in the beautiful city of Hong Kong for almost a week now. I am here to raise money for the Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), my non-profit organization which is dedicated to supporting the empowerment of African youth.
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