Patrovas Gabriel Okidi is a social inclusion advocate and Mastercard Foundation Scholar studying Statistics at Makerere University (Uganda). He currently works as a Research Analyst at the Uhuru (Independence) Institute for Social Development to support community development and improve living standards. After fleeing Oyam, Uganda as a child due to civil wars and conflicts, he returned as a young adult and started a social support project in Oyam district: “TheMegwa Social Initiative” to keep young people engaged through skill development, mentorship, and economic empowerment. His continued involvement in student civic engagements led him to be selected to the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities’ Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program, where he has continuously engaged in various democracy and civic engagement work, working with his peers and with organizations including the Kettering Foundation and Mastercard Foundation. In 2022, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Program for East Africans nominated Patrovas as a young leader who has demonstrated commitment to giving back to his community, and is now thrilled to serve as Student Representative of the Talloires Network Steering Committee to advise on strategic directions, program priorities and be active ambassadors for the Network to enable it achieve its global goals and objectives.
