Greycells and Hesed World Launch Partnership to Connect Experienced Professionals with Emerging Leaders
PRESS RELEASE
GENEVA, 17 September 2026 – Greycells and Hesed World today launched a mentoring partnership that pairs former international civil servants and other experienced professionals directly with young people and emerging leaders. Signed by Cécile Molinier, Chair of Greycells, and Princess Kiki Rebecca Lawal, Founder and President of Hesed World, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will support leadership development and intergenerational learning through structured, practical exchanges.
The partnership combines Greycells’ network of former international civil servants and other experienced professionals with Hesed World’s youth-focused programmes. Participants—including young people, women, entrepreneurs and emerging professionals—will gain direct access to mentors who can offer professional guidance, share practical experience and introduce them to relevant networks.
The collaboration is built on reciprocal learning: experienced professionals will share knowledge, guidance and networks, while younger participants will contribute perspectives shaped by emerging ambitions and contemporary global challenges. This exchange is intended to strengthen leadership and help participants build the skills, confidence and professional relationships needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.
“Experience has its greatest value when it is put to work for others,” said Cécile Molinier, Chair of Greycells. “This partnership gives Greycells members a practical way to share their knowledge, perspectives and networks with a new generation. It is also a two-way exchange: our members will learn from the creativity, ambition and fresh thinking that young people bring to today’s global challenges.”
The partnership’s first mentoring cohort is scheduled to begin in November 2026. It will connect mentors from Greycells’ international network with participants in Hesed World’s programmes through structured mentoring, professional guidance, intergenerational dialogue and knowledge-sharing.
“Young people thrive when their potential is recognised and matched with practical guidance,” said Princess Kiki Rebecca Lawal. “By connecting participants with experienced professionals who will share their knowledge and networks, we can help turn aspiration into opportunity—and opportunity into lasting impact.”
The partnership addresses two related challenges: the scale of youth exclusion from work and education, and the need for effective pathways into employment.
According to the International Labour Organization, 53 million young people aged 15 to 24 in sub-Saharan Africa were not in employment, education or training in 2023; three in five were young women. Mentorship can form part of the response: a randomised study of more than 1,100 vocational students in Uganda, reported by the Harvard Kennedy School Center for International Development, found that mentored participants were 27% more likely to be employed three months after graduation and earned 18% more within one year than participants who did not receive mentoring.
The signing begins a long-term collaboration through which Greycells and Hesed World will expand access to mentorship, strengthen intergenerational exchange and support the leadership development of young people.
About Greycells
Greycells is a Geneva-based international platform that mobilises the experience, expertise and networks of former international civil servants and other experienced professionals for knowledge-sharing, mentoring and intergenerational dialogue.
About Hesed World
Hesed World is a Geneva-based non-profit organisation that empowers young people through mentorship, skills development, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and leadership opportunities. Its programmes operate in Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi.
Media Contacts
Greycells
Email: greycells08@gmail.com
Website: www.greycells.ch
Hesed World
Onotina Imoudu, Communications
Email: info@hesedworld.org
Website: www.hesedworld.org
Sources for editors
International Labour Organization, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024: Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Brief.
