Blessila Nana-Afoe Kandoh
Blessilla Na-Afoe Kandoh is a dedicated development practitioner with over a decade experience and a passion for promoting women's and youth's well-being through programs focused on Reproductive Health, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH), Youth and Adolescent Health, and Rights.
Blessilla currently serves as the Health Interest Lead at Norsaac, a non-profit NGO based in Ghana, where she oversees all health programs and advocacy efforts. With a strong background in program management, public health, gender, and advocacy.
Blessilla has successfully led multi-sectoral initiatives at various levels, focusing on addressing the diverse needs of women and youth, aligning her efforts with SDG goals 3, 5, 10, and 13 to create impactful change.
Beyond her role at Norsaac, Blessilla is actively involved in voluntary initiatives, serving as the executive vice president of the Tamale chapter of Junior Chamber International (JCI), an organization of voluntary young active citizens age 18 to 40, who are engaged and committed to creating sustainable impact in their communities.
Blessilla has also played a pivotal role in mentoring two cohorts of young women through the SWIDA Young Female Leadership Program with leadership, communication, personal development, networking, and advocacy skills. Blessila holds a Degree in Community Nutrition from the University for Development Studies, Tamale and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Development Management at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Blessila aspires to leverage her knowledge and skills gained to establish physical and virtual safe spaces for young people and women to access SRHR information and services, including support in addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and be a beacon of hope for African youth and women