18/03/2026
Another special blog from the 25th ANLP group
The Dream That Wouldn't Die
John Otieno Otieno
I first applied for the African Nutrition Leadership Programme in 2018. I was early in my career, eager to learn, hungry for growth. When the rejection email arrived, I told myself it was fine; there would be other opportunities. 2019 came. I applied again, this time with a stronger application, clearer goals, and renewed hope. Again, the answer was no. Another application, another rejection. This one stung a little more.
By 2022, after the world had been through a pandemic that reshaped everything, we knew about nutrition and public health, I thought: maybe this time. I poured my experiences, my growth, my passion into that application. And still, the answer was no. By application number five, I started to wonder if the universe was trying to tell me something. Perhaps the ANLP wasn't meant for me. Perhaps I should stop putting myself through this annual ritual of hope followed by disappointment.
But something in me wouldn't let go. Every year, I would read about the incredible alumni network. Every year, I would see posts on LinkedIn from participants who described the programme as life changing, and every year, I would think: I belong there; I just need to keep trying.
Then, in 2026, I tried again โ and this time, the answer was yes. I am not sure I have the words to fully describe what that felt like. Six applications. Eight years. And finally, a yes. It was not just an acceptance into a programme; it felt like confirmation that persistence, even when it is painful, is never wasted.
Being among the participants of ANLP has been everything I imagined and more. I have grown in ways I did not expect โ deepening my understanding of leadership, reshaping the way I communicate, and learning new approaches to self-care and reflection. Journaling has become a practice I now take seriously, and the connections I have made with people from across the continent have already opened my thinking in new ways. Perhaps most importantly, I have learned the value of prioritising myself โ something that is easy to neglect when you are driven by purpose.
To the ANLP organisers โ thank you. Not just for this opportunity, but for building something worth fighting for. Eight years of trying tells you everything about what this programme means to those of us on the outside looking in. I am grateful, beyond words, to finally be on the inside.
