World Federation of Hemophilia Global Youth Leadership Training
Hemophilia of Georgia’s (HoG) Chief Executive Officer Rob Maloney, Chief Policy & Compliance Officer Deniece Chevannes, and Regional Administrator Alesha Wright attended the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Comprehensive Care Summit (CCS): New Developments in Bleeding Disorders and MSK from April 23–25, 2025, followed by the Global Youth Training on April 26–27 in Dubai, UAE.
With youth leadership and succession planning identified by the WFH as priorities for ensuring the sustainability of patient organizations, HoG proudly nominated two inspiring young adult clients to attend the CCS and participate in the impactful leadership training. These young adults grew up attending Camp Wannaklot, participating in the Leaders in Training program, and now giving back as dedicated volunteers.
The Global Youth Leadership Training brought together emerging leaders from 17 countries for dynamic, hands-on sessions. HoG’s own Deniece Chevannes and Alesha Wright led an engaging workshop on effective communication, while other sessions covered marketing strategies, project development essentials, such as SMART goals, logic frameworks, budgeting, and principles of monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning.
HoG’s young adult leaders were incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Here’s what they had to say:
- “The WFH Youth Leadership Training was an amazing experience! The insights and skills I gained from working with people across the world are ones I will never forget. The training sessions, combined with the sense of community built among the fellows, equipped me with a wide range of ideas and tools to bring back and share.”
- “The program not only helped me grow as a leader but also connected me with an inspiring network of youth leaders from around the world. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue using what I’ve learned to make a positive impact in my community.”
- “I plan to use the knowledge that I learned to continue educating/advocating for people with bleeding disorders.”
- “I plan to incorporate the information and skills learned into my ongoing volunteer work by educating others focused on leadership, public speaking, and community engagement…also aim to mentor younger peers and fellow volunteers, sharing strategies and insights from the training to inspire them to take initiative and lead.”
These young leaders not only enhanced their leadership skills—they also built lasting friendships with peers from around the world, engaged directly with international experts and organizations, and learned about the latest advancements in bleeding disorder diagnosis and treatment. Most exciting of all, they will bring this knowledge back home. As a follow-up to the training, they will implement a project focused on patient education, including sharing what they learned about digital marketing to better engage and empower our community.
This experience reflects HoG’s ongoing commitment to building the next generation of leaders and strengthening the future of care and advocacy, both here in Georgia and around the globe.