July 30, 2018
One after the other, Mandela fellows
strutted up to the massive “Iowa” sign, each with a different
pose in mind.
Each fellow took time having their photo taken in front
of Manning’s IOWA sculpture. Some crawled in between the lines of
the “W,” while others stood in front of the “A” and a few
centered themselves beneath the “O,” all making sure they had
their own unique Iowa photo.
A group of about 20 young
businesspeople and entrepreneurs from all over Africa visited Manning
July 19 to learn about the town’s economic development and public
and private partnerships.
The day spent in Manning was part of a
six-week stint in Iowa through the Mandela Washington Fellowship for
Young African Leaders. Universities around the country host different
groups of African leaders. This is the third year Drake University
has hosted a group — and that Manning’s partnership with the
university has led to a visit from the fellows to the city.
During their day in Manning, the
fellows learned about what life is like in small-town Iowa, said Ron
Reischl, the chairman of Main Street Manning’s Business Improvement
Committee.
“They spend every day of their six
weeks in Iowa (cities), except for one day in rural Iowa,” Reischl
said. “We’re trying to show them what life is in rural Iowa.”
Their day in Manning included a tour of
the historic Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park, guided by the Hausbarn’s
director, Freda Dammann.
After the tour, fellows were taken to
downtown Manning for a “traditional” Iowa lunch consisting of
hamburgers, sweet corn, apple crisps and more at Deb’s Corner Cafe.
During the lunch,
the fellows beat a drum and chanted songs as thank-you to not only
Deb’s Corner Cafe but the entire city of Manning for hosting them
for the day.
Doreen Noni, 29, from Tanzania, said
she enjoyed learning about how the town of Manning figured out how to
get people involved to help develop and better their town.
“It’s been incredible,” Noni
said. “I love it. I’ve just met so many incredible people. I’ve
learned how important it is to get people involved. I need to go and
reach out to people to make the community better.”
Noni owns her own FM radio station in
Tanzania called Lake FM. Her station’s focus is to shed light on
the cycle of poverty in the city of Mwanza by working with low-income
residents. She has a talk show called “Tena na Tena” which means
“Again and Again,” she said.
“If first you do not succeed, you try
again, again and again until you succeed,” Noni said.
She said the show has allowed her to
meet many incredible young people who also want to get involved and
make their country a better place.
During her visit to Iowa, Noni said,
she has met many amazing business leaders and professionals. Her
experience in Manning taught her to never be afraid to reach out and
ask others for support.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help —
that’s been my biggest takeaway of the day, is don’t be afraid to
ask for help,” Noni said. “I love meeting new people. I like to
watch and learn and listen, and I’m sure I’m going to make some
new friends. It’s been a life-changing experience, and I’m happy
that I came.”
After finishing lunch, the group headed
to the IOWA sculpture for a photo shoot.
Then, they headed out to the Ranniger
and Muhlbauer family farms to learn about agriculture in Iowa. The
farms demonstrated grain handling and the beef industry,
respectively.
Reischl said that Iowa is known as an
agricultural state, and that it is important for people from African
countries to see beyond tech and insurance companies in the state.
“Agriculture is a major survivor of
our economy,” Reischl said. “It’s important for them to see how
a small town in rural Iowa can succeed and what the elements of
success are.”
When their afternoon on the farms was
complete, the fellows headed back downtown to explore the shops on
Main Street and ended their day at BrickHaus Brews, where they met
with Manning locals and enjoyed pizza and drinks.
The day is about more than just
introducing people from other countries to small-town Iowa — it’s
about people from Manning getting to know people outside their circle
and becoming acquainted with other cultures, Reischl said.
“We always look
for opportunities to be able to tell the Manning story,” he said.
“We’ve developed friendships with some of the past visitors.
Manning is not a culturally diverse area. I think it’s important
for the community to acquaint themselves with other cultures, and
long-term, I would like to believe that one of these Mandela fellows
will come back and start a business in Manning.”