Deadline: 26 October 2016
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is seeking applications for its Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders with an aim to empower young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking.
The Fellowship will provide up to 1,000 outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. college or university with support for professional development after they return home.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
Benefits
- There is no fee to apply to the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
- If you are selected for the Fellowship, the U.S. government will cover all participant costs.
- Financial provisions provided by the U.S. Government will include:
- J-1 visa support
- Round-trip travel from Fellow’s home city to the U.S. and domestic U.S. travel as required by the program
- A six-week academic and leadership institute
- Concluding Summit in Washington, DC
- Accident and sickness benefit plan
- Housing and meals during the program
- An optional six-week Professional Development Experience (for up to 100 Fellows)
- Please note: the Fellowship will not cover salary while Fellows are away from work or funds for personal purchases such as gifts
Eligibility Criteria
- Are between the ages of 25 and 35 at the time of application submission, although exceptional applicants younger than 25 will be considered
- Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States
- Are eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa
- Are not employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. government (including the U.S. Embassy, USAID, and other U.S. government entities)
- Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English
- Are residents of one of the eligible countries
- Are not alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship
- Fellows are not allowed to have dependents (including spouses and children) accompany them during the Fellowship
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via given address.
Eligible Countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
For more information, please visit YALI.