Deadline: 9-Dec-22
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Leadership Center East Africa is looking for young men and women between the ages of 18 and 35 from Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda who are ready to embrace leadership and work hard to transform their countries.
Focus Areas
The YALI RLC East Africa is more than a location for learning or a venue for collaboration; it represents a philosophy, a forward leaning culture of diversity that invites dreaming and thinking differently to define and realize one’s potential. The educational philosophy incorporates three main focus areas: personal transformation, leadership transformation, and sector transformation. Enhanced leadership skills underscore all three focus areas
Benefits
- Selected participants will engage in leadership training across three tracks of study: (1) Business and Entrepreneurship, (2) Civic Leadership, and (3) Public Management in a 4-week residential format with a focus on individual and team leadership skills, innovation, creative learning, and communication. The program’s emphasis is on interactive and experiential learning which fosters each participant’s ability to contribute both individually and in teams.
- Business and Entrepreneurship: Focused on the range of emerging or aspiring entrepreneurs who hope to take on leadership roles within the private sector or build their own business ventures on the continent.
- Civic Leadership: Oriented to those who are or aspire to be civically engaged and serve the public through non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, or volunteerism.
- Public Management: Tailored to those who work or aspire to work in any level of government (including elected positions), regional organizations such as the African Union or the East Africa Community, international organizations such as the United Nations, or other publicly-minded organizations or think tanks.
- Parallel Learning Engagements
- Participants in each track contribute to an interactive and experiential education model by working both individually and in teams. In addition to the immersive curriculum over the 4-week program, participants also have parallel learning opportunities: (1) working with fellow participants on a group project, (2) optional individual mentor engagement, (3) community service and (4) guest speakers.
- Group Design Challenges
- As part of their learning, participants collaborate to address a challenge posed by an organization involved in each of the three thematic areas (Business & Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership and Public Management). Working together, each group of 5-6 participants from different countries must utilize the tools and knowledge they glean during the program and apply them to the Design Challenge process, a human centered approach to innovation.
- The Design Challenge is meant to encourage participants to work jointly to overcome technical problems, communication barriers, and issues related to diversity to create a meaningful and relevant solution that is presented to the sponsoring organization during Week 4. Organizations benefit from the process when they choose to actively implement the solutions and strategies that are presented by the winning team
Eligibility Criteria
- Competition for the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa is merit-based and open to young East African leaders who meet the following criteria:
- Are 18 to 35 years of age at the time of application submission,
- Are citizens and residents of one of the following countries: Burundi, Central African Republic. Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda,
- Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
- Are eligible to receive any necessary visa to Kenya, and
- Are proficient in reading, writing, listening and speaking English.
Selection Criteria
- Selection for participation in the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa will be conducted as a merit-based, open competition. All eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel. Chosen semi-finalists will then be interviewed before a final selection is made and an invitation to join the program is issued.
- Selection panels will use the following criteria to evaluate applications:
- A demonstrated leadership in public service, business and entrepreneurship, or civic engagement.
- Active engagement in public or community service, volunteerism, or mentorship.
- The ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and respect the opinions of others.
- Strong social and communication skills.
- An energetic, positive attitude.
- A demonstrated knowledge, interest, and professional experience in the sector/track selected, and
- A commitment to apply leadership skills and training to benefit your country and/or community after the program.
- Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
For more information, visit https://www.yalieastafrica.org/