The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since 2014, nearly 6,500 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Fellowship. The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished leaders and have established records of promoting innovation and positive impact in their communities and countries.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship will bring up to 700 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2024 for a comprehensive executive-style program that is designed to build skills and empower Fellows to lead in their respective sectors and communities.
During the Fellowship, the Fellows participate in six-week Leadership Institutes, studying Business, Civic Engagement, or Public Management hosted by U.S. colleges or universities. Throughout the Institutes, Fellows enrich local U.S. communities while sharing best practices.
The Fellowship is an unparalleled opportunity to…
Participate in a six-week Leadership Institute at a U.S. college or university to share your experiences with and learn from U.S. citizens and other Fellows.
Explore industries beyond your daily work and expand your expertise.
Participate in a Summit with young African leaders.
Meet with U.S. Government, civic, and business leaders.
Strengthen your work through new connections, skills, and ideas.
Join a continental and global Alumni Network to help you seek innovative solutions to common challenges.
Selection Process and Criteria
The Mandela Washington Fellowship selection process is a merit-based open competition. After the deadline, independent readers will review all eligible applications. Following this review, chosen semi-finalists will be interviewed by the U.S. embassies or consulates in their home countries. Selected semi-finalists will be required to participate in these in-person interviews in their home country within Africa. If advanced to the semi-finalist round, applicants must provide a copy of their international passport (if available) or other government-issued photo identification at the time of the interview. Selected Finalists are required to attend the mandatory Pre-Fellowship Orientation in their home country in Africa.
Eligibility
Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is open to young African leaders who meet the following criteria:
Are between the ages of 25 and 35 on or before the application deadline, although exceptional applicants ages 21-24 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 a U.S. embassy or consulate, USAID, or other U.S. Government entity);
Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English (additional guidance coming for applicants who are deaf);
Are citizens of one of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The 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, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe;
Are residents of one of the above countries; and
Are not Alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Please note that Fellows are not allowed to have dependents, including spouses and children, accompany them during the Fellowship.
Selection of finalists from all eligible countries may be subject to review in response to local, national, or global events that impact the ability to conduct program activities.
The U.S. Department of State and IREX reserve the right to verify all information included in the application. In the event of a discrepancy, or if the information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.
Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):
A proven record of leadership and accomplishment in business or entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and/or public/government service;
A demonstrated commitment to public or community service, volunteerism, or mentorship;
The ability to work cooperatively in diverse groups and to respect the opinions of others;
Strong social and communication skills;
An energetic, positive, and flexible attitude;
A demonstrated knowledge of, interest in, and professional experience in the preferred sector/Fellowship track and concrete goals for applying lessons knowledge and skills gained from the Fellowship to current and/or future work; and
A commitment to return to Sub-Saharan Africa and contribute skills and talents to build and serve their communities.
