The U.S. Department of State and IREX are excited to announce the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for young Africans 2022–2023, which will allow you to take part in a six-week Leadership Institute at a U.S. institution or university to exchange experiences with and learn from U.S. citizens and other Fellows.
The Fellowship is the Young African Leaders Initiative’s flagship program, run by the US government (YALI). Over the years, the fellowship has sent several young leaders to the US for academic and leadership development from every Sub-Saharan African nation.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship will bring up to 700 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2023 for a comprehensive executive-style program that is designed to build skills and empower Fellows to lead in their respective sectors and communities.
Brief Description | Mandela Washington Fellowship
Fellowship Sponsor(s): U.S Department of State and IREX
Host Institution(s): Not specified
Number of Awards: Several
Study Level: All study levels
Duration: 6 weeks
Nationality: Africans
Application Deadline: September 13, 2022
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To be considered for the Fellowship, interested candidates are to meet the following requirements:
- 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.
How to Apply | Mandela Washington Fellowship
Before the application deadline, interested and qualified candidates for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program 2023 should submit their online applications. Applicants should email the Fellowship Team at MWFellowship@irex.org with any questions.