Impact West Africa Fellowship Program – Apply Now!

Aspen Global Innovators identifies, supports, and connects innovative global leaders who are advancing equity and improvements in health and development. They are building a world that centers equity, justice, and values based leadership in all sectors that are advancing health and equitable development.

The inaugural Impact Fellowship program launched in Senegal in 2023, opening an exciting and unique avenue to develop a new generation of powerful African development advocates, in order to advance Africa’s own development priorities. This program will spotlight advocates from French-speaking and English-speaking West African countries, highlighting West Africa’s Francophone and Anglophone key issues. Fellows will be individuals with a proven passion for advocacy and solid track records in activities related to improving lives and influencing meaningful change across the West African region.

The Impact West Africa Fellowship program equips changemakers from the region with the skills and support needed to tackle common challenges that affect close to half a billion people across the region’s 17 countries. Each Impact Fellow will participate in an intensive 12-month journey to help them advance their individual advocacy goals. Throughout the year-long program, Fellows continue their professional commitments while receiving tailored mentorship, attending two immersive convenings, and participating in quarterly online training sessions between convenings.

Key program details include:

• 2 in-person week-long convenings
  • Advocacy – Participants will engage in intensive sessions aimed at introducing and exploring various aspects of advocacy, including key elements of advocacy, strategies for effective advocacy, and the role of advocacy in driving social change.
  • Strategic Engagement for Advocacy – fellows will delve into communication tools essential for effective advocacy work. Fellows will not only refine their communication skills but also explore fundraising and networking strategies vital for effective advocacy work.
• Quarterly virtual trainings
  • Each quarter, fellows will engage in a series of online training sessions tailored to address the specific needs of the cohort. These sessions will cover a diverse range of topics aimed at enhancing their skills and knowledge, further empowering them as change agents within West Africa. Example of possible trainings include the following:
    • Community Mobilization and Engagement
    • Coalition Building
    • Arts and activism
    • Harvesting Outcomes (Advocacy and measuring impact)
    • Narrative Change
    • Media and Digital Advocacy Strategies
    • Community-Led Advocacy Campaigns
    • Policy Analysis and Influencing Decision-Makers
• Professional mentorship support
  • Mentoring and coaching of fellows will be core aspects of the fellowship. Each fellow will be paired with an experienced mentor supporting both their advocacy and strategic engagement development. These mentors will provide personalized guidance and support throughout the fellowship journey. Mentors and fellows will engage in regular check-in meetings to assess progress, set goals, and discuss challenges and opportunities.

Benefits 

• Network: As a Aspen Global Innovators Group fellow, you will gain access to a global network of around 300 like-minded innovators, experts and champions. This community provides a space to form connections, collaborations and opportunities for partnership, helping foster growth and impact on a global scale.
• Visibility: By participating in the fellowship, fellows will have the ability to participate in various platforms, events and initiatives where they can gain exposure to key stakeholders, funders, and policymakers, amplifying the reach and recognition of their work.
• Peer Support: Their fellowships offer a supportive environment where fellows can freely exchange ideas, share challenges and offer mutual support. Having this peer-to- peer interaction is integral to creating a culture of learning, resilience, and collaboration, empowering fellows to navigate complexities and drive meaningful change together.
• Knowledge Building: By participating in workshops, seminars, curated content and curriculum, fellows get the opportunity to deepen their understanding of pressing global issues, emerging trends, innovative solutions, equipping them with the skills and resources to catalyze equitable transformations in health and development.

Cost Covered

• All travel-related costs for the two in-person convenings including airfare, local transportation, lodging, and food will be covered by the fellowship.
• The fellowship does not provide any stipend while participating in the program.

Duration of the Fellowship

• Applicants are required to attend two in-person convenings that typically last for 5 days including all day sessions and cohort bonding activities; tentative dates slated for September 2024 and Jan/Feb 2025.
• Applicants must join all 3 virtual training sessions; tentative dates slated for November, April, July.
• Mentorship meetings will be scheduled based on the availability of both the Fellow and mentors; however expectations are that Fellows will meet with their mentor at least once during the month.

What they are looking for?

• Impact Fellows will be individuals:
  • Who demonstrate a passion and commitment for advocacy that addresses key issues affecting the West Africa region.
  • Have a solid track record of using bold, innovative ideas that contribute to improving the lives of the individuals within the communities they serve.
  • Have a clear vision of how their initiatives will demonstrate impact and transformative change.
  • Have a proven record of leadership and accomplishment in business or entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and/or public/government service.
  • ​Have a strong desire to strengthen their communication skills to advocate for change through storytelling, speaking engagements and written communication.
  • Have a commitment to use the skills gained from the the fellowship to strengthen their organization and the movements that they serve.
  • Have demonstrated a commitment to coalition building or have strong collaborative skills.
  • Have organizational support, in the form of a letter, to fully engage in the fellowship experience.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be a citizen of and reside in a West African country.
• Applicants must be able to demonstrate a passion and commitment for advocacy that addresses one or more key issues affecting the West African region.
• Applicants must have access to reliable internet connection.
• Applicants must be able to participate throughout the entirety of the program.
• Have organizational support, in the form of a letter, to fully engage in the fellowship experience.

For more information, visit Aspen Global Innovators Group.