Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.

Benefits

• The Fellowship will bring up to 700 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2024 for a comprehensive executive-style program that will build skills and empower Fellows to lead in their respective sectors and communities. The Fellowship includes:
  • A six-week Leadership Institute: Fellows are placed in groups of 25 at leading educational institutions across the United States—in both urban and rural areas—that represent the diversity of U.S. higher education. Institutes, which will take place from mid-June through early August 2024, will focus on skills development in one of three tracks: Leadership in Business, Leadership in Civic Engagement, or Leadership in Public Management.
  • The intensive six-week model uses leadership development as the framework to create links between academic sessions, a strengths-based Common Leadership Curriculum, site visits, community service, and cultural activities. Fellows across all three tracks will gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills that can be applied in or adapted to African contexts. While all Institutes will include common components, each program agenda is unique and is based on the particular strengths and resources of each Institute Partner.
  • A Summit in Washington, D.C.: At the conclusion of the Leadership Institutes, all Fellows will participate in a high-level Summit. Through a variety of sessions, Fellows will have the opportunity to network with each other and with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The Summit will take place in July 2024.
  • An optional four-week Professional Development Experience (PDE): As part of the Fellowship application, individuals may apply to participate in a Professional Development Experience (PDE) at a U.S. NGO, business, or government agency.
  • The PDE is designed to provide Fellows with practical training and the opportunity to learn transferable skills, expand their professional networks, and apply concepts learned at their Institutes to real-world situations in the U.S. context.
  • Selected Fellows must be available to be in the United States for a total of approximately 11 weeks (including the Leadership Institute, the Summit, and the placement with a U.S.-based organization).
  • Opportunities for Alumni: Fellows will have access to networking opportunities, ongoing professional development, and volunteer opportunities upon their return home after the Fellowship.
  • Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Grants allow selected Alumni across cohort years, sectors, and regions to travel to each other’s organizations or communities or collaborate virtually to learn from each other’s best practices and expertise.
  • Reciprocal Exchanges provide U.S. citizens with opportunities to engage in collaborative projects with Fellowship Alumni, building upon strategic partnerships and professional connections developed during the Fellowship program. Alumni also have access to other opportunities, including grants, events, and virtual programming.

Financial Provisions of the Fellowship

• There is no fee to apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. If you are selected for the Fellowship, the U.S. Government will cover all program 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 United States and domestic U.S. travel as required by the program. Fellows must depart from their country of residence within Africa to the United States;
  • A six-week Leadership Institute;
  • A concluding Summit in Washington, D.C.;
  • A limited accident and sickness benefit plan;
  • Housing and meals during the program; and
  • An optional four-week Professional Development Experience (for up to 100 Fellows).

Eligibility Criteria

• 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; and
  • Are not Alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
• Note: Fellows are not allowed to have dependents, including spouses and children, accompany them during the Fellowship.

For more information, visit IREX.