The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the centrepiece of the US Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Established in 2014, the Fellowship will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2024, having sent almost 6,500 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. The Fellows, aged 25 to 35, are accomplished innovators and leaders in their respective communities and nations.
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Benefits
As a Mandela Washington Fellow, you will receive full support from the U.S. government for every aspect of the program:
- Assistance in acquiring a J-1 visa.
- The program fee includes round-trip airfare from your home city to the United States as well as any necessary domestic travel.
- Taking part in a rigorous six-week Leadership Institute program.
- Participation at the last summit held in Washington, D.C.
- Availability of a constrained health and accident insurance program.
- Meals and lodging are provided for the course of the program.
Required Eligibilities
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is open to young African leaders who meet the following criteria:
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- Are between the ages of 25 and 35 as of September 10, 2024, with the possibility of consideration for exceptional applicants ages 21 to 24.
- Are neither citizens of the United States nor long-term residents.
- Are qualified to obtain a J-1 visa for the United States;
- Are not employed by the United States government, nor are they the wives, parents, children, or siblings of someone who works for the government (or for an American embassy or consulate, USAID, or another U.S. government agency).
Possess a strong reading comprehension , writing, and speaking English (additional guidance coming for applicants who are deaf).
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- Are nationals of any of the following: 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 citizens of one of the aforementioned nations and will be living there permanently as of May 1, 2025, and at the Fellowship’s start in June 2025.
- Are not Mandela Washington Fellowship alums or former participants.
Selection Criteria
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications (not in order of importance):
- A track record of success and leadership in civic involvement, business or entrepreneurship, and/or public or government service;
- A track record of volunteerism, mentorship, or public or community service;
- The capacity to appreciate other people’s viewpoints and collaborate well in a variety of groups.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities; a vivacious, upbeat, and adaptable mindset.
- A proven interest in, familiarity with, and professional background in the chosen field or Fellowship track, as well as specific objectives for utilizing the knowledge and abilities acquired from the Fellowship in current and/or future work.
- A pledge to go back to Sub-Saharan Africa and use their abilities and skills to improve and support their communities.
Application and Selection Timeline
- August 13, 2024 | Application opens
- September 10, 2024 | Application deadline
- November 2024 – January 2025 | Semi-finalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates
- March 2025: Applicants notified of their status
- May 2025 | Visa processing and Pre-Departure Orientations for Finalists
- June 2025 | Fellowship begins in the United States
How To Apply
To apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, submit your application online at this link: apply.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org. The application deadline is September 10, 2024, at 4:00 PM GMT.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a merit-based program with intense competition. Independent assessors will examine each qualified application. U.S. embassies or consulates in the semi-finalists’ home nations will interview them following this preliminary examination. These in-person interviews are scheduled to take place in Africa.
In order to go to the interview, candidates who make it past this round must bring a copy of their international passport, if one is available, or another form of official government-issued picture ID.
A required pre-departure orientation must be attended by the chosen finalists in their native Africa. The purpose of this orientation is to provide finalists the tools they need to start their leadership journey and to get them ready for their next adventure.
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