Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young Africans 2021

The U.S. Department of State and IREX is pleased to announce the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program 2021/2022 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.

The Fellowship is the flagship program of the United State Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The fellowship has over the years brought several young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training.

About Mandela Washington Fellowships

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 4,400 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. Each year, the Fellows participate in six-week Leadership Institutes, studying Business, Civic Engagement, or Public Management at U.S. colleges or u... read more

Mandela Washington Fellowship

Requirements for Mandela Washington Fellowship Qualification

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.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Interested and eligible applicants for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program 2021/2022 are to apply online before the application deadline. Applicants with any question are to contact the Fellowship Team at [email protected].

For more details, visit the website.