Preparing Deaf Fellows for Success
Since 2017, the Fellowship has partnered with Gallaudet University to help Deaf Fellows strengthen their ASL skills and get ready for their Fellowships.
Learn MoreA Program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Official website of the U.S. Department of State's Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
Since 2017, the Fellowship has partnered with Gallaudet University to help Deaf Fellows strengthen their ASL skills and get ready for their Fellowships.
Learn MoreAmerican Ryan Taylor and 2016 Alumnus Paul Nkumbula collaborated on a project to bring electricity to rural villages in northern Zambia.
Learn MoreLearn how the University of Iowa arranged last-minute summer work experiences for their undergraduate and graduate students with Fellowship Alumni.
Learn MoreHow Indiana entrepreneur Scott Massey utilized networks he developed in Togo and Cameroon during Reciprocal Exchanges to fight food insecurity.
Learn MoreSince the inception of the Fellowship, disability inclusion has been a high priority, with 5% of the Fellowship’s nearly 4,400 Alumni self-identifying as having a disability.
Learn MoreThe Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). YALI was created in 2010 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020. Established in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship has brought nearly 4,400 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. The Fellows, between the ages of 25 and 35, are accomplished innovators and leaders in their communities and countries.
Learn MoreThe Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.
Congratulations to N'zani Kassim Zani, 2019 Fellowship Alumna from Kenya, on her organization the Hijabi Mentorship Program recently being awarded a $50,000 grant from the Gates Foundation, which will allow...
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March 24, 2021
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“I believe that the Mandela Washington Fellowship has made me a stronger and better leader and has challenged me to think outside the box… There can only be more, bigger, and better to come from me, my fellow Fellows, and the continent of Africa as a whole.”
– Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumuna
The application period for the 2020 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders has closed. Check out the 2020 Fellowship Application timeline and process, eligibility information, and more by clicking here. We can't wait to meet the next Mandela Washington Fellows!
Learn moreApplication closed
Application review
Semifinalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates
Applicants are notified of their status
Finalist visa processing and Pre-Departure Orientations
Fellowship begins in the United States
Including Fellows, Reciprocal Exchange Participants, and U.S. Partners
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