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 MoreImproving Energy Access in Rural Zambia
American Ryan Taylor and 2016 Alumnus Paul Nkumbula collaborated on a project to bring electricity to rural villages in northern Zambia.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurs in Africa Save the Day for Iowa Interns
Learn how the University of Iowa arranged last-minute summer work experiences for their undergraduate and graduate students with Fellowship Alumni.
Learn MorePromoting Food Security Through Hydroponics
How Indiana entrepreneur Scott Massey utilized networks he developed in Togo and Cameroon during Reciprocal Exchanges to fight food insecurity.
Learn MoreCelebrating #ADA30
Since 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 MoreABOUT US
The 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 MoreBUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The 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.
Program Impact
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49
?Sub-Saharan African CountriesFellows have come from all 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. -
4,400
?Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni NetworkSince 2014, nearly 4,400 Fellowship Alumni have completed the program. -
2,300
?Companies and Organziations EngagedSince 2014, the program has engaged more than 2,300 institutions from the private, nonprofit, governmental, and multilateral sectors across the United States during Institutes, PDEs, Reciprocal Exchanges, and the Summit. -
39,000
?Hours of Support Dedicated to U.S. CommunitiesSince 2016, Fellows have dedicated more than 39,000 hours of service to support U.S. communities during their Leadership Institutes.
Stories
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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News
Host a Fellow for the Virtual 2021 Professional Development Experience
March 24, 2021
Videos
USADF Grants Management Panel Discussion
March 11, 2021
How are you contributing to the next generation of African Leaders?
“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 more-
October 9, 2019
Application closed
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Oct - Nov 2019
Application review
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Dec 2019 - Feb 2020
Semifinalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates
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Late March 2020
Applicants are notified of their status
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May 2020
Finalist visa processing and Pre-Departure Orientations
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Mid-June 2020
Fellowship begins in the United States
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Including Fellows, Reciprocal Exchange Participants, and U.S. Partners
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