Applications for 2023 LINC Grants are Now Open
Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Grants provide Fellowship Alumni with funding for professional collaboration with others in the Alumni Network.
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
Leveraging Innovations in New Communities (LINC) Grants provide Fellowship Alumni with funding for professional collaboration with others in the Alumni Network.
Learn MoreThe Fellowship’s Reciprocal Exchange component supports collaborative projects between U.S. professionals and Fellowship Alumni in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Learn MoreThe U.S. Department of State and IREX are pleased to announce the 28 U.S. educational institutions selected to host 700 Mandela Washington Fellows in summer 2023.
Learn MoreAlongside the UN General Assembly, Fellowship Alumni and members of the Fellowship Network hosted and attended events to connect and accelerate progress toward pressing global issues.
Learn MoreLearn how 2021 Fellowship Alumna Rhoda Wedam is making a difference in northern Ghana.
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 5,800 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.
2021 Fellowship Alumnus Abdallah Mabrouck and his team, Ayubu Mundekesye and Kelvin Mwise, are Mandela Washington Fellowship Catalyst Grant winners.
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March 22, 2023
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February 1, 2023
“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 Alumna
Learn more about the 2023 Fellowship selection timeline and process, eligibility information, and more. We can't wait to meet the next Mandela Washington Fellows!
Learn moreApplication Closed
Semifinalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates
Applicants are notified of their status
Finalist visa processing and Pre-Fellowship Orientations
Fellowship begins in the United States
Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit
Including Fellows, Reciprocal Exchange Participants, and U.S. Partners
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