Are you interested in hosting a young African professional in your workplace?
The Mandela Washington Fellowship offers an enriching opportunity for U.S. businesses, NGOs, and government agencies of all sizes to host a Mandela Washington Fellow for a Professional Development Experience (PDE), either in-person or hybrid format in August and September or virtually from January to March.
The Fellows are established leaders in their communities who are motivated to take their careers and positive impact to the next level and bring fresh knowledge and unique global perspectives to American workplaces. They have several years of experience in a variety of sectors and have brought a great deal of value to their Host Organizations.
The Fellowship Team works with both the Host Organization and the Fellow through an intensive and personalized matching process to ensure that the Fellow’s experience and skills align with the organization’s mission and goals. PDEs have shown that they are mutually beneficial for both the Fellow and the Host Organization.
As a Fellowship PDE host, you will:
- Benefit from having an African professional contribute to your organization with all expenses covered by the Fellowship.
- Collaborate with the Fellowship Team in selecting a Fellow who is well suited for your needs and interests.
- Develop your employees’ professional capacities by mentoring, supervising, or working with a leader from Africa.
- Learn from the Fellow’s unique perspective on your industry in their home country.
- Grow your network by connecting with other Host Organizations in your city and sector.
- Build long-term professional relationships that may lead to future professional collaborations in Africa.
- Gain unique insight into other opportunities offered by the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, including Reciprocal Exchanges offered to American professionals.
Learn more about PDEs.
PDE Success Stories
Read about how PDEs benefit both Fellows and Hosts, and read a couple of examples of how the Fellows contributed to businesses and organizations in the United States:
In-Person PDEs
Before participating in the Fellowship, Refiloehape “Fifi” Sesinyi was a volunteer to help women with disabilities in Lesotho. Using the experience that she gained during her PDE at Austin Lighthouse in Austin, Texas, she was able to start a new job at Vodacom Lesotho Foundation. In this role, she focuses on providing support and assistance to Deaf-Blind individuals with visual impairments, leveraging technology to enhance their quality of life. Learn more about Fifi’s journey.
Offered for the first time in 2023, Fellows may extend their PDE virtually after returning to their home countries. Read about some successful projects and collaborations that took place during the 2023 virtual extension period at Globalstratos, Learning Undefeated, National Endowment for Democracy, and Global Refuge. Learn more about the PDE Virtual Extension here.
Virtual Alumni PDEs
Read about some successful virtual PDEs that took place at Academic Solutions Group, BWJP, The U.S. Green Building Council, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Byte Back during the 2023 Alumni PDE.
In 2022, 30 Fellowship Alumni successfully completed PDEs virtually. Learn more about some of the impactful projects that took place at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, The King Center, Curious Learning, White Ribbon Alliance, and New Mexico State University.
The virtual format of the PDE allows for greater flexibility…. It also enables the Fellow to take what they’ve learned and make an impact in their immediate community setting. Furthermore, the future of work will require adapting to the virtual space, thus, the virtual [PDE] helps to prepare the Fellows for this reality.”
Host Supervisor, The King Center
Would you like to participate in this collaborative exchange opportunity by hosting a young African professional at your business or organization? Would you like to learn more about PDEs and how they will benefit you and your colleagues? Please contact the Mandela Washington Fellowship Team at MWFellowship@irex.org.