Summit Prepares Young Leaders for Next Chapter

My favorite part of the Fellowship was learning about my weaknesses. I used to wonder why I had plans that wouldn’t go through. [Through the Fellowship] I learned about how to strengthen my organization, manage my anxieties, and how I want to change the world as a leader.”

Lensa Dorothy Joseph, 2021 Fellowship Alumna, Kenya

The Fellowship cultivates the next generation of leaders in fields such as civil rights, youth empowerment, climate change, gender equality, poverty eradication, and public health, and is an integral part of the relationship between the United States and the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. To build connections and foster collaboration, academic experts, local public servants, and business and civil society leaders from the United States networked with Fellows during the program and at the Summit.

This engagement enriches the exchange experience for Fellows, and can also lead to new opportunities for Americans:

The experience of working with young leaders across Africa was instrumental in shaping the vision and model of our business in our early years, which operates on the continent… Fellows have been a part of our story at every turn, from leading country operations to advising our work with smallholders, women, and youth.”

Josh Shefner, Founder and CEO, Agricycle Global, and 2019 Reciprocal Exchange Participant

Learn more about the Summit in this news story and this piece from the U.S. Department of State’s DipNote blog.