Mandela Washington Fellowship Applications 2023 Now Open

The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar and Comoros announced the opening of the application process for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders this week. The Fellowship is the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Since 2014, 88 young leaders from Madagascar and 24 from Comoros have participated in this prestigious program. Applications are accepted from emerging leaders ages 25 to 35 with established records of promoting innovation and positive impact in their communities and countries.

“I gained a lot from Mandela Washington Fellowship (…) I will use the knowledge, lessons learned and best practices to improve my work, to develop my association, (…) to inspire and empower youth in my community, and to strengthen the leadership skills of the members of my association.” Kimmerling Razafindrina, a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow, explained.

Each year, the Fellows participate in a six-week leadership program, studying Business, Civic Engagement, orPublic Management at U.S. colleges or universities. This leadership training is followed by a summit in Washington, D.C. where Fellows forge connections with U.S. leaders from the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Following the summit, a group of competitively selected Fellows will remain in the United States for four additional weeks to work with private, public, and non-profit organizations.

Upon returning to their home countries, Fellows continue to build their skills with support from the U.S. Department of State through U.S. embassies and affiliated partners. Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking, and training, community service, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.

For more information on the Fellowship, including details on the application process and selection criteria, young leaders should visit mwfellows.info/apply . The time-limited application period closes on September 13.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.