ACCRA, Ghana, October 22, 2015/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The U.S. Embassy in Accra encourages accomplished young Ghanaians aged 25-35 to apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Applications are being accepted until November 11, 2015.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). In 2016, the Fellowship will provide 1,000 outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. higher education institution with support for professional development after they return home.
Each Mandela Washington Fellow takes part in a six-week academic and leadership Institute at a U.S. university or college in one of three tracks: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, or Public Management. In 2016, there will be a pilot institute on energy.
Following the academic component of the Fellowship, participants visit Washington, D.C., for a Presidential Summit featuring a town hall with President Obama. During the three-day event, Fellows take part in networking and panel discussions with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Upon returning to Ghana, Fellows will continue to build the skills they have developed during their time in the United States through support from the U.S. Embassy, the YALI Regional Leadership Center in Accra, the YALI Network, and customized programming from USAID and affiliated partners. Mandela Washington Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking and training, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.
To apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit https://youngafricanleaders.state.gov.
Members of the media are encouraged to contact the Embassy regarding interviews with the U.S. diplomats managing the Mandela Washington Fellowship and with Ghanaians who participated in the 2015 program.
