The 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship program selected five candidates from Gabon and three from Sao Tome and Principe. The group of eight young leaders join 700 from across Africa to participate in this prestigious program.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
The Mandela Washington Fellows take part in a six-week academic residency in a Leadership Institute focusing on Entrepreneurship, Civic Education and Public Management. U.S. educational institutions across America host the residency, where the fellows share their leadership skills and network with other young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States.
After the academic residency, the fellows will travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in a three-day Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit where they interact with U.S. leaders in business, government, and the non-profit sector.
In addition, a small number of Fellows will remain in the United States for additional professional development experiences at U.S. companies, non-profit organizations, or government agencies. The Fellows also receive support for professional development after they return home.
Chargé Samuel Watson met with the group before their departure to congratulate them on the Fellowship and encourage them to return with new insights and connections to promote innovation and have a positive impact in their organizations, institutions, communities and in Gabon and Sao Tome & Principe.
