About Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (mandela). The Fellowship was launched in 2010 to further advance young African leaders as they incite progress and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance and boost peace and security across Africa. Beginning the summer of 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship has brought young African leaders to the United States for academic coursework and leadership training. The program creates exclusive prospects in Africa for Fellows to implement their new skills in leading organizations, communities and countries.

Since 2014, two thousand young African leaders from every country in Sub Saharan Africa have participated as Fellows in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Selected from 120,000 applications over the course of three years, the Mandela Washington Fellows represent the extraordinary promise of an emerging generation of entrepreneurs, activists, and public officials. Mandela Washington Fellows have proven track records of leadership and demonstrate a strong commitment to contributing their skills and talents to strengthening and serving their communities.

The Mandela Washington Fellows' training in the U.S. can be seen as a long-term investment in these exceptional young leaders. The mandela network offers continuing opportunities for networking, professional development, and seed funding for entrepreneurs and community service after the 6-week Institute in the Fellows' home countries. Fellows have access to improvement seminars, local and regional networking events, and an online platform for future collaborations.

U.S Based Activities

Leadership Institutes: Each year, the Fellows participate in six-week Leadership Institutes, studying Business, Civic Engagement, or Public Management at U.S. colleges or universities. During their time on campus, Fellows connect with Americans and enrich local U.S. communities while sharing best practices.  

Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit: After the Institutes, Fellows convene for a multi-day Summit in Washington, D.C., where they forge connections with one another and U.S. leaders from the private, public, and non-profit sectors, setting the stage for long-term engagement between the United States and Africa.

Professional Development Experience: Following the Summit, a group of competitively-selected Fellows remains in the United States for four weeks to work with private, public, and non-profit organizations. Both Fellows and Hosts benefit from discussing shared issues and challenges in their sectors, broadening their perspectives, and positioning U.S. organizations for international engagement. 

Reciprocal Exchanges: Americans have the opportunity to apply to travel to Africa to collaborate on projects with Fellows, building upon connections initiated while Fellows were in the United States. These partnerships and professional connections are intended to form lasting relationships, expand markets and networks, and increase mutual understanding. 

Opportunities for Alumni: Upon returning home, Fellows continue to build on the skills and connections developed during their time in the United States through access to ongoing professional development, networking, and collaboration opportunities with support from the U.S. Department of State and affiliated partners. 

Fellows visit the Lubbock County Detention Center

The Program at Texas Tech 

Texas Tech University has received a grant from the U.S. Department of State to train young African leadersin a leadership in public management. After a competitive proposal process, TTU is one of just 27 U.S. colleges and universities chosen for the program.

The grant positions Texas Tech to serve as a host institution for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders program. Faculty and staff from several areas, including the Office of International Affairs, the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Department of Nutrition, and the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, are involved in the public management institute.

TTU is also partnering with various NGO's, along with local leaders in the community, to provide the Fellows with unique and extensive volunteer activities and service projects. The Fellows will be introduced to U.S. models and best practices through a broad mix of leadership development and academic activities, such as classroom sessions, panel discussions, and site visits.

 2022 Fellow Ether Bulya volunteers at 
the Lubbock South Plains Grub Farm

To learn more about the Fellowship visit their website here.