Mandela Washington Fellowship 2025 for Young Africans

The U.S. Government and IREX are thrilled to welcome applications from suitably qualified African students for the six-week Mandela Washington Fellowship 2025 for Young Africans happening at the Leadership Institute at a U.S. college or university.

The Fellowship will raise 700 young leaders to the United States for an executive program that is built to energize young fellows to be a great leader in their various sectors and communities.

The Fellowship is a core program for the Young African Leaders Initiative by the United States government. In the summer of 2025, the Fellowship will gather up to 700 young leaders in the United States to participate in the rich executive-style program aimed at enhancing the competencies and leadership potential of the Fellows for further effective performance in addressing the challenges in the sector and society.

Fellowship Summary:

Fellowship Sponsor(s): U.S. Government and IREX

Host Institution(s): Not specified

Number of Awards: Several

Study Level: All study levels

Fellowship Duration: 6 weeks

Nationality: Africa

Requirements and Eligibility Criteria Mandela Washington Fellowship 2025 for Young Africans

Are between the ages of 25 and 35 as of the application deadline (September 10, 2024), although exceptional applicants ages 21-24 may be considered;
Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States;
Are eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa;
Are not employees or immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, or siblings) of employees of the U.S. Government (including a U.S. embassy or consulate, USAID, or other U.S. Government entity);
Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English (additional guidance coming for applicants who are deaf);
Are citizens of one of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe;
Are residents of one of the above countries and will be permanently residing there as of May 1, 2025 and at the beginning of the Fellowship in June 2025; and
Are not Alumni or prior participants of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Language Proficiency:

Proficient in English (additional guidance available for deaf applicants).
Citizenship/Residency: Must be a citizen and resident of an eligible African country.
Fellowship Status: Not a previous Mandela Washington Fellowship alumnus.

Application Procedures for Mandela Washington Fellowship 2025 for Young Africans (How to apply);

If you’re interested in applying for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (YALI Fellowship) Program 2025, make sure to complete your application through the online portal before the deadline.

After the deadline, independent readers will review all eligible applications. Following this review, chosen semi-finalists will be interviewed by the U.S. embassies or consulates in their home countries. Selected semi-finalists will be required to participate in these in-person interviews in their home country within Africa

Application Timeline

Application deadline: September 10, 2024
Semi-finalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates: November 2024 – January 2025
Applicants notified of their status: March 2025
Visa processing and Pre-Departure Orientations for Finalists: May 2025
Fellowship begins in the United States: June 2025

For more information about this opportunity, Visit the Official Webpage.