Program Overview:

The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of the
U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). Established in 2014, the Fellowship has brought nearly 7,800 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training. During the Fellowship, the Fellows participate in six-week Leadership Institutes hosted by U.S.
colleges or universities. Throughout the Institutes, Fellows enrich local U.S. communities while sharing best practices.

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Eligibility: 

The Fellowship is open to young African leaders who meet the following criteria:

● Are between the ages of 25 and 35 as of the application deadline (October 13, 2026), 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 or other U.S. Government entity);
● Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English (applicants who are deaf should refer to the English Language instructions below);
● Are citizens of one of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the  Congo, 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 February 1, 2027, and at the beginning of the Fellowship in June 2027; 

● Are not alumni or prior participants of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Please note that Fellows are not allowed to have dependents, including spouses and children, accompany them during the Fellowship.

 

Benefits:

● J-1 visa support;
● Round-trip travel from Fellow’s home city to the United States and domestic U.S.
travel as required by the program.

● Fellows must depart from their country of residence within an eligible Fellowship country in Africa to the United States;

● A six-week institute;
● A limited accident and sickness benefit plan;
● Housing and meals during the program; 
● An optional four-week Professional Development Experience (for up to 50 Fellows).

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​​​​​​Important Dates (s): ​​​​

 

The Application is Open NOW!!!
Application Deadline: October 13, 2026

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