The U.S. government is committed to empowering the next generation of African leaders who will shape the future of business, civic leadership, and public management in Madagascar and Comoros.

The U.S. Embassy in Madagascar and Comoros announced the opening of the application process for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders this week. The fellowship is the flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and epitomizes the U.S. Government’s support for young Africans as they promote economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.

Each year, U.S. embassies across Sub-Saharan Africa select accomplished leaders with established records of promoting innovation and positive impact in their countries to take part in this fellowship.  Since 2014, 127 young leaders from Madagascar and Comoros have benefitted from the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Finalists will participate in six-week leadership institutes, studying business, civic engagement, and public management at different U.S. universities with 700 of their peers from all over sub-Saharan Africa. During the final week of the program, fellows will meet with Sub-Saharan YALI counterparts in Washington D.C. and take part in a leadership summit featuring top U.S. government officials and private sector leaders.

Upon completion of the program, fellows continue to build their skills with support from the U.S. Department of State through U.S. embassies and affiliated partners. Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking, training, community service, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.

For more information on the fellowship, including details on the application process and selection criteria, young leaders should visit mwfellows.info/apply .

The time-limited application period closes on September 12, 2023.