A Journey Three Years in the Making | Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Author: Maegen Smith

On July 16, nearly 200 young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa arrived in the United States, and while it is certainly impressive to bring exchange participants to the United States during a pandemic, their arrival felt particularly special. This cohort applied for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in 2019; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their program was conducted virtually in 2021, with select alumni of the cohort only now traveling to the United States for an in-person exchange experience.

 The Alumni Enrichment Institutes were a unique opportunity for 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni to travel to the United States to collaborate for three weeks with U.S. counterparts and each other to continue building the professional and leadership skills they developed during their virtual 2021 Leadership Institutes. Following welcome activities in Washington, D.C., they spent two weeks in cohorts of 25 participants at their Alumni Enrichment Institutes located across the United States.  

As the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield noted during her remarks to the fellows on July 18, the 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship cohort “has embodied resilience in a way that we have never seen before.” Through their virtual program, Fellows engaged with Leadership Institute staff, participated in academic sessions with university professors, and connected with counterparts in the United States and across Sub-Saharan Africa. Many of the participants traveled to the United States for the first time to share best practices and experience U.S. culture as part of the Alumni Enrichment Institutes.

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Assistant Secretary Lee Satterfield encouraged participants to make the most of the three-week program. Photo Credit: IREX

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee addressed the group as well in Washington, D.C., and emphasized the importance of partnership in a world connected by health, climate change, governance, and security concerns. Assistant Secretary Phee noted that the Alumni Enrichment Institute participants are “really the way in which we can take this idea of partnership and interconnectedness forward. That’s why we’re investing in you and so delighted to see you invest in one another.” The fellows’ “communication across country boundaries is going to be so important in lifting Africa up in the future”. Africa’s gains contribute to global prosperity, and the youth of Africa will be the driving force.

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Assistant Secretary Molly Phee met with participants during the welcome activities in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: IREX

The Mandela Washington Fellowship and its Alumni Enrichment Institutes are examples of how the United States invests in Africa’s present and future. During their program, participants engaged with one of eight university partners throughout the United States. From Seattle, Washington to Austin, Texas, they participated in experiential and discussion-based learning and joined in community service activities and networking. They also gained a deeper understanding of U.S. culture, society, and values firsthand.

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Participants hosted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst had a networking reception with local community members. Photo Credit: IREX

This investment in Africa’s present and future can have immediate impacts on Fellowship alumni and U.S. business leaders. Since the Fellowship’s inception, alumni have reported that they received a job promotion after the program because their employer recognized their unique potential. Who will the Mandela Washington Fellowship tap next as the most promising and accomplished young leaders in Africa? Through the Reciprocal Exchange, alumni can also invite U.S. business and organizational leaders they met during the program to travel to their home country to implement a project.

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Participants hosted by California State University, Dominguez Hills met with U.S. Representative Karen Bass in Carson, California. Photo Credit: IREX

Throughout the welcome week activities, participants repeatedly expressed their gratitude for how “intentionally intentional” the U.S. Department of State, IREX, embassies, and consulates have been throughout the last three years to meet the needs of the cohort. In turn, the alumni will be intentional at home and will use this opportunity to advance their work in business, civic engagement, or public management.

The Alumni Enrichment Institutes were a follow-on opportunity of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  YALI was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.  Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported nearly 5,800 Mandela Washington fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaboration with U.S. professionals. 

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX.   