the mandela washington fellowship
yali.nd.edu
the fellows In 2014 and 2015, 50 Fellows came to Notre Dame representing 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: ANGOLA BURKINA FASO CÔTE D’IVOIRE ETHIOPIA GHANA GUINEA KENYA LIBERIA MALAWI MALI MAURITANIA
MAURITIUS MOZAMBIQUE NAMIBIA NIGER NIGERIA RWANDA SENEGAL SOUTH AFRICA UGANDA ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE
There were nearly 80,000 applications received in 2014 and 2015 by the U.S. Department of State and 1,000 total fellowships awarded. The fellows came to Notre Dame for business and entrepreneurship training, but their areas of focus were diverse: AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AND FINANCE ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MEDICINE, HEALTH, AND WELLBEING LAW MEDIA RELIGION TRAINING AND TEACHING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT YOUTH
yali.nd.edu
One by one, they arrive on Notre Dame’s campus in the middle of June. Exhausted from traveling halfway around the world, they find themselves in the Mendoza College of Business on a bright Monday morning to begin an intensive institute focused on leadership, business, and entrepreneurship. Successful leaders already, this cohort of Mandela Washington Fellows builds new relationships, develops business plans to implement upon their return to Africa, and gains a new perspective that caused one to remark, “I no longer feel a citizen only of my country. I am a citizen of Africa.” Six weeks later, the twenty-five newest members of the Notre Dame family leave for a week in Washington, D.C., followed by an energetic return to their home countries with a new spirit of inspired leadership and practical tools to accomplish impactful, broader goals.
about the fellowship The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI). This bold initiative was launched in 2010 with many programs for young leaders throughout Africa. The inaugural Fellowship was held in the summer of 2014. Through an extensive application process, the U.S. Department of State and local U.S. embassies selected 500 fellows between the ages of 25 and 35, representing 49 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Fellows participate in institutes focused on one main theme: business and entrepreneurship, public management, or civic leadership. They are hosted for six weeks by higher education institutions throughout the country. The University of Notre Dame’s focus is business and entrepreneurship. Notre Dame’s curriculum is peppered with site visits in South Bend, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Chicago, where Fellows visit nonprofit and for-profit business accelerators, start-ups, social enterprises, and long-established companies. Experiential learning and an emphasis on servant leadership occur throughout the institute. Community engagement is an important part of the Fellowship. Throughout the six weeks, the Fellows volunteer at local organizations such as the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Habitat for Humanity, and Unity Gardens. They are also connected with peers who share their experiences and learn from each other. Learning to play baseball, ice skating, and visiting the Lake Michigan shoreline are favorite cultural activities among many others that round out the Fellows’ experience in the U.S. Following their six-week stay, all Fellows travel to Washington, D.C. for a three-day Presidential Summit where they see the nation’s capital, network, and meet government leaders, highlighted by a town hall with President Obama. A smaller group of Fellows are selected for six-week internships in the U.S. following the Summit.
yali.nd.edu
moving forward in africa The Mandela Washington Fellows leave Notre Dame and the United States full of enthusiasm and energy. Back in their home countries, it’s just the beginning. They serve in their communities as mentors, spokespersons, and role models. Many Fellows from different countries continue working together on collaborative ideas generated during the institute. Others use their $25,000 U.S. African Development Foundation grants, applied for and awarded during the Fellowship, to start or boost their entrepreneurial ventures. Fellows also engage with the USAID Regional Leadership Centers in Africa through consulting, teaching, and mentoring some of the 200,000 members of the YALI Network. As the newest members of the Notre Dame family, the Mandela Washington Fellows are our most powerful ambassadors—and Fighting Irish fans—on the continent of Africa. Go Irish!
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Government assisted in its implementation by IREX and colleges and universities in the United States. U.S. Department of State IREX U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF)
The program at the University of Notre Dame is generously supported by: IBM Corporation The Coca-Cola Foundation Bisk Education Capsim
For more information or to support the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Notre Dame, please contact Joya Helmuth at the Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development 940 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 • ndigd.nd.edu • 574 631 2940