U.S. Embassy Cotonou is proud to announce that Eleven participants from Benin have been selected to participate in the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
Launched in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies the U.S. commitment to invest in the future of Africa. 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, nearly 5,800 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Twenty-eight U.S. educational institutions in 20 states and the District of Columbia will host Leadership Institutes for approximately 700 Mandela Washington Fellows. The six-week Institutes, hosted by college and university campuses across the United States, will support the development of Fellows’ leadership skills through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with members of the local community.
U.S. Embassy Cotonou is proud to announce that the following leaders will participate in the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship: Fifanantin ADOGLO, Maya DOHOU, Bignon Priscille DOSSOU, Severin EKPE, Mahounou Sother Aime GBEDE, Jonathan KALEY, Enagnon Parsifal LOGBO, Olayinde MOUTAIROU, Olukayode OLOFINDJI, Issa SAIZONOU, Frejus ZINSOU.
After their Leadership Institutes, Fellows will participate in the Summit Washington, D.C. Additionally, up to 100 competitively selected Fellows will virtually engage in professional development with U.S. organizations in the public, private, or non-profit sector. Fellows can participate in Alumni Programming after their Fellowships to further build their professional skills and networks.
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. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org.
