U.S. Government Accepting Applications for YALI 2015 Mandela Washington Fellowship

{ {{Kigali}} – The U.S. Government is now accepting applications for the Summer 2015 Mandela Washington Fellowship and invites young Rwandan leaders to apply for this exciting opportunity. Qualified applicants should be between the ages of 25 and 35 and fully proficient in English. The online application process opens today, October 7, and must be completed by November 5. Full eligibility requirements and application details may be found at: http://youngafricanleaders.state.gov. }

The fellowship will bring 500 of Africa’s most promising young leaders to top U.S. universities for a six-week academic and leadership institute in one of three areas: business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, or public management. It will also provide unique opportunities for participants to build relationships with one another and with American peers and mentors, and to gain the skills they need to advance their careers and contribute more robustly to strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.

Fellows will interact with President Obama at a presidential summit in Washington, D.C., meet with U.S. government, civic, and business leaders, and have the chance to expand their business or project through access to millions of dollars of small grant funding.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies the U.S. commitment to invest in the future of Africa. The first class of Mandela Washington Fellows arrived in June 2014 and included six young Rwandan leaders representing fields including communications, women’s health, fashion design, and business development.