Starting today, NewsDay’s AMH Voices will profile some of the 60 Zimbabwean youth leaders selected to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders starting in mid-June. The fellows met United States Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. at a reception at his residence on May 20. The event was punctuated by music, dance and poetry, but also gave previous fellows of the program the opportunity to share their experiences with the new fellows.
The American diplomat challenged the 60 young Zimbabwean leaders to emulate the previous Fellows and make their mark to “generate innovation and entrepreneurship and fuel a respect for diversity and mutual understanding.”
“We have devoted so much energy to this program because, even as Zimbabwe continues to confront many challenges, it is a dynamic country with a bright future ahead of it,” said Ambassador Thomas Jr. He added: “Young people like you are the drivers of progress in this country. This program offers an opportunity for us to help you access the resources, the training, and the networks that you need to become the next generation of leaders.”
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a President Obama initiative that honors its namesake, Nelson Madiba Mandela, by forging bonds between the United States and the self-identified future leaders from Africa. The last two years of the fellowship – and I think you alumni will agree with me – were an overwhelming success.
The 60 Zimbabwean young leaders will be among 1,000 Mandela Washington Fellows traveling from across Africa to the United States in mid-June for a six-week program of leadership training, academic coursework, and mentoring.
The participants were chosen through a highly competitive application process with more than 1,600 candidates who submitted applications for selection for the program. The participants include 31 males and 29 females. 19 participants are resident outside Harare, and three participants are young leaders with disabilities.
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The program is designed to explore and develop skills that young people need to better serve their communities. Each Fellow will be placed at a U.S. university to concentrate on one of three tracks: business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management. Fellows will also have opportunities to meet with local and U.S. government, civic, and business leaders.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders started in 2014. Since then, 60 Zimbabwean young leaders from diverse sectors, including business, civil society and the media, have participated in the program. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, the Fellows continue to build upon the skills they developed during their time in the United States through support from the Embassy; the Regional Leadership Center in South Africa, and the YALI Network. Through these experiences, Mandela Washington Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking and training, and competitive seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.- ZimPAS © June 1, 2016
