US selects 32 Ghanaians for 2024 Mandela Washington fellowship

The United States has selected thirty-two young Ghanaian leaders for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF).

According to the statement released by the US Embassy to Ghana on Monday, stating that this year’s cohort is among one of the most diverse groups yet with significant representation from the Northern part of Ghana.

The 32 fellows from Ghana were selected from over 3,000 applications received by U.S. Embassy Ghana and will be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States, fellows were selected from a pool of over 50,000 applications submitted across the continent.

It revealed that the Fellows come from a variety and range of fields, focused on health, climate change, combatting gender-based violence and child labor, supporting the agricultural sector and STEM, and strengthening the business sector.

U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia E. Palmer at a reception for this year’s cohort emphasized the reason behind the U.S. investment in Ghana’s and Africa’s youth.

Adding that Sub-Saharan Africa is a major force for the future and in the next couple of years, virtually half the population will be under the age of 25, and by 2050, one of four people on this planet will be from Africa.  
“The role of people-to-people exchanges is an important part of the rich and historical U.S.-Ghana partnership.  Our partnership extends well beyond government, to include civil society and NGOs, the private sector, and citizens more broadly”, he said.

Ambassador Palmer expected this cohort to continue the trend of promoting innovation and making positive impact in communities and Ghana long after these fellows complete their six-week Fellowship in the United States.

It stated further that when return, the 2024 Ghanaian Mandela Washington Fellows will join more than 3,500 strong U.S. exchange alumni network in Ghana. 
This network actively engages with U.S. and Ghanaian leaders to develop community- based solutions to public policy challenges, including in health, education, human rights, women’s empowerment, and other critical areas.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders via academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. 

YALI, the U.S. government’s signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders, supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. 

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State, designed and managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and implemented by IREX and this Washington Fellowship is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024.