By Amanda Hawker
On Monday, 28 July, in the presence of 500 newly selected young
and inspiring leaders from the African continent, President Barack Obama
announced that the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders had been
renamed in honour of Nelson Mandela, who passed away last year. With the newly
renamed Mandela Washington Fellowship, President Obama plans to spearhead a
tangible investment in Africa through growing and nurturing leadership
qualities, skills and networking opportunities in the promising young
candidates.
The 500 fellows were picked from a staggering 50, 000
applicants. Selection criteria was rigorous, with all applicants having to be
between the ages of 25 and 35 years of
age, and have to have proven track records of already being leaders in public,
civic or private organisations. They also have to show a strong community ethic
and be dedicated to sharing their skills and expertise by uplifting and serving
their communities. Under the programme,
the fellows have the opportunity to study at top US universities and the
programme also aims to open regional leadership centres in Kenya, Ghana,
Senegal and South Africa to provide support and leadership training as well as
access to mentorship and capital funding.
The inaugural class of Mandela Washington Fellows is made up
equal numbers of men and women from all 49 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and
provide a wonderfully diverse kaleidoscope of cultures and backgrounds.
It’s no secret that Africa has enormous potential to be a
worldwide economic power. With the rapid growth of the economies of many
countries on the African continent, many Western countries have begun looking
to Africa for new trade opportunities. A global management firm recently
reported that “Nigeria has the potential to be one of the world’s top 20
economies by 2030 with a consumer base exceeding the current populations of
France and Germany.” The US Agency for International Development has also
drummed up financial support for the program’s fellows from private sector
partners such as Boeing, Microsoft, Ethiopian Airlines and Intel, to name a
few.
Obama explained his reasons fro renaming the fellowship in
honour of Mandela, saying it reflected Madiba’s “optimism, his idealism, his
belief in what he called ’the endless heroism of youth.” Obama told the
audience it is “a long-term investment” in Africa and its people.