The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that thirty-two young Ghanaian leaders have been selected for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF). This year’s cohort is one of the most diverse groups yet, with a significant representation from the Northern part of Ghana. The Fellows come from various fields such as health, climate change, gender-based violence, child labor, agriculture, STEM, and business.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, professional opportunities, and local community engagement. YALI, supported by the U.S. government, invests in the next generation of African leaders to promote economic growth, democratic governance, and peace and security across Africa. The Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State, managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and implemented by IREX. The program is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2024.
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer emphasized the importance of investing in the youth of Ghana and Africa. She highlighted the demographic trends showing a youthful population in Africa and the significance of people-to-people exchanges in the U.S.-Ghana partnership.
The 32 fellows from Ghana were selected from over 3,000 applications received by the U.S. Embassy Ghana. They will join 700 Mandela Washington Fellows from across Africa at 28 educational institutions in the United States. These fellows were chosen from over 50,000 applications submitted continent-wide.
Upon their return, the 2024 Ghanaian Mandela Washington Fellows will become part of the U.S. exchange alumni network in Ghana. This network collaborates with U.S. and Ghanaian leaders to address public policy challenges in various areas such as health, education, human rights, and women’s empowerment.
The 2024 Ghana Mandela Washington Fellows include:
Name
City-Region
Stephen Abane
Bolgatanga – Upper East
Maxwell Awaafo
Bolgatanga – Upper East
Abdul Majeed Alhassan
Kulungugu – Upper East
Augustine Yeboah
Wa – Upper West
Mohammed Hafiz Yahaya
Wa – Upper West
Dominic Akaateba
Wa – Upper West
Hamza Abdullah
Tamale – Northern
Fatima Issaka
Tamale – Northern
Blessila Kandoh
Tamale – Northern
Fatimata Yakubu
Tamale – Northern
Banasco Seidu
Sawla – Savannah
… (list continues)
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