Deadline: January 15, 2013
Application process for 2013 Fellowships now open!
Akili Dada is an international award-winning leadership incubator nurturing a generation of
young African women from underprivileged backgrounds whose commitment to the underserved
is transforming their communities. Our leadership development curriculum creates the
foundation on which young women ages 13-35 build their skills and earn the essential
qualifications they need to access key decision-making roles and leadership positions. By
selecting from and building the capacity of some of Africa’s most innovative young women
change-makers, we are meeting the urgent need for both more African women in leadership, as
well as the overall need for transformative leadership across the continent.
The Akili Dada Fellowship:
To be launched in January 2013, the Akili Dada Fellowship program is an opportunity for African women to design and implement solutions to the challenges faced by their communities.
These one-year fellowships (renewable for up to 3 years) will be awarded to young women
leaders between the ages of 17-35 who are driving transformative change in their communities
and are looking to grow their projects to scale and sustainability.
Fellows will be selected on the basis of the strength of their social change project, previous
leadership initiative, willingness to learn from peers and more experienced mentors, and the
ability to share their skills with peers and intended project beneficiaries. All fellows will need to
have deep roots in the communities they seek to transform and be from economically
disadvantaged backgrounds. In order to reach out to young women who may not have had access
to formal education, selection will not be based on past academic performance. Applications
from young women engaged in social entrepreneurship are encouraged.
Akili Dada fellows will benefit from a modest stipend for the duration of the fellowship, a series
of seminars from experts in the field, site visits to successful social entrepreneurship
organizations, an assigned mentor, access to the Akili Dada network of funding partners and
social change agents, and access to Akili Dada’s office facilities. By the completion of the
program we expect fellows to possess the skills and resources required to lead a strong, healthy,
sustainable, and accountable organization that is bringing about measureable social change.
Qualification Requirements:
1. Be a woman between the ages of 17-35.
2. Be from an economically disadvantaged background.
3. Demonstrate previous leadership initiative and experience.
4. Be implementing or in the process of conceptualizing a social change project aimed at
providing a solution to an identified challenge in their community. (3 page proposal
expected with the application)
5. Demonstrate that they have deep roots in the communities they seek to transform.
Applicants are expected to submit the following:
1. Complete Application Form.
2. A proposal that answers all the questions included in the application form.
3. Two Letters of Recommendation from individuals well acquainted with you, your
commitment to social change work, your demonstrated leadership initiative and
experience, and your connection to the community where you intend to implement your
fellowship project.
HOW TO APPLY
Send your completed application via e-mail to [email protected] by Tuesday, 15th
January, 2013. Your proposal and letters of recommendation may be scanned and sent as e-mail
attachments, or may be mailed separately.
If you choose to mail a hard copy to Akili Dada, use the following address:
Kavinya E. Makau
Director-Innovation in Leadership Program
Akili Dada
P.O Box 27847-00100
Nairobi-Kenya
For more information, click here.
