Deadline: December 23, 2017
The Hands Along the Nile Professional Fellows Program 2017 seeks applicants for a two-way exchange program that will focus on NGOs development for organizations working in the field of improving the status of the disabled. The program aims to strengthen the leadership capacity and professional skills of mid-level professionals from Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia working in NGOs dedicated to promoting the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Selected participants will take part in a US-based exchange program from May 1 to June 2, 2017, where they will be placed in fellowships with local organizations in greater Washington DC area, Chicago, IL and Seattle, WA. Fellows will also attend the Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, DC, where they will be able to meet fellow participants from around the world.
Cost
- All travel, accommodation, and food costs for participants will be covered by the program, as well as local transportation costs and fees for educational and cultural visits;
- The program will also provide participants with health insurance and a J-1 visa to travel to the US.
Eligibility
- Open to mid-level NGO professionals from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt who are working to promote the empowerment and inclusion of the disabled in their societies;
- Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 40;
- They should have completed university level education;
- English proficiency is mandatory. Participants should have very strong English reading, writing, and speaking skills;
- Prospective participants should have at least three years of demonstrated involvement with activities promoting the empowerment of the disabled in their societies, as well as an interest in employing new mechanisms to advance such work and be affiliated with registered NGO in their country;
- Candidates must demonstrate long-term thoughtfulness about the inclusion and participation of the disabled in their societies. The application will ask candidates to submit an essay showing their understanding of the importance of the empowerment of persons with disabilities, their own plans for addressing this issue after the exchange, and an awareness of the current challenges of promoting such activities, as well as the replicable successes already achieved in their home country;
- Long-term commitment to the program that extends beyond the official end-date;
- Applicants must be able to supply two letters of recommendation;
- Applicants must possess a valid passport for travel with an expiration date that does not fall before the dates of required travel.
Application Process
Download the application form and send it via mail to [email protected] by the application deadline.
Program Schedule
- May 1-28, 2017: Fellowship exchange program;
- May 29 – June 2, 2017: Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, DC;
- Winter 2018: Exchange programs in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia
If you have any questions, please email Ivana Smucker at [email protected].
For more information, visit Hands Along the Nile Professional Fellows Program.
