Deadline: June 14, 2024
Applications are open for the Impact West Africa Fellowship Program 2024. The Aspen Global Innovators Group, in collaboration with the Senegal-based, international advocacy, public affairs, and campaigns firm Niyel, launched the Impact West Africa Fellowship program.
This initiative aims to elevate the voices of leaders with proximate and lived expertise by providing a fellowship experience that centers the expertise of West African leaders. The inaugural Impact Fellowship program was launched in Senegal in 2023, opening an exciting and unique avenue to develop a new generation of powerful African development advocates, in order to advance Africa’s own development priorities. This program will spotlight advocates from French-speaking and English-speaking West African countries, highlighting West Africa’s Francophone and Anglophone key issues. Fellows will be individuals with a proven passion for advocacy and solid track records in activities related to improving lives and influencing meaningful change across the West African region.
Programme Components
The Impact West Africa Fellowship program equips changemakers from the region with the skills and support needed to tackle common challenges that affect close to half a billion people across the region’s 17 countries. Each Impact Fellow will participate in an intensive 12-month journey to help them advance their individual advocacy goals. Throughout the year-long program, Fellows continue their professional commitments while receiving tailored mentorship, attending two immersive convenings, and participating in quarterly online training sessions between convenings.
Key program details include:
- 2 in-person week-long convenings
- Quarterly virtual trainings
- Professional mentorship support
Cost
- There is no cost to participate in this program. All travel-related costs for the two in-person convenings including airfare, local transportation, lodging, and food will be covered by the fellowship.
- The fellowship does not provide any stipend while participating in the program
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a citizen of and reside in a West African country.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate a passion and commitment for advocacy that addresses one or more key issues affecting the West African region.
- Applicants must have access to reliable internet connection.
- Applicants must be able to participate throughout the entirety of the program.
- Have organizational support, in the form of a letter, to fully engage in the fellowship experience.
Selection Criteria
Impact Fellows will be individuals:
- Who demonstrate a passion and commitment for advocacy that addresses key issues affecting the West African region
- Have a solid track record of using bold, innovative ideas that contribute to improving the lives of the individuals within the communities they serve
- Have a clear vision of how their initiatives will demonstrate impact and transformative change
- Have a proven record of leadership and accomplishment in business or entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and/or public/government service
- Have a strong desire to strengthen their communication skills to advocate for change through storytelling, speaking engagements and written communication
- Have a commitment to use the skills gained from the the fellowship to strengthen their organization and the movements that they serve
- Have demonstrated a commitment to coalition building or have strong collaborative skills
- Have organizational support, in the form of a letter, to fully engage in the fellowship experience
Application
For more information, visit Impact West Africa Fellowship.
