For the fourth year in a row, Drake University is proud to announce that it has been selected as an institute partner for the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
Drake will host 25 of Africa’s brightest, emerging business and entrepreneurship leaders for a six-week Leadership Institute beginning mid-June. The Institute is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Fellows are a part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). The Fellowship seeks to empower young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, network, professional opportunities, and local community engagement.
Drake first became involved with The Mandela Washington Fellowship program under the encouragement and guidance of former U.S. Ambassador Johnnie Carson, a Drake University alumnus and senior advisor with the United States Institute of Peace. Carson, a member of the Drake University Board of Trustees, has continued to be a guiding force in the program at Drake.
“Welcoming these young professionals from across sub-Saharan Africa to Drake for the past three years has been transformative,” said Annique Kiel, executive director of global engagement and international programs at Drake. “They are superstars. We were delighted to once again be selected as a host institute, and are so eager to welcome the next cohort to our campus community in June.”
The 25 fellows that Drake will host come from a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 27 institutions from across the United States. Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has supported 3,700 young leaders from 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa to develop their leadership skills and foster connections and collaborations with U.S. professionals.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and working closely with its implementing partner, IREX, host institutions will offer leadership programs that will challenge, motivate, and empower these inspiring young leaders from Africa.
In past years, Fellows visited with representatives from community partner organizations including:
Bankers Trust
Camp Dodge
City of Des Moines
City of Manning
Des Moines Public Library
Des Moines University
Des Moines Water Works
DuPont Pioneer
Greater Des Moines Partnership
Iowa Chapter of Entrepreneurship Organization
Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Blank Children’s Hospital
Iowa State Capitol
John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center
KCCI
Kemin Industries
Kuder, Inc.
Principal Financial Group
Rotary Clubs of Des Moines
Square One and Global Insurance Accelerator
Waste Water Reclamation Authority
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
World Food Prize
And these elected officials:
United States Congressman David Young, representing Iowa’s 3rd congressional district
The Office of Secretary of State Paul Pate
Mayor Franklin Cownie – City of Des Moines
Mayor Harvey Dales – City of Manning
Fellows gave back to the community through service opportunities with:
Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa
City of Manning, Iowa
Habitat for Humanity
Lutheran Services of Iowa – Global Greens and Community Gardens
Meals from the Heartland
Members of the public will be invited to a welcome reception for the fellows at Drake University in mid-June; the time and location will be announced at a future date.
For additional information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship Institute at Drake University, contact Lance Noe at 515-271-2008 or lance.noe@drake.edu.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit http://yali.state.gov/mwf and join the conversation at #YALI2019.
