The Rotary Club of Plattsburgh Sunrise is pleased to announce that it has been selected to host Jean Claude Mbonigaba Fellow from Rwanda in the Professional Development Experience (PDE) component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders from January 31 to March 11, 2022, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.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 was created in 2010 and supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa. Since 2014, nearly 5,100 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and with the health, safety, and well-being of Fellows and Partners as the highest priority, the Mandela Washington Fellowship was conducted virtually in 2021. Fellowship Alumni have been competitively selected to take part in the spring 2022 PDEs – six-week virtual professional placements with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies. PDEs allow Fellows to learn and grow as young professionals while providing enriching opportunities for U.S. organizations to participate in collaborative exchanges.
The Sunrise Rotary Club’s International Service Committee will collaborate with Jean Claude to enhance youth participation in community organizations in Rwanda.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For more information about the Mandela Washington Fellowship, visit mandelawashingtonfellowship.org and join the conversation at #YALI2021.
Press inquiries should be directed to ECA-Press@state.gov.