Thirty-two Ghanaian youth have been nominated for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship taking place in the United States.
They were selected from over 3,000 applications received by U.S. Embassy in Ghana from the diverse regions across the country with significant representation from the Northern part of Ghana.
From the Upper East, the Embassy selected Stephen Abane, Maxwell Awaafo, Abdul Majeed Alhassan.
Augustine Yeboah, Mohammed Hafiz Yahaya and Dominic Akaateba would represent the Upper West region.
Those selected from the Northern region were Hamza Abdullah, Fatima Issaka, Blessila Kandoh and Fatimata Yakubu.
Banasco Seidu, Adams Ewura Karim and Reagan Masud would represent the Savannah region while the Bono region would be represented by John Baptist Kabo-Bah, Aja Anatu Mohammed and Joseph Obeng-Asante.
Prince Agbata, Isaac Brenya, Brian Dzansi, Richard Siaw, Felix Appiah were selected to represent the Greater Accra region.
The regions with just one representation were Volta, Victor Loglo, Kuma
si, Philip Baba and Bono East, Huda Ibrahim.
The cohort were selected from variety of fields including health, climate change, combatting gender-based violence and child labor, supporting the agricultural sector and STEM, and strengthening the business sector.
They would be part of a group of 700 Mandela Washington Fellows hosted at 28 educational institutions across the United States.
When they return, they will join the more than 3,500 strong U.S. exchange alumni network in Ghana to develop community-based solutions to public policy challenges in health, education, human rights, women’s empowerment, and other critical areas.
Madam Virginia Palmer, US Ambassador to Ghana said at the reception of this cohort which took place on Monday, June 24 that ‘I expect this cohort to continue the trend of promoting innovation and making a positive impact in your communities and Ghana long after you complete your six-week Fellowship in the United States.’
She said the reason why the U.S. government is investing in G
hana and Africa’s youth is because the Sub-Saharan Africa is a major force for the future.
She said in the next couple of years, virtually half the population will be under the age of 25, and by 2050, one of four people on this planet will be from Africa and that is why there is the need for people-to-people exchanges.
About Mandela Washington Fellowship
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, the U.S. government’s signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders, supports young Africans as they spur economic growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Africa.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of State, designed and managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
(ECA), and implemented by IREX.
This year is the Fellowship’s 10th anniversary.
Source: Ghana News Agency