Application Deadline: August 6th, 2020
The next West Africa Fellowship runs from January 2021 to December 2021
Practical skills meet moral imagination in this intensive year-long leadership development program designed to equip extraordinary individuals with the tools, mindset, and community to tackle poverty and injustice in their communities.
West Africa is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies – yet it will require a different type of leadership to ensure that the fruits of this growth are felt by all. It will require leaders grounded in integrity, and relentless in their pursuit of equity and justice. The West Africa Fellowship will bring together entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and organization-builders from both the public and private sectors who are modeling this leadership, and who are hungry to do more.
Fellows remain in their jobs and come together for four seminars, each lasting 6 days, throughout the year. Attendance at each seminar is mandatory. Between seminars, Fellows are expected to participate in and complete online readings and assignments.
The total in-person time commitment is about 24 days (4 seminars, 6 days each) over the course of the year, plus travel time to the seminar locations. Whenever possible we have scheduled seminars to run from Tuesday to Sunday.
Between seminars, you will be expected to spend additional time on program-related assignments, email correspondence and collaborative projects for approximately 3/4 hours per week.
Note:
- Fellows are selected in early December.
- All seminars and training are conducted in English. Conversational proficiency in English is a requirement to ensure Fellows are able to give and get the most from this experience.
- Citizenship of West Africa is not a requirement.
- Each cohort of Acumen Fellows must be comprised of individuals who have not previously taken part in an Acumen Fellowship. This is specific to Acumen’s programs; candidates who have participated in other fellowships or leadership programs, or who have taken.
Costs/Fundings:
Acumen covers all program-related expenses during the fellowship year. This includes all costs associated with the seminars including lodging, food, transportation and visas.
The seminars are typically held in or around major cities across West Africa. In the past, they have been held in:
- Accra, Freetown and Lagos
For 2020, individuals will be notified the exact dates of the seminars upon being selected as a Fellow at the beginning of 2021.
Year 1:
- Join a diverse cohort of social change leaders in a rigorous year-long experience
- Improve your capacity to innovate and drive change with a mix of in-person and online seminars
- Part-time — you stay in your job while participating in four 5-day seminar in various locations across West Africa
Beyond Year 1:
- Be a part of a lifelong fellowship that extends beyond your first year.
- Join a larger local and global community committed to a world beyond poverty and injustice.
Application Process:
- Apply online – Applications open 1 July and closes 6 August.
- Complete Stage 2 application between 7 Sept and 24 Sept.
- Attend an in-person Selection Conference in mid-November.
- Fellows are announced in January 2021.
