Akili Dada Women Fellowships

Akili Dada is an international award-winning leadership incubator nurturing a generation of young African women from underprivileged backgrounds whose commitment to the underserved will transform their communities.

Our leadership development curriculum creates the foundation on which young women ages 13-35 build their skills and earn the essential qualifications they need to access key decision-making roles and leadership positions.

By selecting from and building the capacity of some of Africa’s most innovative young women change makers, we are meeting the urgent need for both more African women in leadership as well as the overall need for transformative leadership across the continent.

Fellowship’s Details

Akili Dada awards year fellowships to young African women leaders between the ages of 23-30 who are driving transformative change in their communities and are looking to grow their projects to scale and sustainability.

The fellowship is an opportunity for young women to design and implement solutions to the challenges faced by their communities. The fellowship provides opportunities for dynamic young women leaders to learn essential skills and apply those skills in the context of their communities.

Selection Criteria

Fellows will be selected on the basis of:

  • The strength of their social change project
  • Previous leadership initiative
  • Willingness to learn from peers and more experienced mentors
  • The ability to share their skills with peers and intended project beneficiaries

All fellows need to have deep roots in the communities they seek to transform and be from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Selection is NOT based on past academic performance or qualifications

Young women engaged in social entrepreneurship in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) are encouraged to apply.

Fellowship Benefits:

  • Access to a series of seminars from experts in the social change field
  • Site visits to successful social entrepreneurship and social impact organizations
  • Access to a dynamic network of Akili Dada Mentors
  • Access to the Akili Dada network of funding partners and social change agents
  • Access to Akili Dada’s office facilities.
  • On completion of the year long program, fellows will possess the skills and resources required to lead a strong, healthy, accountable and sustainable organization that are bringing about measurable social change in their communities.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be a young woman between the ages of 23-30
  • Be from an economically disadvantaged background.
  • Have a Social Enterprise (a business with a social impact) or a Social Innovation (an initiative that has social impact).
  • Demonstrate previous leadership initiative and experience.
  • Have been working on your project for at least two years preferably on a full time basis
  • Be able to commit one year to the fellowship program
  • Be able to attend trainings every other month for one week in Nairobi, Kenya
  • Must be able to communicate in English both written and verbal.

N/B– Young women from marginalized communities (women living with disabilities, pastoralists, Arid and Semi-Arid Land areas) are encouraged to apply

Application Process

To be considered for the Akili Dada Fellowship, complete and submit the application form.

For all details: https://akilidada.org/

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