Young women in East Africa are invited to apply for the Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program, a fully funded 4-weeks fellowship in the United States.
The goal of this program is to develop skills, of East African women, in agro-entrepreneurship and agri-food system innovation. This is more so important for Kenyan women who hope to benefit from platforms such as the export business acceleration program, which is part of Kenya’s plan to increase its exports.
READ: KENYA UNVEILS STRATEGY TO INCREASE EXPORTS BY 20% IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS
In the four-week fellowship, knowledge will be imparted through professional internship with Michigan organizations involved in the areas targeted for the program. There will be additional seminars and training with professionals from Michigan.
Successful applicants of the Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program will also learn about issues of women economic empowerment.
Women from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania involved in agriculture either through, private, public, non-governmental and education background are welcomed to apply.
Eligibility
- Women aged between 25 and 40 years old
- Citizen or permanent resident of Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania (living and working there at time of application)
- Fluency in English
- At least 2 years experience in your field of work
- Has demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills
- Interest in participating in a reciprocal program (for Americans who come to your country)
- Employer support to participate in the Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program
- If self-employed, have recommendation from local authority (community, county level, for example)
This program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Professional Fellows Division. And is administered by Michigan State University (USA), University of Nairobi (Kenya), Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania), Kyambogo University (Uganda).
Deadline for Application is 8th December, 2017. Selected applicants will be interviewed in January 2018. For more info about the program, in Kenya, you can contact:
Prof. Agnes Mwang’ombe (Professor of Plant Pathology) – University of Nairobi – mwangombe@uonbi.ac.ke