The Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program 2018 For Young Women Agribusiness Entrepreneurs & Innovators (Fully Funded To USA) By OFA – November 20, 2017

• By Jacqui Taylor
• 27 November 201716 December 2020

Application Deadline: December 8, 2017:

United States Department of State Professional Fellows Program—Advancing Young Women Agribusiness Entrepreneurs and Innovators: A Tanzania-Kenya-Uganda-U.S. Partnership.

The goal of the Fellows Program is to build fellows’ capacity and skills in agro-entrepreneurship and agri-food system innovation and for them to learn about issues of women’s economic empowerment. Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan fellows will develop their leadership capacity and professional skills through a fully funded four-week fellowship program in the United States.

The four-week U.S. program will include a professional internship with Michigan organizations focused on agriculture, innovation, agro-entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment and additional seminars and trainings with professionals from Michigan State University and throughout the state of Michigan.

The Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Professional Fellows Division and administered by Michigan State University (U.S.), Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania), University of Nairobi (Kenya), and Kyambogo University (Uganda).

The Advancing Young Women Professional Fellows Program are recruiting young Tanzanian, Kenyan, and Ugandan professionals from diverse backgrounds in private, public, non-governmental, and education sectors who are either women agribusiness entrepreneurs or individuals working to increase women’s economic engagement in the agricultural sector.

Who Should Apply?

Women entrepreneurs, social innovators, or small and medium business owners or managers and other leaders working in the agriculture and food sectors

Individuals (of any gender) in civil society and NGOs working on programs that support women in the agriculture and food sectors in their respective countries

Policymakers, ministry employees, and others in the public sector (of any gender) focused on supporting and improving opportunities for women in the agriculture or food sector

Academic staff (of any gender) who are implementing programs to impact advancing women in the agriculture and food sectors

Eligibility Requirements:

• 25-40 years old.
• A citizen, national, or permanent resident of Tanzania, Kenya, or Uganda.
• Is living and working in Tanzania, Kenya, or Uganda at the time of the application.
• Speaks fluent English.
• Has at least 2 years of professional/working experience in their field.
• Has demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills and a commitment to community.
• Has employer’s support for participating in the program (for those not self-employed). For those self-employed, has recommendation from local authorities at the district, county, and/or community levels.
• Is interested in participating in a reciprocal program for American participants coming to your country.
• Preference will be given to those who are in an earlier state of their careers.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously had the opportunity to travel to the US.

Program Dates:

Spring program: April 27, 2018 – June 1, 2018
Fall program: October 12, 2018 – November 17, 2018

The first four-week program in the U.S. is scheduled for April 27-June 1, 2018 and the second for October 12-November 17, 2018. Both programs will include:

Part 1: Pre-Departure Orientation prior to travel to the U.S.

Program partners and the U.S. Embassies in the two countries will conduct a pre-departure orientation.

Part 2: Post-Arrival Orientation in East Lansing, Michigan

The orientation will familiarize the program participants with each other as well as the program and topics to be covered and the U.S.

Part 3: Three-Week Program in Michigan Communities

Participants will take part in internships with Michigan institutions and dialogue in seminars and meetings with U.S. leaders in economic development in the food and agriculture sector. Fellows will also select, design, and complete a special project in an area of their own interest. Seminars will combine presentations and discussions to provide an opportunity for Fellows to share experiences from their home countries and organizations and observations from their internship placements. Fellows will also have the opportunity of a one-week homestay with an American family.

Part 4: Three-Day Participation in the Professional Fellows Congress in Washington D.C.

The Congress will allow participants the opportunity to meet and share their experience with Fellows from around the world and participate in dialogue to examine the roles of individual and institutional leadership in economic development and women’s economic empowerment.