Following on the 59 fellows from the inaugural (2019-2021) and second (2022-2023) cohorts, the AfYWL Fellowship Programme continues to serve as a platform for growth and change. A highlight of the year-long deployment is the AfYWL professional development and leadership training, which unpacks all facets of being a young, African woman leader. The previous cohort’s leadership training was conducted in Kigali, Rwanda, in collaboration with the African Leadership University. 

Another key outcome of the Fellowship is the unbreakable bond that develops between the fellows. As Tatenda Zvobgo, a fellow from the second cohort deployed to the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa, describes “A major thing for me was the knowledge that no matter what I do, I will have these sisters who will be cheering me on, celebrating my successes with me and working through the difficulties with me. It’s made us richer people.” Mercy Nyamutswa from Zimbabwe, also a second cohort fellow deployed to UNDP in The Gambia, agrees. “Nothing beats the joy of achieving things I never thought I would achieve,” she says. “I also swear by the support I get from my colleagues; they have held my hand since day one.”

The women selected for this year’s cohort represent a diverse group of young leaders, each contributing her own perspectives and skills to the AfYWL Fellowship’s vision of empowerment, innovation and collaboration.