11 Sierra Leoneans were chosen to serve in the United States as Young African Leaders under the 2023 Nelson Mandela Washington Fellowship program. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and embodies the U.S. commitment to invest in the future of Africa.

Ebunoluwa Tengbe, Jeremiah Thoronka, Hajaratu Sama, Ahmed Sheriff, Ambalieu Barrie, Janet Kallon, Rugiatu Kanu, Alex Nallo Junior, Bashiru Koroma, Florence Roberts, and Jeneba Mary-Magdalene Saidu will be joining other 700 leaders from across Africa who will be hosted in leadership institutes by 28 U.S. educational institutions in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

The six-week Institutes, hosted by college and university campuses across the United States, will support the development of Fellows’ leadership skills through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with members of the local community.