Eight young Gambians have been selected to take part in the prestigious 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the United States Embassy in Banjul has announced.

The selected fellows are Ebrima Sama, Mamy Sira Samateh, Hadim Jah, Sera Gillen, Modou Jallow, Fatoumatta T. Tiyana Ceesay, Annette Camara, and Madeline Ileleji.

They will join hundreds of other young professionals from across the continent for the fellowship, which will see them placed at various universities and colleges in the United States.

Participants are chosen for their track records in leadership and service in fields such as business, civic engagement, and public management.

The programme, now in its 11th year, is the flagship initiative of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), launched in 2010 by the U.S. government to invest in the next generation of African leaders.

During their six-week stay in the U.S., the fellows will engage in academic coursework, leadership training, networking, and community-based activities aimed at equipping them with tools to drive change on the continent.

At a pre-departure orientation in Banjul, U.S. Ambassador to The Gambia, Sharon Cromer, congratulated the fellows and urged them to be “steadfast ambassadors of The Gambia” while abroad.

She encouraged them to use the experience to further their impact upon returning home.

By Adama Makasuba