Acumen West Africa Fellows Programme 2023 Application (Fully Funded)

Each year the Acumen West Africa Fellows Programme brings together ~20 bold and generous leaders who are committed to tackling issues of poverty and injustice in West Africa- and equips them with the practices and community needed to deepen and sustain their impact. Fellows come from all walks of life and are creating hope in a cynical world; they are bridging our divides, connecting our communities, empowering our youth, standing with our vulnerable, protecting our environment, serving us all.

The Fellowship is designed for individuals who are currently leading or are an integral part of building an initiative whose mission is to eradicate poverty or injustice.

Eligibility Requirements

The Acumen Fellows program in West Africa is for individuals who are leading an initiative in any of these five countries: Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.

Fellows

All Fellows have demonstrated a commitment to creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable society through their work, and are:

Building solutions based on a deep understanding of the issue
Making a long-term play to change the system they are working in
Influencing change in their current work, formally or informally
Ready to undergo an intensive year-long leadership journey

Paths:

Social Entrepreneur

Founder of a for-profit or non-profit organization that develop market-based solutions to tackle issues of poverty & injustice.

Organizational Builder

Intrapreneur
Supporting the growth of institutions from within (eg. Country Director, CEO, COO)

Creating solutions from within existing institutions (eg. Team lead, Head of Dept)

The Fellows Programme is centred around:

Self-reflection: Fellows have space to broaden their perspectives and identify areas of personal development
Cohort based learning: Fellows have space to practice new modes of leadership with a diverse group of builders from across sectors and
backgrounds
Real-world application: Fellows take away learning that can be immediately applied to their social change work to generate lasting impact

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Fellowship Structure:

Fellows remain in their jobs and come together for three seminars, each lasting 6 days, throughout the year. Attendance at each seminar is mandatory.
Between seminars, Fellows are expected to participate in and complete online readings and assignments.
Fellows remain in their jobs and come together for three seminars, each lasting 6 days, throughout the year. Attendance at each seminar is mandatory.
Between seminars, Fellows are expected to participate in and complete online readings and assignments.

Benefits:

Acumen covers all fellowship-related expenses during the fellowship year. This includes all costs associated with the seminars including lodging, food, transportation, and visas.

How to Apply:

The application process consists of these four steps.

1Step 1: Apply online — Applications open 1 June and close 12 July
2Step 2: Receive your online assignments in August
3Step 3: Attend the Selection Conference in November 11 & 12 November
4Step 4: The Fellows are selected in December

The online application consists of:

Section 1: Your Profile – understanding your background and relationship with West Africa
Section 2: Your Current and Past Work – understanding your current work tackling poverty & injustice, and your past work and experiences
Section 3: Your relationship with Acumen Academy
Section 4: Personal Questions – understanding who you are, your reasons for applying to this programme, and your vision
Section 5: Some Additional Questions – understanding how you heard about the Fellowship and how we can share more about our work in West Africa
Section 6: Terms and Conditions – your commitment going forward

Key Dates