15 young Batswana to meet Obama

A group of 15 young Batswana leaders will get an opportunity to learn at six top United States of America universities as well as get the chance to interact with US President Barack Obama.

According to a statement from U.S. embassy public affairs officer Amanda Jacobsen, the young leaders are the lucky few who have been selected for the Washington Fellowship, a flagship programme of Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

Jacobsen said the 15 participants from Botswana were chosen from 500 applications following a rigorous countrywide recruitment and selection process. The young leaders will get to be part of a programme, which aims to empower young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training, mentoring, networking, and follow-on support.

As part of a combined group of 500 individuals from across Africa the local young leaders, will travel to top U.S. universities for a six week academic and leadership institute in one of three areas: business and entrepreneurship; civic leadership; or public management.

These institutes will include workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities with recognised leaders in each field. “Fellows will then convene in Washington, D.C. for a summit to interact with senior U.S. government, business, and civic leaders and will meet with president Obama.” Upon completion of the programme in the U.S. the selected group will continue to be supported through networking opportunities, continued professional development and access to seed funding for entrepreneurs.