The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders concludes with First Lady Michelle Obama

By Isseu Diouf Campbell

The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders ended this week with a three-day presidential summit attended by President Barack Obama who renamed the program in honor of Nelson Mandela during a town hall meeting with the young leaders on July 28, 2014 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

First Lady Michelle Obama among several other leaders of the public and private sectors addressed, on the last day of the summit, the 500 exceptional young African leaders selected among 50,000 for six weeks of intensive executive leadership training, networking, and skills building.

After a speech on the status of woman and young girls, the Frist Lady took the time to mingle with the crowd, offering words of encouragement, hugging and posing for photos.

The number of participants in the fellowship program is expected to double by the summer of 2016.

For more about the program, visit youngafricanleaders.state.gov/washington-fellowship/

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