The Mandela Washington Fellows are an elite group of young professionals from across Africa. This year Boise State hosted 25 fellows for about six weeks. The group networked with local government and civic agencies. The Boise Weekly did an in-depth spread about the Fellows in their July edition.
We were pleased to host the Mandela Washington Fellows for a presentation and volunteer project while talking about domestic violence and sexual assault. Domestic violence and sexual assault are global pandemics affecting millions of people across the globe.
Having discussions with people from other cultures about domestic abuse and sexual assault is important to build a better understanding about this global crisis.
The Fellows volunteered after the presentation by making awareness ribbons and helping sort outreach materials including brochures and shoe cards. Several Women’s and Children’s Alliance staff were able to come in and help with the volunteer project while engaging in conversations about domestic abuse and sexual assault and hear about what others are doing in other parts of the world and the challenges they face.
The Boise State Mandela Washington Fellows along with 675 other fellows that were hosted across the country gathered in Washington D.C. at the end of July for a summit. From there, they traveled back to their home countries.
We wish them the best in their future endeavors as change-makers and innovators in their home countries.