The youth in development virtual fellowship provides emerging civic leaders and social entrepreneurs with the skills and tools to lead social change initiatives effectively. Alumni of this program have gone ahead to create viable and highly impactful social ventures and lead programs that are transforming their communities’ social and economic landscapes.
YID Fellows engage in a transformative learning experience, where they hone their leadership skills while learning to lead sustainable social change. Fellows will enjoy complimentary access to online courses, exclusive mentorship and coaching sessions, connection to peer collaborators, the opportunity to pitch for our prototype fund and exclusive networking opportunities. The Youth in Development virtual fellowship is open to young African leaders aiming to promote socio-economic development in their communities.
- The YID fellowship application and selection process is designed to ensure that you derive substantial benefits just by going through the application process. When selected as a Fellow, you will have access to:
- Investment Pitch Lab to Position your Venture for Investments & Grant Funding.
- Mentorship series and peer collaboration opportunities with counterparts in other parts of the world.
- One-on-one coaching and interactions with top business experts and exceptional social entrepreneurs from across the world
- Critical peer feedbacks, support and collaborations through our growing networks of exceptional social entrepreneurs and program alumni
- Opportunity to apply for Impact Toolbox Prototype Fund & Connections to other funding opportunities.
- The YID Fellowship serves as a pipeline for other prestigious professional development and investment opportunities.
- Demonstrated interest in civic leadership and career in the social sector
- Have an idea or initiative for social change
- Be between the ages of 18-30 on or before the application deadline
- Be a citizen of an African country and must reside and work on the continent
- Be proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English
- Be available to complete all the weekly activities included in the six months duration of the fellowship.
- We have extended the application deadline to January 5, 2021
- Stage One: Application Submission & Review: Applicants are invited to submit applications. Successful applicants will be selected to progress to the next step on merit based on their passion and demonstrated interest in civic leadership and social entrepreneurship.
- Stage Two: Social Entrepreneurship & Strategy Course: Applicants selected to progress to stage two will participate in strategic planning and social entrepreneurship course. Through these courses, you will develop and submit your theory of change, strategic plan and business model. You will receive a course completion certificate and an invitation to progress to the third stage.
- Stage Three: 3-Day Venture Creation Boot Camp: We will invite applicants that progress to the third stage to attend a three-day boot camp hosted onsite or online by our local partners and community ambassadors. During the boot camp, you will learn about leadership, business planning, customer discovery and achieving product-market fit. You will receive a certificate of completion. Please note that we will host the 2022 boot camp online.
- Stage Four: Finalist Announcement & 6-Month Fellowship: We will announce the YID Fellows after the YID boot camp, profiled on our websites and widely celebrated. They will participate in an intensive six-month online learning experience that will include training on grant writing, monitoring and evaluation, financial modelling, storytelling, marketing, positioning for investments, policy advocacy and political participation.
Youth In Development (YID) Fellows come from different parts of Africa, transforming socio-economic landscapes and promoting equity, peace, and sustainable livelihood through their projects. Every year, fellows are chosen from a pool of thousands of applicants. Some of our amazing fellows are featured below:
Brenda Nakanwagi, Farmer Evolve
Venture: Farmer Evolve (Uganda) Founder: Brenda Nakanwagi Testimonial: Farmer Evolve is an initiative that has set out to alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers and promote food security. They are doing this through Agricultural Training and Financing. They train farmers’ better farming methods, after which we enable those who can’t afford to implement these best practices to access credit for quality …
Venture Spotlight – NI’mah Andre Foundation
Venture: Ni’mah Andre Foundation Founder: Iresalewa Muhammed-Bello Impact: Fully paid for over 80 medical emergencies through crowdfunding Funds raised: $40k + Story: Ni’mah Andre foundation is a non-profit organization with a core focus on driving inclusivity and access to quality medical care for all, especially the less privileged who would otherwise not have access to this. Their mission is to …
Yattiyr Scholarship initiative
In 2006, four thousand workers at the Nigeria Telecommunication (NITEL) lost their jobs. John Fatoye’s father was one of them. At the time, John was in his second year of junior school. It didn’t take long before he began to feel the impact of financial hardship on his family – Food portions and the frequency of meals reduced. He also …
Venture Spotlight -U-recycle Initiative
Venture: U-Recycle Founder: Oluwaseyi Moejoh Website: www.urecycleinitiative.org/ Funds raised: $21k+ Story: Oluwaseyi Moejoh is the founder of the U-recycle Initiative. U-recycle Initiative is a social enterprise that educates schools and communities about the value of recycling by creating programs and proffering deep-rooted solutions to make recycling waste more efficient and customary across schools and districts in Africa. Seyi is a …
Justin Eghaghara
Not until joining the platform, did I understand the need to be deliberate in strategic planning and management. The program has immensely improved my skills in leadership, community development and has practically demonstrated the importance of networking and collaborations. I am grateful for being a member of this great community of vibrant minds who are willing and ready to make positive changes for a better world. At Vision Redefined Foundation, we offer affordable and accessible eye health services to visually challenged children and adults living in hard-to-reach rural communities in Nigeria. We have improved the sight of over 600 school-aged children suffering various challenges of poor vision and have improved quality of life of over 2000 visually challenged adults.
Oyindamola Adebowale
Blessing Ashi
My mantra in life is to Learn, Unlearn and Relearn. This was the mindset I brought to this program and there has been no room for regret. Joining this platform has not only prepared me to become a better leader but it also made me to appreciate my wins and milestones. I’ve learnt thus far that problems exist everywhere, however my ability to discover the problem and proffer lasting solutions makes me a leader. This platform has also proven that collaboration has become the next big thing in the developmental space.
Tolani Odukoya
Since I have been attending training and fellowship programs, I have never encountered the kind of learning experience I’ve got on this platform so far. I never believed I could garner as much relevant learning experience, knowledge and skills needed to help with the smooth running of my organization in the shortest possible time. The curriculum is way too mind blowing and the network of social impact leaders I got was top-notch. So far, my organization, The Mindset Africa has trained over 350 teenagers across 4 communities in south west Nigeria with relevant leadership and digital literacy skills needed to prepare them for the future of work.
Obasanjo Fajemirokun
I have not attended a training that is so insightful and impactful as this. I have better understood my target audience and rebranded my idea to better position it for global opportunities. I had the golden opportunity to interact and meet with social change leaders from across the continent that answered my questions personally. This is the best social change training I have attended. My organization, Brace-up The Young educate and mentor young people to become innovative and accountable leaders in Nigeria. We have empowered over 323 youth with leadership skills needed to thrive in the 21st century.
John Fatoye
The platform feels like a closely knitted nuclear family, collaborating and growing together. Impact toolbox offers a well-planned and strategic platform that has so far helped me redefine, reshape and reposition myself and Yattiyr Scholarship Initiative as a better social change venture. Yattiyr Scholarship Initiative has provided 50 scholarships to indigent students, trained 1500 public secondary students on leadership.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with 6 months
From the drawing board to our own silicon valley, 18 social impact leaders take their ideas from mere creative currency to real ventures. Six months of rigorous learning, coaching, mentorship and peer collaborations via Impact Toolbox have produced these innovative leaders. Allow us to showcase five (5) of our exceptional Youth in Development Fellows and their ventures. The Youth in …
