Apply for the Africa Leadership Accelerator

Applications for GHC’s Africa Leadership Accelerator will open soon. Learn more about eligibility and program timelines below.

What does the Africa Leadership Accelerator offer emerging public health leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The new Africa Leadership Accelerator brings Global Health Corps’ renowned global health leadership curriculum to rising leaders currently working in public health roles in organizations across Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. 

Across nine months, fellows will engage in virtual leadership academy workshops, in-person retreats, executive coaching, professional mentorship, and more all while continuing to work at their current organization.

As a fellow, you will:

Strengthen your leadership identity. You’ll develop a clearer sense of your unique leadership strengths and weaknesses and an informed understanding of how you’re perceived by others. You’ll also learn to articulate your personal values, explore your role in advancing health equity, and develop your leadership vision.

Extend and leverage your networks. Adopt practices to extend your network in strategic ways, and get the support and critical insights you need to advance your leadership. You’ll integrate into GHC’s global community of 1,200+ alumni and advisors.

Improve your understanding of how change happens in a system. Explore frameworks and tools to better understand and analyze the systems you work and live in. Develop an understanding of how change happens and strategies you can use to leverage systems change.

Apply lessons in real time. Because we recruit applicants currently working in public health-focused roles, you’ll have the opportunity to take what you’ve learned in Leadership Academy workshops and from each other and apply it to your current projects and challenges. 

Gain access to additional resources through GHC’s network. This includes webinars, additional trainings, networking opportunities, and other resources from GHC and our Community Impact Team to help you further develop your skills and deepen your partnerships.

Program Components, Eligibility Requirements, Timelines, and more...

The Africa Leadership Accelerator is designed with a hybrid learning approach including virtual and in-person learning opportunities. The program is completely free to fellows—all virtual programming, travel to retreat locations, lodging costs, and meals for the in-person retreats will be covered by GHC. Fellows should expect to dedicate 6-8 hours per month to the program to get the most out of it. 

Once a fellow, always a fellow. After completing the leadership accelerator, fellows join GHC’s lifelong global network of 1,200+ alumni and continue to grow as leaders through GHC’s robust alumni program

The 9-month fellowship runs from September to May. Participation in all components of the fellowship listed below is mandatory unless otherwise noted.

All fellows will participate in:

  • Leadership Academy Workshops (~3 hours/month, built into the workday)
  • Individual stretch & coalition projects
  • Global and country-based in-person retreats
  • Executive Leadership Coaching sessions
  • Quarterly supervisor check-ins
  • Learning circles with fellow cohort members
  • Final project presentations
  • Alumni mentorship
  • GHC staff support and check-ins


Learning Topics: 

  • Understanding Personal Values & Beliefs
  • Leading with Integrity & Transparency
  • Human-Centered Design
  • Design Thinking
  • Generative AI as a Tool for Development
  • People Management
  • The Science & Art of Receiving Feedback Well
  • Roles in Social Change
  • Managing Up
  • Advocacy & Coalition Building
  • Applying Systems Thinking to Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
  • Project Management Fundamentals
  • Conflict Resolution & Negotiation Skills
  • Strategic Planning & Goal Setting
  • & so much more!
 

Our application and review process is designed to assess willingness and ability to fully engage in the fellowship as well as leadership fit for the GHC community. To access the application you must be nominated. To learn more about the nomination process, visit the nomination form here.

What to expect: 
  • You’ll be nominated by one of the following: 
    • A representative from your organization (HR professional, Executive Director, Program Manager, etc.)
    • Your manager or supervisor
    • A colleague or peer (from your current or previous employer)
    • A GHC alumni
    • A GHC fellow
    • Other
  • An email with a link to the application portal and information about the application process will be sent to nominees within 3-5 business days of nomination form submission.
  • You’ll submit:
    • Your CV
    • Program references
    • Demographic information.
  • You’ll provide short responses to a variety of prompts so we can learn more about you.
  • A letter of recommendation from your supervisor is required to be considered.
Important Dates:

July 2nd, 2024: Leadership Accelerator Fellowship Applications Open! 

August 1st, 2024: Priority Application closes.  

August 14th, 2024: Final Application closes.  

September 2024: All applicants will be notified of their application status. 

October 14th, 2024: Fellowship Kick-Off & First Virtual Convening!

January 2025: Mid-Fellowship In-Person Global Retreat

May 2025: End of Program Country-Specific Retreat & Transition to Alumni Community

A full schedule will be provided upon acceptance to the program. 


We intentionally cultivate a leadership experience that fosters inclusivity and a sense of belonging throughout the learning journey. The Africa Leadership Accelerator is more than a fellowship–it’s a community. 

The Africa Leadership Accelerator is a good fit for high-potential, early-career public health leaders committed to growing their personal and professional development skills. Public health is a broad field and we are excited to consider applicants across sectors – local health ministries or state agencies, government agencies, universities, community-based and non-governmental organizations, and private sector employers. 

We are committed to advancing diverse leaders, and especially welcome applications from:

  • Ministries of Health
  • Community based-health
  • Health IT
  • Data informatics and analytics
  • Environmental Health 
  • Behavioral Health 
  • Health communications


To be eligible for the Africa Leadership Accelerator Fellowship, you must:

  • Be age 21-35 by September 1st, 2024
  • Be a citizen of Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, or Zambia.
  • Be currently employed full-time in a non-clinical public health role for at least six months at the time of application. 
  • Be currently employed by a public health organization operating in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, or Zambia and has expressed written support for your participation in the program.
  • There are no specific education or training requirements to be eligible for participation.


Are you a public health professional based in the U.S.? Learn more about our U.S. Leadership Accelerator.

Eligibility Quiz:

Complete this questionnaire before starting your application to confirm that you meet our eligibility requirements for participation. Eligibility requirements must be met at the time of submitting an application. Please contact [email protected] with any questions regarding eligibility.

ALA EligibilityQuiz Form

It looks like you meet all of our eligibility criteria for the Africa Leadership Accelerator! Applications for our 2024-2025 cohort will open July 2nd.

You are not eligible for the Africa Leadership Accelerator at this time. If you have questions or need additional information, please visit our FAQ page.

You are not eligible for the Africa Leadership Accelerator at this time. If you have questions or need additional information, please visit our FAQ page.

You are not eligible for the Africa Leadership Accelerator at this time. If you have questions or need additional information, please visit our FAQ page.

You are not eligible for the Africa Leadership Accelerator at this time. If you have questions or need additional information, please visit our FAQ page.