It’s hard to believe it, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). In 2010, 115 young leaders came to Washington to participate in the YALI’s inaugural program.  Fast forward to today, and YALI is the U.S. government’s signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders with over 21,000 alumni and membership in the online YALI Network is over 650,000 strong.

For the past decade, YALI has provided African youth with opportunities to promote effective public administration, grow networks that connect Americans and Africans, create conditions for peace, prosperity, and security across the continent, and investment opportunities for U.S. businesses.  YALI is comprised of the flagship Mandela Washington Fellowship exchange program, Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) located in Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, and Kenya, and the virtual YALI Network community.