Applications call for Acumen East Africa Fellowship 2021. Each year, the Acumen East Africa Fellows Programme brings together 20 extraordinary individuals tackling poverty and injustice in their communities – and equips them with the knowledge, skills and community to accelerate and sustain their impact.

Summary

The Acumen East Africa Fellowship begins with an intensive leadership program, where Fellows remain in their jobs while taking part in a series of multi-day virtual seminars, paired with the online group and individual assignments between seminars, all connected by group practice. This is where practical skills meet moral imagination – and also the program focuses to increase a Fellow’s capacity to lead social change and tackle problems of poverty and injustice. Furthermore, after the first year, Fellows become part of Acumen’s global community of social innovators – committed to life-long learning, collaboration and accompaniment as they drive change.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the Acumen East Africa Fellowship, participants will gain the following benefits

• Adaptive Leadership: Based on Ron Heifetz’s work, Adaptive Leadership is a practical leadership framework that supports Fellows’ ability to catalyze and embrace the gradual and meaningful process of creating change.
• Authentic Voice: Grounded in Marshall Ganz’s life’s work, the Authentic Voice curriculum allows the Fellows to develop the capacity to articulate a hopeful vision, speak across lines of difference, and move others into action.
• Good Society Readings: Modeled off The Aspen Institute, the Good Society Readings explore the meaning of a just society, and the moral and historical foundation of social change through text based dialogue
• Managing Polarities: Based on Barry Johnson’s work, Polarities aims to cultivate an individual’s ability to lead effectively when opposing but interdependent and equally important values are in tension.
• Systems Thinking: Fellows explore the concept of Systems Thinking by working collaboratively on live challenges—enabling them to better understand larger, systemic problems and design more effective interventions.

Eligibility 

• Applicants who are citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burundi, and South Sudan can apply. We will, on an exceptional basis, consider applicants who demonstrate a concrete connection to the region (ie. long-term employment, residency, the focus of the social change project).
• Each cohort of Acumen Fellows must be comprised of individuals who have not previously taken part in an Acumen Fellowship. This is specific to Acumen’s programs; candidates who have participated in other fellowships or leadership programs, or who have taken +Acumen courses, are welcome to apply.

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