African Union GWP-AIP Youth Leaders Fellowship 2021 for Young Africans

Applications are open for the Global Water Partnership (GWP) & Continental Africa Water Investment Program (AIP) Fellowship (GWP-AIP Youth Leaders Fellowship) 2021

Application Deadline: 31st March 2021.

About the Award: The GWP-AIP Youth Leaders Fellowship aims to support and empower young people in driving the transformation required to improve the investment outlook for water security and sustainable sanitation in Africa. Nurturing youth through this expanding internship programs helps to develop the skills and experience needed for both traditional and new jobs. Ultimately, investing in youth will not only transform their lives but will also transform societies, nations, and the continent, helping to break intergenerational poverty, address inequalities, and create a stable, peaceful and prosperous Africa. GWP is, therefore, providing young female and male youth leaders with an opportunity to acquire exceptional skills and competencies that will pave a career path and develop leadership potential through this fellowship.

Selected fellows will be placed in each of the five AIP WACDEP-G pilot countries (Zambia, Uganda, Cameroon, Tunisia, and Benin) and in other countries where the AIP implementation has commenced, as well as in GWP regional offices in Southern, East, West and Central Africa, and the Mediterranean.

During their fellowship, the fellows will receive mentorship, technical support, and training from the respective supervisors. They will learn by supporting the activities of the AIP support program under the guidance of GWP personnel. In addition, the fellows will undergo an induction course aimed at increasing their understanding of AIP, GWP operations, and development approaches and frameworks for analyzing different dimensions of development and management of gender-responsive, climate-resilient development.

Type: Fellowship

Eligibility: Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the fellowship:

• A Masters degree, at least, in fields such as water, climate, environment and natural resources, gender, and energy studies, or in any discipline that is relevant to GWP work. PhDs are advantageous. 
• General knowledge and understanding of water resources management.
• A solid understanding of international development, gender, water security, environmental management, climate change, and climate change adaptation.
• Fluency in English. Additional knowledge of languages such as French and Portuguese are desirable.
• A person living in one of the AU members states, and aged 35 years or younger on March 31, 2021.

Eligible Countries: African countries

To be Taken at (Country):

Fellows will be placed in the following duty stations.

1. Lusaka, Zambia
2. Entebbe, Uganda
3. Yaoundé, Cameroon
4. Tunis, Tunisia
5. Cotonou, Benin
6. Pretoria, South Africa – GWP Southern Africa
7. Entebbe, Uganda – GWP Eastern Africa
8. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso – GWP West Africa
9. Yaoundé, Cameroon – GWP Central Africa
10. Athens, Greece – GWP Mediterranean

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: GWP will provide a small stipend to the fellows. GWP will pay for accommodation and travel expenses, if any project-related travel is required. Fellows are entirely responsible for their own living costs such as groceries and health insurance. However, they will be provided with operational tools, such as a laptop, for use during the period of the fellowship.

Under the direct supervision of the respective AIP support program personnel, the fellows will have the opportunity to be involved in the following:

• Support project implementation by contributing to specific deliverables as agreed with the programme/project leaders.
• Conduct background studies in the thematic priority areas that will be determined jointly by the specific programme/project leader (supervisor) and the fellow.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, and experiences on key thematic areas of AIP and GWP.
• Provide monitoring and evaluation support, for example, to the recording and processing of key project activities or events for weekly reporting, and information collection and sharing.
• Provide support to meetings, workshops, conferences and trainings organized, and support youth-related initiatives within their country/region.
• Provide assistance to the GWP regional and country support functions.
• At the end of the fellowship, the fellow will produce the following:
  • A report on the thematic priority areas that shall be determined jointly by the supervisor and the fellow.
  • An overall report on the experiences gained, challenges faced, and reflections on areas that need improvement for managing future fellowships. The report should contain reflections and recommendations of possible solutions to the challenges identified.

At the end of the placement, a fellowship certificate will be issued by GWP and its collaborating partners under the AIP, along with an official letter of recommendation.

Duration of Award: The duration of the fellowship will be between six and nine months until December 31, 2021. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions at present, fellows need to be prepared to live close to a GWP office. GWP will pay for internet access, if the fellow needs to work remotely and perform their tasks online.

How to Apply: Interested applicants that meet the above requirements are invited to submit their curriculum vitae with a one-page cover letter not later than 31 March 2021.

• Applications are accepted only in English and only through the online platform: here

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details