Here is an opportunity for Africans. Currently ongoing is the 2022 AWOLA Mentorship Program for Africans.
The three-year leadership program aims to develop high-level female leaders in agroecology, sustainable agriculture, and food system transformation who will influence and negotiate for the space of agroecology in African policies and programs. PELUM’s many years of work have demonstrated that women are at the forefront of ecological agriculture and, as such, must be at the center of influence by forming a connected and committed movement of African women leaders in agroecology.
About Africa Women Leaders in Agro-ecology(AWOLA)
AWOLA (Africa Women Leaders in Agro-ecology) is a PELUM network leadership career development initiative that aims to equip women working on agroecology, sustainable agriculture, and food systems with leadership skills. The PELUM network envisions strengthening leadership capacities and active participation of women in agro-ecology institutions through the AWOLA initiative.
The initiative’s owner, the PELUM association, is a regional network of over 250 civil society organizations from 12 countries in East, Central, and Southern Africa that was founded in 1995 and works in the field of participatory ecological land use management. The Association promotes ecological land use management in order to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and the sustainability of farming communities. Several African countries have country chapters.
Brief Program Details
Sponsor(s): Africa Women Leaders in Agro-ecology (AWOLA)
Academic Level: College Schools
Eligible Countries: Africa
Application Deadline: 20 August 2022
Full Benefits of AWOLA Mentorship Program
- Mentorship: The actual mentorship will entail a process where mentees and mentors who are at different scales and career levels develop supportive relationships around their professional and personal capacities. The process will entail a matchmaking session based on the gaps and skills across mentees and mentors.
- Training: AWOLA will support mentees in a 1-year program (through virtual and face-to-face sessions), who will be trained to become leaders and effective negotiators, in influencing policies and programming while building collaborations with different stakeholders for desired outcomes. Through AWOLA mentees and mentors will be supported to participate in structured learning to build up the agroecology and leadership knowledge base.
- Development of leadership innovation ideas: The mentees and mentors will be supported to develop networks and work on innovative ideas. The innovation ideas will be shared with PELUM networks for integration across programs, where possible the coalition members will be encouraged to fundraise and further supported through the PELUM network to implement their ideas with the aim of supporting the transformation of agriculture and food systems.
Requirements for AWOLA Mentorship Program
Mentees
- The fellowship targets women African nationals, and current citizens of Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
- Applicants need to have at least a degree and 5 years of experience in agriculture, food systems, land-based sectors or working on agro-based livelihoods with farming communities.
- Applicants need to be affiliated with an institution, with either government organizations, non-government, private sector, development, civil society, regional and sub-regional communities, or academia
- Applicants will be drawn from the fields of Natural resource management, Climate change, Agri-business, Livelihoods, advocacy on policy work, etc.)
Ideal AWOLA fellows should
- Show commitment to investing in your personal growth and participation for the full 12 months program.
- Be able to articulate top leadership challenges in scaling up agroecology and sustainable agriculture practices.
- Need to show how they play or intend to undertake leadership roles in transforming agriculture, food systems or livelihoods of farming communities using agroecology principles/approaches.
- Be able to access reliable internet and commit time to a maximum of 5 hours a week towards the mentorship.
Ideal AWOLA mentors should
- Show commitment to investing your time in supporting mentees’ growth for a period of 12 months program, meeting at least twice a month
- Be able to articulate top leadership challenges in scaling up agroecology and sustainable agriculture practices.
- Need to show how they play leadership roles in transforming agriculture, food systems, or livelihoods of farming communities using agroecology principles/approaches.
- Be able to access reliable internet and commit time to a maximum of 5 hours a week towards the mentorship.
Also Apply: 2023 Brown University Information Futures Lab Fellowship Program
Selection Modality
- The AWOLA mentees and mentors will be chosen through a competitive process that includes evaluating their experience and leadership potential in agroecology, agriculture, and food systems development.
- Potential mentees and mentors will respond to an open call for applications, demonstrating their suitability.
- The applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts in agroecology, agriculture, food systems, and leadership. The AWOLA advisory panel will make the final selection.
How to Apply
Follow any of the links below and apply for the category that suits you.
Visit the AWOLA Official Website for More Details