Pre-Fellowship Orientation for Uganda Mandela Washington Fellows 2023: How It All Happened!
Pre-Fellowship Orientation (PFO) basically involves introducing the newly selected Mandela Washington Fellows to various aspects of American culture, expectations, rules, and regulations so they have a hint of the program contents even before they leave their local countries for US.
In this brief article of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Series, I will walk you through how Uganda’s Pre-Fellowship Orientation (PFO) for MWF 2023 unfolded.
I personally think that food and drinks, free and informal photo poses with the US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown, better describe our PFO. Let’s dive in! NB: Subscribe to MiklahLife and catch up with our inspiring articles always!
But wait! What am I talking about? What if someone is new to this conversation?
Mandela Washington Fellowship & Pre-fellowship Orientation
For those who may not be aware, Mandela Washington Fellowship is a flagship project of YALI (Young African Leaders Initiative), a program commissioned by Barack Obama as early as 2010 to train and inspire the next generation of highly efficient and inspiring African leaders. YALI involves three programs or projects, that is, the YALI network, YALI Regional Centers, and Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF).
MWF started in 2014 and more than 5,800 young Africans from about 50 African countries have already participated in the fellowship. The fellowship involves taking about 700 young African leaders to the United States for 6-10 months experience, learning, networking, and connecting so as to leverage such exposure for further impact in their own local communities in Africa.
Everything is paid for by the US Department of State (or Government) and the program is highly effective, attractive, and full of opportunities, making it the most competitive program among all other programs of YALI or even other exchange programs funded by the US.
Talking about competition, I have already shared how it took me about 4 times of trying the opportunity, but never getting through! Read these details in my first MWF article here.
As already highlighted, the pre-fellowship orientation is simply a brief get-together event that unites all the selected MWFs for the first time per country. The major goal of the orientation is to introduce the fellows to MWF content, including American culture, and other expectations of the program so that fellows aren’t overwhelmed when the actual fellowship begins in the US.
Pre-fellowship Orientation for Uganda Mandela Washington Fellows!
Invitations for the Pre-Fellowship Orientation (PFO) came in as early as April 17th 2023. The invitation email also briefly shared the agenda as well. It was a full two-day event, which started on 18th May 2023 and ended on the morning of 20st May 2023 at one of the ‘coolest’ hotels in Uganda and around Africa, ONOMO hotels.
Pre-Fellowship Orientation: The first day, 18th May 2023 (Thursday)
The first day opened up with all of us meeting at Uganda American Embassy. Fellows travelled from wherever they were coming from and made it to the embassy by 11am. The reception was cool, respectful, and, yeah, re-assuring.
At the embassy, we were treated with drinks and eats, the American way! We ate delicious hamburgers, and started experiencing the US while still in Uganda. The fellowship had, in theory, started!
Of course, some of us came a little late, and Americans had nothing to do about it except to be patient with us. They had not oriented us yet. As such, I am tempted to proclaim, we were still in ‘grace’ period. Additionally, some of the organizers and coordinators of the orientation event were our fellow Ugandans. They probably knew who they were dealing with, lol!
Anyway, from the few self-introductions, greetings, fun facts about ourselves, talks about the states and universities we were going to and, of course, the eats and drinks, we were prepared and ushered in for visa interviews!
The visa interview experience was just awesome! Everyone was willing to assist, and it all happened smoothly, with love and care. We were already a ‘special’ class of people, weren’t we? As such, it would be unwise to base on our experience to score the general visa interview experiences at the embassy! However, I have this hope that it is usually good and fair.
NB: In my newest article, I have hinted on American Visa Process again, and shared some insights regarding why it is sometimes a difficult process! See the article here.
When visa interviews were done, it was about 2:30pm or 3pm (Uganda Time), and it was time to move to the hotel. The Embassy had prepared a bus for us. It was a smooth drive to the hotel.
At the hotel, we checked in, secured the amazing rooms that we were gonna be sleeping in, and prepared ourselves for the big banquet, an evening reception with the US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown.
Pre-Fellowship Orientation: A reception at Ambassador’s Residence!
Again, the Embassy’s bus picked us from the hotel to the Ambassador’s residence. I have to confess; It was a great and welcoming reception. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown is one the most gracious person I have ever seen, especially coming from such high positions of power! She welcomed us herself!
There was food, all sorts of drinks, Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni, good and soothing music and, of course, photography! Above all, the reception was friendly, more informal and less formal!
We listened to great inspirational speeches from our coordinators, mostly Kato, MWF alumni, for example, Byomire Gorretti and, of course, the Ambassador herself.
Ambassador Natalie was casual in her speech, but inspiring. She narrated how they, as American people and Government, had stood up for this program and offered examples of people it really had changed. She expressed gratitude and happiness in seeing us embrace such opportunities, and bravely approach African challenges.
She also introduced us to her parents, mom and sister, who had come to check on her and the country she was serving in.
Natalie freely gave herself to us for selfies and all sorts of photo poses. Well, we did all our best and stole moments with the US Ambassador to Uganda. Some few ladies got even the chance of touring the insides of her house, with her. It was an amazing evening, full of laughter, connections, drinks and eats, photo poses with the Ambassador, and a lot more.
NB: I like to joke that Ugandans beat everyone else on the continent when it came to taking photos with their US Ambassador, implying that our US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie, is one of the best! Allow me share more photos of fellows posing with the Ambassador, right? Let’s go! For photos during the house tour, privacy applies. So I won’t share them!
NB: See many more photos at the end of the article!
The reception ended at about 8pm. We headed back to the hotel, had our supper, some small chats here and there, and went to bed at about 10pm or so. The next day would be the ‘real-work’ day, and going to bed a little early was one way to prepare for it!
Pre-Fellowship Orientation: The Second Day, 19th May 2023 (Friday)
The second day opened and closed with seriousness. In the morning, we had breakfast, then entered the hall for the real orientation. Many presentations had been prepared, and we learnt a lot.
The 2nd day orientation covered topics like American culture, food, diversity, and general way of life. Also, topics regarding safety, adherence to the fellowship’s rules and regulations, and prevention of serious hazards like sexual abuse were emphasized.
We were introduced to the geographical location and size of the United States of America, and our dreams of ever crossing from states to others were thwarted by the mere fact that there was a long distance between one state and another.
Additionally, presenters reasoned, it would be riskier to travel to such long-distance places, away from where we are meant to be and, probably, away from what we should be, lol! IREX might not be in position to assist us when we are that far! So, it is for our good not to travel beyond 350 miles radius, Hallelujah!
Also, money facilitations, ways of care in case of sickness, available games and things to try, and many other things were discussed.
MWF alumni joined us and shared many life-moving experience-based stories. One of them told us that he got accepted into MWF after trying it for seven times. He also insisted that it was always a great idea to prepare ahead, especially when it comes to networking events.
The ‘grilling’ (it’s not me who said so; someone in the WhatsApp group phrased it!) took us up to about 5pm or more. We had it all.
That evening, we had supper and drinks, and then sat and chatted for as long as we wanted. Stories ranged from life hacks of enjoying life in the USA to ‘fearing women’ and all things between. We went to bed as late as 12MN.
The next day, 20th May 2023, was a check-out day. I personally slept it all, and checked out at 9am in the morning. That is how it all worked out. Wasn’t it beautiful? Thanks to everyone, especially the Americans. Thank you.
NB: I promised you more photos, right? Here, you are!
