If you’re building something because you’ve lived the problem, and you know it’s ready to grow, this fellowship program is for you.
The Amahoro Coalition Fellowship has opened applications for Cohort 4, and it’s looking for founders, innovators, and community leaders whose work is already in motion. People who didn’t wait for permission to start. People whose ideas came from their communities, their experiences, and the gaps they saw every day.
The Amahoro Coalition Fellowship has opened applications for Cohort 4, and it’s looking for founders, innovators, and community leaders whose work is already in motion. People who didn’t wait for permission to start. People whose ideas came from their communities, their experiences, and the gaps they saw every day.
Cohort 4 is for leaders who’ve been building for at least a year and are ready to take the next step. If that sounds like you, applications are now open.
So what does it actually mean to become an Amahoro Coalition Fellow?
For most people, the journey doesn’t start with an application form. It starts with listening.
Prospective applicants usually attend information sessions, talk to current and former Fellows, and take time to reflect. They connect their personal story to the system they’re trying to change. They think through why this work matters, why now, and what it would take to grow beyond one place or one community. Only then does the application begin. The Fellowship looks for initiatives, enterprises, programs, or platforms that have moved beyond the idea stage and are already creating real-world impact.
For most people, the journey doesn’t start with an application form. It starts with listening.
Prospective applicants usually attend information sessions, talk to current and former Fellows, and take time to reflect. They connect their personal story to the system they’re trying to change. They think through why this work matters, why now, and what it would take to grow beyond one place or one community. Only then does the application begin. The Fellowship looks for initiatives, enterprises, programs, or platforms that have moved beyond the idea stage and are already creating real-world impact.
So what does it actually mean to become an Amahoro Coalition Fellow? For most people, the journey doesn’t start with an application form. It starts with listening. Prospective applicants usually attend information sessions, talk to current and former Fellows, and take time to reflect. They connect their personal story to the system they’re trying to change. They think through why this work matters, why now, and what it would take to grow beyond one place or one community. Only then does the application begin.
The Fellowship looks for initiatives, enterprises, programs, or platforms that have moved beyond the idea stage and are already creating real-world impact.
Becoming an Amahoro Fellow is competitive, by design.
In the last cohort, 1,678 people applied. Every application was reviewed through a structured, data-driven process. Hundreds were assessed. Dozens were interviewed. Finalists were reviewed by a selection committee that included Fellowship alumni themselves.
In the end, 41 Fellows were selected, representing 10 African countries. More than half were women, with first-time representation from countries including Malawi, Cameroon, Libya, and Zambia.
In the end, 41 Fellows were selected, representing 10 African countries. More than half were women, with first-time representation from countries including Malawi, Cameroon, Libya, and Zambia.
For many Fellows, impact accelerates quickly.
Nancy Nyaleso, a Cohort 2 Fellow, developed Dignify, a tech-driven e-wallet improving access to menstrual health products through the EmpowerHer initiative. What began as a response to gaps Nancy saw firsthand has grown into a platform that streamlines the financing, delivery, and tracking of menstrual products, paired with a five-week health education program for girls aged 13–18.
The program covers everything from puberty and reproductive health to practical skills like reusable pad care. So far, Dignify has reached over 2,000 individuals and registered 811 active users.
In Uganda’s Kyangwali refugee camp, Niyonzima Diyodon leads Zonima FC, a financial services provider serving both Ugandan and non-Ugandan clients. With a small team of six, Zonima FC provides microloans at 5% annual interest, financial literacy training, and business financing to market vendors, shop owners, and restaurant operators, 75% of them women. Diodon’s approach combines ethical lending with a sharp business strategy, proving that financial inclusion can be both sustainable and community-driven.
One of the Fellowship’s quiet strengths is what happens between Fellows.
Cross border collaborations are common and encouraged. In one example, Cindy Oyugi, based in South Africa, supplies seeds to fellow Bahirwe Espoir Patrick in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting AgrowNest, a crop farming and animal rearing enterprise. These peer-to-peer connections are not incidental, they are a core part of how the Fellowship accelerates scale.
Cross border collaborations are common and encouraged. In one example, Cindy Oyugi, based in South Africa, supplies seeds to fellow Bahirwe Espoir Patrick in the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting AgrowNest, a crop farming and animal rearing enterprise. These peer-to-peer connections are not incidental, they are a core part of how the Fellowship accelerates scale.
What truly sets the Amahoro Coalition Fellowship apart is shared ownership.
The Fellowship does not end after one year, Alumni return as mentors, interviewers, and guides for new applicants. They host information sessions, sit on selection panels, and help define what leadership with lived experience really looks like. This ensures each new cohort is shaped not only by strategy, but by trust, accountability, and real world insight. Cohort 4 is looking for leaders whose work is already rooted in experience and ready to scale. If you are building something that matters and you are ready to grow it with intention, support, and community, this could be the beginning of your journey.
The Fellowship does not end after one year, Alumni return as mentors, interviewers, and guides for new applicants. They host information sessions, sit on selection panels, and help define what leadership with lived experience really looks like. This ensures each new cohort is shaped not only by strategy, but by trust, accountability, and real world insight. Cohort 4 is looking for leaders whose work is already rooted in experience and ready to scale. If you are building something that matters and you are ready to grow it with intention, support, and community, this could be the beginning of your journey.
The story always starts before the application. The next chapter starts when you apply.
