Current Fellowship Organizations

African Leadership Academy
South Africa

African Leadership Academy seeks to transform Africa by identifying, developing, and connecting the next generation of African leaders.

African School of Economics
Benin

African School of Economics partners with academic institutions to address the dearth of quality tertiary education, research, and innovative public policy in Africa by creating an incubator of business leaders and social scientists.

Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative
Botswana/Eswatini

BIPAI’s mission is to conduct a program of high-quality, high-impact, highly ethical pediatric and family HIV/AIDS care and treatment, health professional training and clinical research. They provide medical expertise, clinical supplies and professional training to health centers and hospitals run by the Ministry of Health throughout the country. BIPAI gives families the testing, counseling, care, treatment and psychosocial services needed by an HIV exposed family.

eleQtra
Uganda

eleQtra is a leading player in the development, investment, management, and operation of private infrastructure in emerging economies.

Emerging Leaders Foundation
Kenya

The Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa (ELF-Africa) exists to empower, support and accompany young women and men to achieve meaningful, dignified and impactful participation in governance, economy and public affairs at all levels of society. Anchored on our foundational values-based approach to leadership as service. ELF’s vision is pursued through three program pillars namely the Governance & Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Livelihoods & Opportunity, and our signature Leadership Development Program.

Through life skills training and mentorship, grounding in civic consciousness and responsibility, professional development and practical exposure to the world of work, the three programme pillars collectively provide platforms, tools and linkages to discover, inspire and empower the young women and men to transform their communities even as they thrive individually.

Equal Education
South Africa

Equal Education advocates for quality and equality in the South African education system and engages in evidence-based activism for improving the nation’s schools. EE’s campaigns, based on detailed research and policy analysis, are aimed at achieving quality education for all. EE promotes the rights to equality and education, with the firm belief that these will enable the poor and working classes to an equal opportunity in life. EE seeks to improve the poor quality of education in South Africa by working together with communities, schools, teachers, principals, learners, parents, academics, researchers and the government.

Food for Education
Kenya

Food for Education is an African-led and women-led social enterprise that uses technology, smart operations, and logistics to deliver low-cost, nutritious meals to public primary school children. We currently serve over 50,000 primary school students every day across Nairobi, Kiambu,
Kisumu and Mombasa counties. Parents pay for these meals through a mobile money system linked to Near Field Communication (NFC) wristbands, which the children wear and ‘Tap2Eat’ in under 5 seconds to access their meals.

Our mission is to scale a model that prioritizes efficient supply chain management and sustainable sourcing, so we can continue lowering the cost of school meals. Food for Education has served over 9,000,000 meals since 2012 and is expanding to reach at least 1,000,000 public school students in Kenya by 2027.

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Kenya

ILRI envisions a world where all people have access to enough food and livelihood options to fulfil their potential. ILRI’s mission is to improve food and nutritional security and to reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock—ensuring better lives through livestock.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Kenya/Sierra Leone/Somalia(based in Kenya)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Kakenya’s Dream
Kenya

Through education, community engagement, and advocacy, Kakenya’s Dream transforms the lives of vulnerable girls across rural Kenya, and in the process, transforms the communities in which they live. Their work demonstrates the positive social and economic impact that empowered girls and women can have on their communities. Their programs are designed to help girls realize their full potential while engaging boys and men who will play critical roles in their long-term success. Kakenya’s Dream believes in the transformational power of holistic education to positively impact the lives of girls and the communities in which they live.

Kucetekela Foundation
Zambia

The Kucetekela Foundation provides scholarships to Zambian girls and boys who are academically promising but financially disadvantaged to attend private secondary schools.

LONO
Côte d’Ivoire

LONO is a social enterprise that is driven to make sustainable agriculture and energy accessible to farmers and agribusinesses in Côte d’Ivoire. We do so by tapping into the value of the millions of tons of agricultural residues that are currently perceived as waste. By converting this waste into compost, bio-fertilizer, and bio-energy in a profitable and sustainable manner, we aim to contribute to additional income generation and soil restoration.

Lwala Community Alliance
Kenya

Lwala Community Alliance works to build the capacity of the people in and around the village of Lwala to advance their own comprehensive well-being, through programs in small-scale micro-enterprises, public health, water sanitation, and education. 

Mpala Research Centre & Wildlife Foundation
Kenya

Mpala facilitates and exemplifies sustainable human-wildlife co-existence and the advancement of human livelihoods and quality of life through education, outreach, and by developing science-based solutions to guide conservation actions for the benefit of nature and human welfare.

Pangea Global Ventures
Ghana

Pangea Global Ventures Ventures accelerates the transformation of African’s agriculture sector through support to West African agribusinesses. This transformation from subsistence agriculture to productive, profitable, innovative sector will improve food security while driving economic and job growth. Pangea Ventures identifies business opportunities with high growth potential, supports the investment readiness of enterprises and connects entrepreneurs with global impact investors.

Population Services International
Côte d’Ivoire

The mission of PSI is to measurably improve the health of poor and vulnerable people in the developing world, principally through social marketing of family planning and health products and services, and health communications.

Population Solutions for Health
Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, the Organization will support the government of Zimbabwe in efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage by seeking first to understand the market for health products and services and then to co-create solutions with consumers and providers which expand healthcare options, ensuring that their voices guide national health priorities. The Organization works with government, private and community partners to remove barriers and open new channels to improve the existing health system, and harvests technology innovation and leverages strategic partnerships to bring quality care closer to consumers.

Tanzania Education Corporation
Tanzania

Tanzania Education Corp, (TEC), was formed in 2009 to partner with Tumaini Schools to provide a top tier education to over 1,100 Tanzanian students in pre-primary through the end of high school. TEC has provided funds to build two campuses and to provide an innovative curriculum to supplement the Tanzanian curriculum.

Tech Care for All
Kenya

The mission of Tech Care for All is to sustainably transform health outcomes in Africa and India by addressing the upskilling needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) across the cadres.

The Rwanda School Project
Rwanda

The Rwanda School Project provides high quality secondary education in Rwanda. Their Rwamagana Leaders’ School offers a secure and nurturing school environment that transforms vulnerable youth into future leaders and problem solvers who champion environmental sustainability and social change.

USAP Community School
Zimbabwe

The USAP Community School is a residential 11th and 12th grade, Cambridge A-levels, boarding school that educates high-achieving, low-income Zimbabwean students to excel at the world’s top universities and return home to build society. USAP Community School was founded by Education Matters, a non-profit educational trust. We opened in January 2020, building from the USAP program, a college access program that has helped hundreds of Zimbabweans access higher education abroad over the last two decades. We focus on delivering a well-rounded education, including success in A-level sciences, a rigorous humanities core curriculum, training in research methods and community-based problem solving, as well as whole student development through extracurriculars, our Honor Code, and Quaker roots.

Warc Africa
Ghana

WARC Africa’s mission is to progress to a world in which poor people can use the best of technology to generate conscious economic growth. They work to develop smart business models to enable farmers to access the best available machinery, agricultural practices, and technical advice in a way that is economically beneficial for all parties.

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation