Transport and Public Works Official Selected for Obama Fellowship

Danielle Manuel from the Department of Transport and Public Works was selected to attend the first Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. She is one of 46 young people from South Africa chosen to participate in this programme started by the American president, Barack Obama.

Danielle, a volunteer rape counsellor, has been working for the department for five years.

Candidates were selected on merit for this fellowship. Selection criteria included proven leadership and accomplishment in public service, business and entrepreneurship or civic engagement and a commitment to public or community service, volunteerism or mentorship.

Read more on the selection criteria.

Eligible applications were then reviewed by a selection panel and semi-finalists were interviewed by the United States embassies or consulates in their home countries.

The programme started on 16 June 2014 and will run for six weeks.

Danielle, who will be based at the Centre for Integrative Leadership at the University of Minnesota, says she likes the fact that the programme has an African focus and that they were being empowered to change things for themselves.