Resilience Fellowship 2026 With Stipend, Travel Support and Mental Health Training Open
Twelve pairs of young East African changemakers will be selected for a 9-month fellowship that combines climate justice, emotional wellbeing, leadership training and community-based resilience work.
The Resilience Fellowship 2026 is for applicants aged 18–28 from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya who can apply in pre-formed pairs. Selected fellows receive Mental Health First Aid certification, mentorship, facilitation training, covered travel, a 5-day residential experience, and a KES 40,000 stipend.
A Fellowship Built Around Climate Anxiety, Not Just Activism
This programme is designed for young people already working around climate justice, community healing, youth leadership or social change. Its strongest angle is not simply training fellows to “lead projects,” but helping them understand burnout, climate anxiety and emotional resilience while supporting others in their own communities.
Selected fellows will attend a 5-day Resilience Residential from 31 July to 4 August 2026, followed by months of mentorship, weekly preparation, reporting and community work.
What Selected Fellows Receive?
The funding package includes a KES 40,000 stipend and covered travel. Fellows also receive Mental Health First Aid training, facilitation and leadership skills, project management exposure, mentorship for 8 months, and access to a long-term peer support network.
The programme does not describe tuition, accommodation, visa costs, health insurance or research allowance because this is not a university scholarship. It is a youth leadership and community resilience fellowship.
Who Should Apply for the 2026 Intake?
Applicants must be aged 18–28 and based in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda or Tanzania. They must be proficient in English and available from July 2026 to March 2027 for training, facilitation, reporting, mentorship and community sessions.
A major eligibility condition is the partner requirement. Applicants must apply as pairs because selected fellows will co-lead Resilience Circles together in their local communities.
The Commitment Is Serious!
This is not a light online certificate programme. Fellows must complete a 2-day online Mental Health First Aid training, attend the full 5-day residential, and later run Resilience Circles with 16–20 young people in their community.
The local facilitation work requires around 5–6 hours per week over 8 weeks, plus weekly reporting, monthly calls and monthly mentorship meetings.
Application Deadline
Applicants must download the application booklet, prepare their answers in advance, and then submit through the online form linked in the booklet.
The last date to apply for the Resilience Fellowship 2026 is 31 May 2026 at 11:59pm EAT.
For young East Africans already carrying community responsibility, this fellowship is useful because it treats resilience as a skill, not a slogan. The strongest applicants will likely be pairs who can prove trust, local commitment and the ability to support others consistently over several months.