Practical guides to every type of opportunity on PutYouthOn, with advice from young Africans who applied and won. Read the guide, then find opportunities that match you.
Seven habits of successful applicants
The same advice comes up again and again, whatever the opportunity.
Start early. Strong essays take several drafts; documents and references take weeks.
Read the eligibility first. Check your country, age and level before you write a word.
Prove your impact. Use numbers and real examples, not adjectives.
Tell one clear story. Link your past, the opportunity and your future plans.
Answer the actual question, completely, within the word limit.
Get feedback. Ask past winners or mentors to read your application.
Apply again. Many winners were rejected first. Improve and reapply.
Study
Scholarships
Funding to study, usually a bachelor's or master's degree abroad. Fully funded awards (Chevening, Mastercard Foundation, Commonwealth) cover fees, flights and living costs; partial ones (like university discounts) cover only part of your fees.
What selectors look for
A clear link between your course, your career plan and your country's needs
Leadership and impact you can prove with examples and numbers
A strong, honest personal story, not a list of achievements
Good academic fit, and offers or applications to the right universities
Get ready
Start 2–3 months before the deadline: essays need several drafts
Get transcripts, certificates and references ready early
Check language tests (IELTS or TOEFL) and whether you need a university offer first
Ask a past scholar to read your essays
Watch out for
Partial awards marketed as "fully funded": read what is actually covered
Courses or universities the scholarship does not cover
Paying anyone to "guarantee" a scholarship. Real scholarships never sell places
Advice from people who got in
BM
Bagele Moalosi
Botswana · Chevening Scholar 2023–24
MSc Applied Positive Psychology Coaching Psychology, University of East London
Research the programme properly and show how it fits your career and Botswana's development needs.
Be honest about your own personal and professional experience and the impact you want to make.
Find mentors, such as past scholars, for insight and feedback.
If you are not selected, review your application critically, improve it and apply again.
Programmes that invest in you as a leader: training, mentoring and a network, sometimes with travel (Mandela Washington Fellowship, Obama Foundation Leaders, MCW Global). They are less about grades and more about what you have already done.
What selectors look for
A track record of real, measurable impact in your community or field
A clear issue you work on, and a plan for what you will do next
Values and character: how you serve others, not just titles
Fit with the programme's track or theme
Get ready
Pick the right track (business, civic, public sector) for your work
Collect numbers: people reached, money raised, results achieved
Respect every word limit
Prepare to defend your application in an interview
Watch out for
Fellowships that charge large "programme fees" for a certificate
Applying to a track that does not match your work: it can get you cut early
Advice from people who got in
IA
Ikenna Anyadike
Nigeria · Mandela Washington Fellow 2017
Leadership training at Arizona State University
Make sure your work already shows measurable, significant impact before you apply.
Apply in the track that matches your work: business, civic leadership or public management.
Stay within the word limit for every answer.
If you reach the interview, back up your claims with data; it is your one chance to defend your application.
Events where you meet decision-makers and other young leaders (One Young World, Model AU, Youth Assembly). The best ones offer real scholarships; many others charge fees, so read carefully.
What selectors look for
Your story and the issue you are working on
Evidence of impact: numbers, testimonials, links
How attending will move your work forward
Complete, direct answers to every question
Get ready
Write your answers offline first; some forms do not save
Have working links to your LinkedIn, organisation and press
Check visa rules and timelines as soon as you apply
Budget for anything the scholarship does not cover
Watch out for
"Fully funded" summits that still charge an application or "processing" fee
Invitation letters sold for a fee
No clear refund policy, or promises like "represent your country at the UN"
Advice from people who got in
MT
Maluyane Titus Abongdoh
One Young World Summit 2022 scholar (Digital Delegate)
Selected after being rejected two years in a row
Expect setbacks: rejection teaches more than success.
Keep going with grit and a strong sense of purpose.
After each rejection, work out what went wrong and adjust.
Money, mentoring and investor access for businesses (Tony Elumelu Foundation, Anzisha Prize, YECO, HBS New Venture Competition). Most want a working product or revenue, not just an idea.
What selectors look for
A clear problem, customer and solution, and what makes you different
Traction: customers, revenue, growth, milestones
Market size and a believable plan to scale
A capable team and honest numbers
Get ready
A short pitch deck (10–12 slides) and a 1–2 minute pitch video
Business registration, basic financials and your key metrics
Clear answers for each question; judges want depth, not slogans
Watch out for
Equity or fees hidden in "free" programmes: check what you give up
Inflated numbers: judges verify, and it can disqualify you
Advice from people who got in
CK
Chris Kwekowe
Nigeria · Anzisha Prize 2015, 1st place
Founder, Slatecube
Keep it simple: open with the problem, the customer, your solution and what sets it apart.
Back it up with market size and the milestones you have reached.
Paid and unpaid roles, including the UN and international organisations. Remote roles often limit which countries you can live in, so check that first.
What selectors look for
Relevant experience, even from volunteering or student projects
A CV tailored to each role, with results, not just duties
Clear writing and good references
For the UN: languages, field experience and fit with the team
Get ready
A one- to two-page CV and a short, specific cover letter
A complete LinkedIn profile
A professional email address
Proof of eligibility to work where the role is based
Watch out for
Jobs that ask you to pay for training, equipment or "registration"
Remote roles open only to certain countries
Unpaid internships in expensive cities with no support
Advice from people who got in
PS
Phoebe Saintilan
UN intern turned consultant, UN Secretariat
Joined through a six-month policy and communications internship
Start with an internship, build relationships, and propose a consultancy before it ends.
Network with staff in the teams you want to join, for example on LinkedIn.
Entry-level graduates should focus on internships, consultancies or UN Volunteers rather than P2 jobs.
Look into Junior Professional Officer posts, and be open to hardship duty stations.
Advice is summarised in our own words from the public sources linked on each card, with thanks to everyone who shared their journey. Want to share yours? Get in touch.