Suspension of the Call for applications to the Young Leaders program - Response to Covid-19.

Dear French-African Foundation Community,

As it spreads through several European countries and increasingly through Africa, Covid-19 calls for each of us to adapt every part of our lives to this reality, in order to be collectively and individually more responsible.

The French-African Foundation, with the support of the Young Leaders community, hopes to respond to the demands of present circumstances by acknowledging all of its responsibilities during this global crisis.

Firstly, to act in accordance with the gravity of the situation and the necessity that each and every one of us focus on responding to it, the French-African Foundation has decided to suspend its call for applications for French-African Young Leaders 2020, starting this Sunday 12pm and until further notice. Previously submitted applications will be kept on file until the re-opening of the application process. The French seminar of the Young Leaders program is also postponed.

Secondly, faced with this crisis that has already affected France and risks spreading throughout Africa, the French-African foundation hopes to contribute and to propose a response to CoVid-19, by mobilizing its Young Leaders community.

A Covid-19 epidemic could take a heavy toll in Africa, where many countries have relatively weak health systems. Yet, because there is a delay in the spread of Covid-19 in Africa, it is still time to prevent such an epidemic from hitting the continent the same way it hit France and other countries. If we are to do so, it is crucial we act now, through a strong and immediate mobilization against the propagation of the virus.

Since 2017, the Young Leaders initiative was conceived in order to build bridges between the new generation of French and African leaders. It seeks to encourage them to come together in order to find answers to the 21st century’s most pressing issues for both France and Africa. The Covid-19 crisis precisely calls for a response akin to the mission of the Young Leaders community : a concerted effort, agreed upon by France and African countries and across sectors, a combat that is committed to the search for concrete solutions.

With that in mind, the French-African Foundation, along with the Young Leaders, is launching a campaign to fight against the spread of Covid-19 in Africa. We will also be intensifying our efforts to work towards actionable solutions in the fight against the propagation of Covid-19. We will share these initiatives with you in the coming weeks.

In these trying times, we wish you and your loved ones safety and courage. As we face this unprecedented crisis together, we hope that you will take care of yourself but also of others, and look up to your communities to find ways of responding collectively.

We are in this and will overcome it together.