This April, a team from the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) traveled from Minneapolis to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to participate in an international exchange program years in the making. Their host in Zimbabwe, Cinderella Ndlovu, worked with RSDP during her time as a Mandela Washington Fellow in 2024.
A history of connection
The seeds of this exchange were planted several years ago when IREX, a global development and education organization, reached out to Okey Ukaga, the former RSDP Northeast executive director, about hosting Mandela Washington Fellows. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, brings young African leaders to the United States for a six-week seminar, followed by an additional four weeks of professional development experience with a U.S. organization.
Ukaga embraced the opportunity. Over the years, Fellows have traveled to Minnesota to participate in the professional development experience with RSDP. During their time, they learned about community-University partnerships across Minnesota by working one-on-one with RSDP staff, meeting with rural leaders, attending regional board meetings, and touring projects, farms and rural grocery stores.
“Global exchanges like the Mandela Washington Fellowship open our worlds to each other.” Ukaga explains, “We all have a view of the world from our perspective. It’s like standing on your front porch. You can describe what you see, and it is correct. But it isn’t the only one. Someone standing in your backyard would most likely see and describe something different. Global exchanges help us see, experience and understand the world more holistically.”
