AI FOR GOOD FELLOWSHIP: Do you want to help solve Africa’s challenges using ethical AI?
Are you an AI whizz who understands how to craft prompts to get the most out of AI tools? The Digitalise Youth consortium, through Code for Africa (CfA), is offering six fellowships to technologists in Africa to work with human rights defending (HRD) organisations to assist them in rapidly scaling up their interventions through the savvy use of AI technology. The HRDs will be located in the Sahel, as well as neighbouring countries in West and East Africa, so familiarity with the region is a must.
Under this fellowship, technologists will support HRDs to build on their existing AI-based initiatives and resources or develop new tools or solutions. Fellows must therefore have proven experience in AI/ML prompt engineering or modelling, and a strong commitment to human rights and ethical AI. Activities will include co-designing AI tools with HRDs, ensuring ethical compliance in AI deployments, and generating actionable insights to inform policy and advocacy.
Fellows will either develop AI-powered solutions within their own technology teams or collaborate with experts to build them. These solutions may include natural language processing (NLP) models for detecting harmful content, big data tools for mapping disinformation networks, and automation systems for civic engagement platforms. Deliverables will include research briefs, prototype AI models, and strategic plans for scaling AI-driven interventions that strengthen HRDs’ work and safeguard public discourse.
Selected fellows will receive support from CfA’s TechLab, DataLab, and AI Sandbox, alongside mentorship from global AI experts, CSOs, and policymakers. Partners include climate resilience networks, public health organisations, and digital rights advocates, providing resources for prototyping, testing, and scaling solutions.
Fellowship Package
- Stipend: $500/month
- Duration: Four months
- Mentorship: Guidance from CfA’s TechLab and support from partner institutions at the Digitalise Youth consortium.
- Network: Collaborate with the consortium and its regional networks.
- Real world impact: Opportunity to work with HRD organisations to implement solutions to existing challenges.
- Showcase : Present capstone projects to local, national, continental, and global partners, and at events.
Are You Eligible?
We seek problem-solvers with:
- Social Impact – Demonstrated experience in developing AI-driven solutions that enhance civic information, support human rights defenders, or address societal challenges.
- Data Fluency – Expertise in collecting, cleaning, and analysing socio-economic or environmental datasets.
- Design Thinking – Skill in co-creating solutions with communities and CSOs.
- Prototyping Experience – Track record of testing AI solutions in resource-constrained settings.
- Scalability Planning – Ability to design tools for broad adoption across diverse regions.
- Technical Proficiency – Experience in AI modelling (NLP, computer vision, predictive analytics).
- Ethical AI Practices – Commitment to fairness, transparency, and inclusivity in AI design.
- Collaboration Skills – Experience working with policymakers or grassroots organisations.
- Fluency in either English/French/Arabic
- Familiarity with open-source tools and open-data principles.
- Applicants must demonstrate ties to African communities.
- Location: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Guinea, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia.
Eligible candidates are invited to fill this form by 14th April 2025 to join a transformative cohort of innovators addressing the Sahel’s most pressing challenges through ethical AI.
About the project
The Digitalise Youth Project, part of the Digital Democracy Initiative, aims to address the shrinking civic space and rampant disinformation in the Sahel and neighbouring regions by empowering local youth activists and civil society organisations. The project focuses on enhancing digital skills, promoting civic tech solutions, and raising awareness about online political engagement. By bridging the gap between human rights defenders and the tech community, the project equips young activists and media organisations with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital ecosystem, protect themselves from surveillance, and fight against disinformation. In addition to its capacity-building work, Digitalise Youth’s advocacy efforts seek to promote digital rights at local, regional, and international levels, urging the ratification of the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection.
About the partners
Code for Africa (CfA)
CfA will give fellows access to support from its openAFRICA data ‘liberation’ team, the commons.AFRICA open source team, the source.AFRICA evidence research team, and a string of wider communities that CfA manages, including the africanDRONE community of civic drone/mapping pioneers, the sensor.AFRICA community that uses remote sensors to monitor air/water/radiation and other environmental information, the PesaCheck fact-checking team that debunks misinformation, the iLAB forensic investigation team that tracks and exposes hate speech or other toxic content, the CivicSignal media monitoring and content analysis team, and the WanaData network of women data scientists/storytellers who liberate and amplify feminist data.
AfricTivistes
AfricTivistes will function as the digital activism catalyst, launching innovation hubs and civic tech events to foster grassroots solutions. It will fund youth developers building tools to counter disinformation and monitor governance accountability. AfricTivistes will leverage its pan-African network to ensure culturally resonant, locally driven advocacy.
European Partnership for Democracy (EPD)
EPD will act as the policy architect, driving digital rights reforms through AU/ECOWAS engagement and global platforms like the UN. It will connect Sahel youth leaders with AU-ECOSOCC to advance the African Charter on Democracy. EPD will integrate civic tech into regional governance frameworks through coalition-building and advocacy.
Canal France International (CFI)
CFI will stand as the media integrity guardian, training Sahel journalists to combat misinformation and online threats. It will equip young creators with ethical storytelling tools and amplify human rights reporting via Francophone media partnerships. CFI will prioritise digital safety for activists in conflict zones like Sudan and Mali.
World Scout Bureau Africa (WOSM)
WOSM will operate as the youth skills accelerator, using Scouting networks to teach digital literacy and AI basics in underserved communities. It will fund grassroots tech projects in Benin and Cameroon, fostering youth leadership in climate and governance. WOSM will deploy mobile training units to bridge urban-rural tech gaps.
Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF)
KAF will emerge as the human rights steward, advancing ethical AI governance aligned with AU standards. It will mentor activists in Ethiopia and Somalia to advocate for digital rights safeguards. KAF will link Sahel partners to global platforms like the UN, ensuring local voices shape international tech policies.