Sawaba Fellowship 2026 for African Thinkers and Creatives (USD 500 monthly stipend)

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Applications are open for Sawaba Fellowship 2026. The Sawaba fellowship, hosted by Liberation Alliance Africa, creates space for researchers, thinkers, artists, practitioners, activists, writers, journalists, and community organisers to engage in reflection and experience-based discourse, research, and knowledge production on key topics in pursuit of decolonial feminist futures.

The Sawaba fellowship embodies scholarly components and personal and collective explorations on liberation, critical consciousness, and anti-colonial feminist solidarity.

2026 Fellowship theme: Not Pioneers of an Empty Land

Sawaba Fellowship Program Details

Four fellows of African descent who reside on the continent will be selected.
The fellowship will begin with a three-day residential retreat in an accessible location on the African continent.

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Fellows will receive a USD 500 monthly stipend for the duration of the fellowship to cover project expenses.
The fellowship term is three months.
The fellowship is conducted in English.

2026 Fellowship theme: Not Pioneers of an Empty Land

Prospective fellows will propose an original project of conviction aligning with the fellowship theme.
The project should contribute to decolonial feminist liberation. Fellows are expected to conclude their projects during their fellowship term.
Fellows are expected to attend fellowship gatherings in person and online, and to engage with other scholars, practitioners, and organisers within and outside the LAA collective.
Fellows must be available to participate in one in-person gathering in May 2026, which will be fully supported by the Liberation Alliance Africa Collective.
Fellows are expected to contribute significantly to critical consciousness-raising on anti-colonial world-building through preferred media, including, but not limited to, essays, books, journals or podcasts, plays, exhibitions, and organising public events or lectures.

Eligibility Criteria for Sawaba Fellowship

Liberation Alliance Africa invites scholars, artists, scientists, and practitioners to share works that reinforce our conviction that these emotional, physical, psychological and epistemological lands were never « empty, » but were instead sophisticated sites of indigenous governance, ecological stewardship, and cultural continuity.
The selection process will prioritise projects that honour individual and collective journeys and how we arrive at moments of radical awakening.

Application Requirements

Fellows may be artists, academics, journalists, documentarians, thinkers, playwrights, poets, architects, urban planners, novelists, cultural workers, or practitioners in other fields.
They are critical and futurist voices with deep analysis of normative concepts such as justice, equality, rights, climate, identity, and community, transcending the limitations of contemporary thought and discourse.
Successful applicants will be deeply rooted in decolonial feminist politics, antiimperialist solidarity, feminist world-building, and epistemic liberation, while being well-versed in regional and global issues.
Project Proposal (1,500 words): Outline your methodology and how it bridges at least two distinct disciplines.
Portfolio/CV: Highlighting previous work that engages with themes of decolonisation or historical justice.
Personal Statement: Why does the theme « Not Pioneers of an Empty Land » resonate with your current practice? Maximum of one page.

Application Timeline

Fellowship applications must be received no later than 24th April 2026
Due to the high volume of anticipated applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us by 30 April 2026, we regret to inform you that this means we have been unable to shortlist your application.
The organizers truly appreciate the time and effort you put into applying and wish you the best in your future endeavours.
Please direct all additional requests to hello@liberationallianceafrica.com

How To Apply for Sawaba Fellowship

The fellowship application can be sent to hello@liberationallianceafrica.com
This requires a cover letter, a portfolio, a project description (maximum of three pages) and a draft project budget.

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Application Deadline: 24th April 2026