The Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program is a unique two-year international fellowship administered by the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC). Its mission is to develop leaders committed to finding lasting solutions to hunger and poverty worldwide through both direct programming and good policies. Leland Fellows are given the opportunity to develop new skills while actively working to alleviate hunger and poverty.

During each two-year fellowship cycle, 12-15 Leland Fellows are placed with international development organizations that include international and local NGOs, U.S. government agencies and multilateral organizations. Fellows work on a variety of food security issues, such as agricultural development, nutrition, natural resource management, agribusiness development and women’s empowerment.

The program begins with a one-year field placement in a developing country in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. Field activities often include research, program design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of projects. Fellows spend the second year doing policy work, usually at the headquarters of the organization they served in the field year. In addition to their work experiences, fellows take part in CHC-sponsored annual training sessions and a series of professional development days aimed at further developing their skills and expertise.

Additional Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to fighting hunger
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and abilities
• Graduate degree or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
• One year of combined work or volunteer experience in a developing country
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across cultural contexts
• Flexibility
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment
• Critical thinking skills and a high degree of self-motivation