Are you a thinker, artist, or activist passionate about decolonial futures? The Sawaba Fellowship 2026 offers a unique chance to explore these ideas through reflection, research, and community. Hosted by Liberation Alliance Africa, this program selects four fellows of African descent living on the continent to join a three-day residential retreat and ongoing work.
What Is the Sawaba Fellowship 2026?
The Sawaba Fellowship 2026 creates space for researchers, thinkers, artists, practitioners, activists, writers, journalists, and community organizers. Fellows engage in discourse, research, and knowledge production on topics tied to decolonial feminist futures. It blends scholarly work with personal and group explorations of liberation, critical awareness, and anti-colonial feminist solidarity. The program starts with a retreat in an easy-to-reach spot on the African continent.
The 2026 Theme: Not Pioneers of an Empty Land
This year’s theme, “Not Pioneers of an Empty Land,” challenges the old colonial story that the world was empty before Europeans arrived. It pushes back against lies that ignore collective knowledge and shared growth. Today, these ideas appear in practices that reject group wisdom, leading to isolation and despair, especially on social media where attention is sold for profit.
The theme honors ancestors who kept memories, stories, family lines, and histories alive. It calls fellows to break free from colonial borders in thinking, politics, feelings, and mindsets. Instead, reclaim shared lands, common goals, and care for nature that existed before maps of theft and nation-states took hold.
Key Benefits for Fellows
Fellows receive a monthly stipend of USD $500 for the fellowship period. This money covers project costs and supports their work. The retreat and ongoing activities provide chances to connect with others and build ideas together.
Eligibility Requirements
Open to people of African descent living on the continent. Fellows can be artists, academics, journalists, documentarians, thinkers, playwrights, poets, architects, urban planners, novelists, cultural workers, or others. They must offer sharp, forward-looking views on justice, equality, rights, climate, identity, and community. Applicants need strong roots in decolonial feminist politics, anti-imperialist solidarity, feminist world-building, and freeing knowledge from colonial limits. Knowledge of local and global issues is key.
How to Apply for the Sawaba Fellowship 2026
Send your application to [email protected]. Include a cover letter, portfolio, project description (up to three pages), and a draft project budget. Applications must arrive by April 24, 2026.
For full details, check the official call document from Liberation Alliance Africa. This fellowship is a chance to contribute to truthful narratives and collective futures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sawaba Fellowship 2026?
The Sawaba Fellowship 2026 is a program hosted by Liberation Alliance Africa that selects four fellows of African descent for a three-day residential retreat and ongoing work on decolonial feminist futures.
What is the theme for the 2026 fellowship?
The theme ‘Not Pioneers of an Empty Land’ challenges colonial stories of empty lands and honors ancestors’ shared knowledge, stories, and care for nature.
Who is eligible to apply?
People of African descent living on the African continent, such as artists, thinkers, activists, journalists, and others with strong views on decolonial feminist politics and anti-imperialist solidarity.
How do I apply and what is the deadline?
Send a cover letter, portfolio, project description up to three pages, and a draft budget to [email protected] by April 24, 2026.
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