Sawaba Fellowship 2026: Applications Open for Decolonial Feminist Projects
Applications are now open for the Sawaba Fellowship 2026, a program that offers a stipend to support creative and critical work on decolonial themes. Hosted by Liberation Alliance Africa, this fellowship brings together researchers, artists, activists, and others to explore ideas around liberation and feminist futures. Four fellows of African descent living on the continent will be selected for this opportunity.
What is the Sawaba Fellowship?
The Sawaba Fellowship creates a space for people to reflect, discuss, and produce knowledge on important topics. It targets researchers, thinkers, artists, practitioners, activists, writers, journalists, and community organizers. The program focuses on decolonial feminist futures through scholarly work and personal explorations.
The fellowship starts with a three-day residential retreat in an accessible spot on the African continent. This gathering helps fellows connect and build ideas together. It emphasizes critical consciousness, anti-colonial solidarity, and shared experiences.
2026 Fellowship Theme: Not Pioneers of an Empty Land
This year’s theme, “Not Pioneers of an Empty Land,” challenges old colonial stories. It rejects the idea that the world was empty before European arrival. Instead, it highlights real histories, memories, stories, and genealogies preserved by ancestors.
The theme pushes back against modern practices that ignore collective knowledge. In today’s digital world, people often chase individual fame, treating attention like a product to sell. This leads to isolation and a sense of despair, making us forget our shared roots.
Fellows are invited to explore beyond colonial borders in thinking, politics, emotions, and psychology. The program encourages reclaiming mutual interests, ecological care, and connections that existed before nation-states and dispossession. Projects should exalt truth over lies and support community flourishing.
Benefits of the Fellowship
Selected fellows receive a monthly stipend of USD $500. This funding covers project expenses during the fellowship period. It allows participants to focus on their work without financial stress.
The retreat and ongoing support provide chances to network and develop ideas. Fellows gain exposure to like-minded people committed to decolonial and feminist principles.
Eligibility Requirements
Open to a wide range of fields, including artists, academics, journalists, documentarians, thinkers, playwrights, poets, architects, urban planners, novelists, and cultural workers. Applicants should offer deep analysis on topics like justice, equality, rights, climate, identity, and community.
Candidates must go beyond standard views and show roots in decolonial feminist politics, anti-imperialist solidarity, feminist world-building, and epistemic liberation. They need strong knowledge of regional and global issues. Only those of African descent residing on the continent qualify.
How to Apply
Submit your application by email to the provided address. Include these items:
- A cover letter explaining your interest and fit.
- A portfolio of your past work.
- A project description, no more than three pages.
- A draft project budget.
All materials must arrive by the deadline of April 24, 2026. For full details, check the official call document from Liberation Alliance Africa.
This fellowship offers a chance to contribute to vital conversations on history, solidarity, and future-building. Act soon to join this group of thinkers and creators.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sawaba Fellowship?
The Sawaba Fellowship supports researchers, artists, activists, and others with a stipend to create work on decolonial feminist futures. It includes a three-day retreat to connect and build ideas.
What is the theme for the 2026 fellowship?
The theme ‘Not Pioneers of an Empty Land’ challenges colonial stories of empty lands and highlights ancestors’ histories, memories, and shared roots for community flourishing.
What benefits do selected fellows receive?
Fellows get a monthly stipend of USD $500 for project expenses, plus networking at the retreat and ongoing support from like-minded people.
How can I apply for the fellowship?
Email a cover letter, portfolio, project description (up to three pages), and budget to the provided address by April 24, 2026. Check the official call from Liberation Alliance Africa for details.