Fulbright-Hays Swahili Group Project Abroad in Kenya

INTENSIVE ADVANCED SWAHILI is sponsored by the federal government through the Fulbright Hays program of the Department of Education. It is a language intensive program that includes working with the community. The program offers 8 weeks of over 150 contact hours through intensive linguistic and cultural experience in Kenya.

Program Objective:

The advanced Swahili GPA 2025 in Kenya is an intensive community-based Swahili language and culture program designed to enhance participants’ language proficiency and promote knowledge and understanding of East Africa in a global context through Swahili language immersion. The program is open to all students nationwide.

Program Description:

Participants will spend 8 weeks studying Swahili language and culture in Kenya. Students will spend about one week in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya and 7 weeks in Kilifi. participants will also visit different places at the coast to learn more about coastal Swahili culture and Indian Ocean trade. Additionally, students will immerse themselves in the local culture through interaction with local people. 

Program Dates:

Dates for the 2025 program are June 1 – July 27, 2025.

Apply for the Program:

Apply via the Application Form below.

The Application Deadline is January 31, 2025.

The Program:

An Intensive Advanced Swahili Group Project Abroad (GPA) will take place in Kenya in the summer of 2025. The program, which will be hosted by Daystar University and Pwani University, will include: 

• Five hours daily of intensive Swahili language instruction and interactions 
• Cultural activities
• Everyday conversation hour with native speakers
• Excursions to historical and cultural sites on weekends 
• Homestay with a Swahili family for on specific weekends 

The Swahili GPA in Kenya is part of the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program of the U.S. Department of Education, and it is coordinated by the Department of World Languages and Cultures in collaboration with the Center for African Studies at Howard University in Washington, DC. 

Eligibility:

A participant in the Swahili GPA program must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Have had at least three or four semesters of Swahili language instruction
• Have commitment to a career in African Studies

Program Costs:

The Fulbright-Hays Swahili GPA grant covers the following expenses:

• International travel to and from Nairobi, Kenya from Washington DC
• Overseas Tuition
• Accommodation and food in Kenya
• Program-related transportation in Kenya
• Educational materials during the program

The grant does not cover:

• Program Fee of $1000 that covers administrative expenses in the United States
• Local travel from the participants’ homes to Washington DC airport and return after the program.
• Mandatory health insurance for the summer abroad in Kenya
• Passport and visa fees
• Immunizations and other health-care expenses related to travel
• Travel done on the student’s own time and initiative in Kenya
• Personal shopping and gifts

Important Dates: 

• January 31: Application deadline  
• February 28: Acceptance Notification 
• March 15: Pre-departure session 1 
• April 5: Pre-departure session 2 
• April 19: Pre-departure session 3 
• May 10: Pre-departure session 4 
• June 1: Departure for Kenya 
• July 27: Return to the U.S.

Program Dates and Locations: 

The program will take place in Kenya from June 1 to July 27, 2025. The program will last for eight weeks, with about one or two weeks in Nairobi, and six weeks in Kilifi on the coast of Kenya. Students will also visit different areas of the coastal region. Students will be assigned host families but will live at Pwani University and in hotels when traveling.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROGRAM FEE: $1000

Take your payments to Program Director in Locke Hall 348. Checks should be made payable to Howard University and mailed to the address provided below:

Dr. Leonard Muaka
Dept. of world Languages & Cultures
Locke Hall 348, Howard University
2441 Sixth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20059

For more information contact:

Dr. Leonard Muaka
Department of World Languages and Cultures
leonard.muaka@howard.edu
(202) 806-6758

Program Administration:  The program is administered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures in collaboration with Ralph Bunche Center, and the Center for African Studies at Howard University with onsite logistical support provided by Pwani University in Kenya. The program will be led by Dr. Leonard Muaka, Associate Professor of Swahili and Linguistics, Department of World Languages and Cultures at Howard University. On-site coordination will be provided by Pwani Universityv in Kilifi, just north of Mombasa.