Biography

In 2001, I had the opportunity to be part of the second cohort of KSAL Fellows. It was in the junior phase of my career. The individual who nominated me believed in my leadership potential as I was a community development and civil society activist – enthusiastic about helping my community strive to overcome poverty. The KSAL programme shaped me as a human being, within the context of community development and African renaissance. It guided me before I was enrolled at university up to my completion. It brought out my passion and potential to be a social entrepreneur committed to supporting my family and my community. It put me in the center of a network of strong SADC young intellectual leaders who are making a difference in their fields, families, communities and countries. The Community Thought Leadership training placed me in a position to be a visionary young leader. KSAL’s prompt support—not only financial support for me and my daughter back home while I was at university, but also the guidance, encouragement and patience of my program officer—helped assure my academic success. Currently, I am a confident professional and “authority” in my field and my work. I challenged myself by founding a non-governmental organization called KUWUKA JDA —Youth Development and Environmental Advocacy. It advocates for sustainable community development, citizens’ participation in decision-making, participatory governance, accountability and transparency in natural resources management for benefit of all, including current and future generations. My KSAL training is benefitting the youth who are activists in KUWUKA JDA, local communities and citizens who participate in and influence good governance and sustainable management of natural resources. Additionally, I continue supporting my extended family and my community to work towards the well-being for all.