Tamanda Namangale
Tell us about yourself. Who are YOU?
I am an 18 year old Malawian. I am one of Malawi's scholarship students at the United World College of Southern Africa (Waterford Kamhlaba). I was born and raised in the military. I completed studies in Child Protection in Theory and Practice with Harvard University. I am an Ambassador for the Yale Young African Scholars program for Malawi, and an attendee of the Yale Young Global Scholars - Politics, Law and Economics session. I am the Malawi delegate for the 3rd African Youth SDGs Summit and a Malawian delegate for the 2020 Global Youth Model United Nations.
I am currently into writing poetry and practicing photography.
What have you been doing to spread the word and/or to help your cause so far?
I am the Founder of The Student Project Malawi. It is a non-profit organization that provides underprivileged students with resources such as books and stationery. I started the project alone initially, saving up money my parents had given me in order to buy books. However, I realized that on my own, the difference I would make would not be as significant as the impact of a group, so I asked a few of my close friends (Megan Mkumba, Mphatso Nkhoma, Princess Gama, Wamaka Nkuna, Theodora Kuntembwe, Patience Keffa, Faith Mbale and Elapo Trigu) if they were interested in the project. They have been very active in recruiting people, raising funds and organizing events and donations.
Each end of school term, we would put the saved money together and choose a school to buy equipment for. We would keep some of the money for fundraising activities so our output increased with the next school we went to. The project was opened to all students and Malawians who felt they wanted to be part of the movement to educate our nation.
Was there anything in particular that inspired you to start at the time you did?
I got this idea one day when I was being driven to school. It was like any other day but it was rainy, kids were clutching their books and running to school and the reality of poverty and affluence living side-by-side hit me. If my books got wet, I would just get others, but these children didn't have that privilege. I wanted a way to give them some of the resources that I had readily available, so I started out just trying to give as much extra stationery and books as I had available.
How have your past experiences helped you to run your organization?
Growing up, I definitely did not [intend to start an organization}. Starting an organization was never something I felt I had the capacity to do. I felt I was too young, or that I did not have enough resources. However, I came to the realization that there would never be enough resources, that there would always be lack, but this lack was accompanied by abundance if I thought of the glass as half full or half empty. So I focused on what I had instead of what I wished I had.
Working with different organizations and existing in diverse and international spaces has given me exposure to different perspectives and people who have helped this organization come to life. The successes have been team efforts. Being an Ambassador has also given me a platform to get to people and to interact with people. Becoming certified in Child Protection has helped me to better understand children's needs as my project is focused on young people.
What is the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle has been balancing school with all the projects and all the change I am trying to implement. Sometimes, it feels like I’m losing control on both ends but usually taking time off to regain balance has been the best solution.
What's your definition of success? Do you consider yourself a success?
My definition of success is knowing that even one life has breathed easier because of me. So yes, I feel successful. I do not consider myself the epitome of success. I'd like to think there's always more I could be doing, and with every action I take that positively benefits another, I become increasingly successful.
What are some of your future plans? Are you working on anything else right now?
Currently, The Student Project is working on branching out to be an informative space for Malawians and Africans, and also a safe mental health space. A team of four, Mphatso Nkhoma, Duane Gadama, Mary Ganda and I, are working on finding the best ways we can equip young people with diverse skills to make them independent, and the best ways we can empower young people to help towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Have the women around you helped you to rise? How?
The women around me have been super supportive. My mother has been a role model. She made sure I did not grow up in an environment where I felt that I could not be successful simply because of my gender. When I got stuck, or almost gave up on my project, a lot of my aunts, friends, sisters, cheered me on and offered lots of advice. I owe a lot of thanks to the fierce circle of women around me for my successes.
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in your industry or starting her own organization?
My advice would be to persevere and stay resilient. You will have bad days. People may look down on the work you're doing because you are a woman. Sometimes your gender will meet people before you do, and sometimes that will mean all sorts of negative assumptions are thrown at you. I'd like to think that our successes will not only be positive for us, but will empower future generations. The work you're doing is great, the change you're trying to put into the world might not always be noticed. When it doesn't feel rewarding, do it for the girl who will be more empowered years down the line, do it for the woman who has been silenced and doesn't have a voice like you do, do it for the better world you aspire to live in.
Describe yourself in ONE word. Activist
"To be a girl or woman today is..."
To be a girl or woman today is to be marginalized within the margin. It is to live in constant fear. It is to have people try to dictate your life, your decisions, how you move in the world. Being a girl and a woman today is to survive and thrive despite it all. It is to call out all the stereotypes, and a lot of times it is to live within them. It is to wake up and fight everything that wants to put you in the ground. Sometimes it is a winning battle, on other days it gets harder to exist as a woman.
"I am living for change because…”
I am tired. Tired of existing in a world that further oppresses the oppressed and silences people. Because I feel responsible for making sure that the society we live in is more equal, more ethical, more sustainable. To achieve this requires a team effort so I am living for change because I feel I owe it to the community that raised me to do better, to do better for the next generation, to do better for ourselves, and to not be part of the problem."
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