Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chris Kaudzu
In my previous blog, I spoke about effective ways of interacting with the youth. The three ways I used are (a) get to know them, (b) let them speak out, and (c) let them lead. These are just some of the ways I discovered to be effective. In this month’s blog, I will be sharing with you how one of those ways has benefited many. I will share with you a story about a young man who is making a difference, after an interaction we had a few weeks ago.
One of my passions is to see the youth lead in community development. A few weeks ago, I met a young man by the name of Ziyambeni. He is only in Form 2 at a Secondary School, and yet he is already working on changing our community. During one of our talks, he asked me about the things I do in the community, and why I am here. Having explained my role as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer, it got him thinking and led to a project he is now currently working on.
Having seen the illiteracy level of his community, Ziyambeni decided to start a school program where he is teaching students from different classes. This project was a result of one of our talks as he asked on how he could help better our community. I have seen people of different age groups attend his classes. During the morning hours, he is teaching kids from primary school and in the afternoon, he is having adult literacy classes. He is the hot topic among his friends and the community.
Let the youth lead, is a way that I have seen make a positive impact on the youth who really want to make a difference in their communities. Ziyambeni is an example of such individuals who are enthusiastic about change. Later this week, I will be helping out with some of his lessons for the classes he is teaching, as he has asked me to assist him. I am excited to be part of this project as I see him lead and help others in their studies. This project, by Ziyambeni, is of benefit to many.
This is a young man who is giving back to his community. He is giving back his time, energy and sharing the knowledge he has in order to see change in Malawi. Change and development don’t have to come from outside the community, solutions to challenges are within, it’s all just about self-discovery.
