“Let’s walk the talk and use our time” - Profile: Mutale Chanda, Youth Representative, AAYMCA Executive Committee

By: Christine Davis, AAYMCA Communications Volunteer

 

At the 2010 Ordinary General Meeting held in May in Accra, Ghana, Zambia YMCA’s self professed “enemy of procrastination”, Mutale Chanda was elected as the Youth Representative for the Africa Alliance of YMCAs (AAYMCA) Executive Committee.  With the nomination, the energetic 31-year-old believes she will bring a commitment to upholding the integrity of the youth she represents and a strong desire to provide strategic direction to the implementation of youth policy and guidelines.

 

Mutale’s passion for youth work is embodied in the positive and hopeful energy she brings to her responsibilities and is borne out of a realisation that the youth themselves are best placed to shape their own futures. This realisation comes at a time when, according to Mutale, the “young people on the continent are greatly disadvantaged because they are not aware of their rights and obligations as youth, and they do not have the voice or authority to engage the duty bearers.”

 

For Mutale, youth leadership presents the world with innovative and resourceful new dimensions to address the problems affecting youth and Africa. She says, “The youth make up the majority of the population on the continent, therefore they’re at the core of every challenge and success. They bear the brunt of HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence, unemployment and corruption, so who better to address the problems than those who’ve had first-hand experience and are affected by these ills than the youth?”

 

Mutale’s intention for growth in the African YMCA’s programmatic area indicate a realistic understanding of the on-the-ground realities, within the framing of her characteristic optimism and desire for proactive solutions.  Supported by an Advanced Certificate in Counseling (University of Zambia), a Diploma in Accounting (Association of Accounting Technicians) and a current enrollment in the study of Economics, Mutale’s youth priorities are inclined towards youth economic empowerment and the inculcation of strong and meaningful character development and values. These values and experiences have influence her intended direction for the AAYMCA programmatic areas.

 

Of the Economic Renaissance youth employment and entrepreneurship programme, Mutale says, “It is a fact that not everybody can be employed and as such we should move to a scenario where we’re thinking more like ‘let’s be the employers!’” In addition, Mutale intends to see the escalation of peer education activities in HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programme areas to redress the lack of knowledge many youth still have on sexuality and sexual health. Her support of improved civic competence is clear when she explains that the, “From Subject to Citizen Concept (S2C) couldn’t have come at a better time than now, because it addresses the many issues affecting young people. Therefore it is incumbent on all YMCA National Movements to embrace it and include it as part of their Strategic Plans. As the Youth Representative I endorse my commitment to ensuring that this is achieved by providing strategic leadership in the areas that I am able to, for as long as it takes.”

 

With past interests ranging from an active involvement in growing and diversify her family’s business, nationally representing her country in swimming and volleyball, representing Zambia as the National Youth Chairperson and a lifelong dream to set up an orphanage, Mutale opitimises not only a sense of purpose, dedication and accomplishment in her own life, but also a drive towards achieving great social change for the youth she represents.

 

Mutale’s message to the youth is simple and clear, “What needed to be said has been said. It is time to put the mistakes of our forefathers behind us, and focus on our current situation and find solutions for the future. With God nothing is impossible. We have the S2C initiative at hand and a cadre of vibrant visionary young people, so let’s walk the talk and use our time to change the face of this continent, our continent, OUR AFRICA!”

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