Activist Spotlight!

Rebeca Gyumi

My heart is pounding as i take an elevator at Regency Business Park thirty minutes before my interview with her. This is not the first time i am visiting this place but today i am here for a different purpose, to interview Tanzania’s golden Girl, Rebeca Gyumi.

Rebeca has won the hearts of many youth and adults through her work as a volunteer, television personality and a youth activist. Rebeca is one of those Television personality that i have been truly admiring and i was so astonished of how humble and friendly she was as i was asking her my questions on different issues.

She is currently working for femina hip, a reputable organization that envision a gender equal society in which youth are confident and competent change-makers. She is also involved with other different youth initiatives as an advocate and mentor.

When i asked Rebeca why did she become a girls rights activist, she replied calmly;

‘’I have grown up in a society where when girls are empowered can contribute greatly to the development of their society and i am a living example’’.

She added that she is grateful that her mother believed on education which is also her area of interest. Rebeca looked straight at my eyes and said firmly, ‘’education is a tool for emancipation of girls’’.

Rebeca wants to see a society where girls are not defined as people who stays in the kitchen and wait for marriage. She is dreaming for bigger things especially after the end of girl power (Nguvu ya Binti) Television Show which i do not remember missing an episode.

Her call to the government is, the government of Tanzania should make deliberately efforts of involving youth on decision making. She also urges the government to make sure youth have a neutral National Youth Council as the Country is in the process of creating one. Rebeca urges International Organization to continue supporting youth initiatives.

As i was finishing i asked her if she had anything to add, she replied yes and i allowed her to go ahead. Rebeca said, ‘’We as young people should demand for a space since we are the majority. Our voice will only be heard if we demand for that’’. Her last statement continued to repeat on my head as i was heading back to my office.

Shujaa Wa Kwetu

Given Edward

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Given Edward ni Kijana wa kitanzania mwenye miaka ishirini. Kijana huyu wa kitanzania ni shujaa wangu na kijana ambaye amehamisisha si tu vijana bali watu wa rika mbali mbali. Given amekulia katika maisha ya shida sana; ambapo wakati anasoma shule ya msingi ilimbidi kuamka asubuhi sana ili kuweza kufika shuleni kwa wakati.
Kwa nini Given ni shujaa kwangu? Mwaka 2014 mwezi wa pili Given alianzisha MyElimu, tovuti ya kisasa inayowezesha wanafunzi wa sekondari kujadiliana na kubadilisha mawazo. Tovuti hi ina nyenzo za masomo yote yanayofundishwa katika shule za sekondari nchini Tanzania. Kupitia tovuti hi mwanafunzi anaweza kujifunza nyumbani na kufaulu vizuri mitihani.

Mpaka sasa zaidi ya wanafunzi elfu moja wamejiunga na wanafaidika na tovuti hi. Tovuti hi ni jukwaa lilio mtandaoni la kusaidia wanafunzi katika masomo yao. Kitu kinachonistajabisha ni Given kuacha jukwaa hili kuwa huru kwa kila mwanafunzi. Kijana huyu halipishi wanafunzi kujiunga na jukwaa hili adhimu.

Mwezi uliopita Given pamoja na vijana wengine wanaofanya vitu vizuri kwa jamii kutoka nchi za jumuiya ya madola walipewa tuzo na Malkia kwa mambo wanayoyafanya katika jamii. Vile vile Given alipata nafasi ya kuzungumza na watu mbali mbali wanaofanya vizuri katika maswala ya teknolojia na uvumbuzi duniani. Lengo kubwa la Given ni kutaka kutoa mchango katika kubadilisha dunia.

Given ni kijana shupavu na jasiri. Mbali na kufanya miradi yote hi kwa jamii, kijana huyu pia ni mwanafunzi. Vile vile ni kiongozi wa mashirika mbali mbali ya vijana.

A Year in A Page

I have just realized that i have not publish an article online (Not only in this blog) for more than a year. I remember the last thing i published online was this article about the Souls of Murambi. It was a report while i was still a participant of the PBI organized by Never Again Rwanda. I think the PBI is a good beginning of writing what i have been through during the past year.

After the end of My Tax, My Health Campaign, a campaign on Tax Justice which was a fruit of a Global Change Course that was organized by Global Platform Tanzania i had an opportunity to attend the Third International Conference on Family Planning in Ethiopia. This was just a day after the end of My Tax, My Health Campaign  . 

I was still a student, in my third year and summer holiday had just ended. Friends, even before the trip to Ethiopia had started calling from school, threating me about how hard third year courses were and how nasty Professors were. I was busy with the campaigning and sometimes i went to the University to distribute campaign posters. 

After the conference, i went straight to school. It was the fourth week since school was opened. I had missed a lot but i think i leveled everything in just a week.  As i was giving myself hope that i was in the same level with everyone, here came an opportunity to go to Rwanda for the PBI for two weeks, the meaning is apart from the four weeks i had missed earlier, i was going to miss two week in middle of a semester. 

After the PBI, which involved a lot of lectures on peace building,site visiting and leveling on Kigali's new year eve, i came back to school and this was two weeks before the University Examination. I had to read and rely on energy drinks. 

During the short holiday between first and second semester i got involved with Liters of light and translated the reports of a projects on Micro Finance for Bus4Africa pro bono. At the same time i was still involved with UNFPA Tanzania where i am a member of the Youth Advisory Pannel and AWAS where i am a Global Youth Ambassador. 

The second semester was very fast. In the middle of it i arranged a road trip and go to Kenya to meet my friends and attend two events that they had organized, African Symposium on Innovative Ecomics and Lead4Change. After my trip to Kenya came an opportunity to go to the Parliament in Dodoma. I arrived a day before this trip, a political trip that involved students who were doing International Relations.

Finishing school was another success in 2014. Two days before i finished my last exam, i signed a contract with YouthfulCities and became an Urban Decoder for Dar es salaam City. In November, 15th 2014, i graduated and later went to Zambia for a conference. 

After the conference in Zambia, i went direct home. I had not gone to my home town for three years i spent at the hill. I had not met my Father and Siblings together for sometimes. It was a reunion!

Coming back to Dar, i joined an agribusiness company. My first assignment was to go and establish the Company in Zambia. I went to Zambia and spend time trying to establish a Company. A job that i did pretty well despite all challenges. After my assignment in Zambia, i came back and i was offered a General Manager position.

Despite everything i am still committed in all issues that has to do with sustainable development, youth and women empowerment. I am now involved with Youth4Change, advocating the end of Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation. I am also a student taking evening classes and part of the UN-MGYC Youth Working Group.