The future of Africa depends on youth who dream BIG, meet Miss Catherine Fidelis, A young Tanzania and most promising African young leaders

When we speak of changes, we don’t mean transforming Tanzania to be a developed nation like America in a single night dream, but we speak of small but powerful efforts taken by young Tanzanian who see and dream that one day we will be a really independent country with good governance, quality social service, improved infrastructure and utilization of country’s resources in a way that can benefit every individual.

Miss Catherine Fidelis (Second ) from right with students who are part of Fahari ya Kuwa Msichana Program

Today we are honored to have on board Miss Catherine Fidelis, a young Tanzania, feminist and activist who holds a bachelor degree of Economics in Project Planning and Management from Mzumbe University. Catherine is also a prestigious fellow of Vital Vices LEAD program and a winner of 2014 MoremiInitiative Leadership Development Program (MILEAD) emerging young African promising leaders Fellowship. She is a co-founder of Fahari ya Kuwa Msichana Program at The Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Tanzania. Catherine is passionate on youth empowerment especially girls and women since she believes it is each woman’s responsibility.

“It was a process to realize my passion and still I am exploring, since 2009 I started being active on community engagement and in years of service I came to be drawn on girls and women issues, but I could say the true realization was in 2013, Yes! Two years after I have started Fahari”.

Fahari ya Kuwa Msichana is a mentoring program for girls between 11 – 24 years of age in primary, secondary school and universities under Miss Catherine, where girls get to participate in two days’ workshop. In this workshop girls who are in Universities and in Secondary and primary schools are brought together where those from Universities train and mentoring the Youngers. The goal is to make girls realize that the development of women and girls in their communities is individual girls’ and women’ responsibility.

The program started in December 2011 with a help of international volunteer Erica Hall after witnessing that girls in Roots and Shoots Clubs and other extra curriculum clubs were not actively participating in leadership roles. Thus, the initiative was to get girls share their experience with their peers and those older than them to boost their morale to use their potential. The program has reached more than 500 girls since it has started. 

Apart from Fahari project, Catherine has actively been involved in Peace building programs after attending a two weeks training in Rwanda on Peace Building and online course on Global Education: The Intercultural Dimension. Catherine believes that peace is undeniable subject since more than ever, Tanzania has been on verge of conflicts, terrorism threats and unsettlement with the majority perpetrators being young people and victims being girls, women and children. These are small signs that need to be addressed before they escalate to more violent conflicts.

Catherine’s most successful story is her education background;

“I am always proud of my education background, I always tell people my education never cost my parents more than 2000USD from primary to university, I studied in government schools, from primary school to university and yet I have managed to achieve most of my dreams that mostly think are for those brought up with a silver spoon on their mouths. But it is about determination, perfection and passion”.

Everyone’s dream has to be natured by someone, on Catherine’s side there are different people who influenced her to be who she is:

“There are several people who are my role models but most are my parents and especially my mother. She has been an inspiration all my life. She realized the value of education; she made sure school was a priority in my life. She was always keen about my progress in school, and she made sure to support me to get the positive exposure and network that will develop my skills. Being a housewife she seek out advice from friends on carrier opportunities. She was never aggressive in dealing with me but she wanted me to prove to her I was bold enough, mature enough and wise enough in making decisions. With her example I am inspired to make every girl realize that education is the first step of empowerment and mothers have a great role to play.”

Life without challenges looks like life without vision. For one to grow and who they want to be they have to face some challenges to test their abilities. Catherine is still facing some difficulties on her ways, she says:

 “My challenging situation is to get girls understand the essence of the Fahari program, mostly they are distracted and they want tangible products not service and at times it gets frustrating when you feel unappreciated. I am restructuring the program to be very simple and fun for them to concentrate and participate regularly”.

Catherine believe that everyone has to succeed, if not today, in a near future, but the best way is to seek for advice and mentorship from those who have succeeded, her advice to everyone is that,

“there is no magic to success but it starts with setting goals, discipline and endurance. Myself I am still seeking advice from others”.

See more about Catherine here. 

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The Job Interview with a Big Life Lesson: A must read!

I found an interesting story shared by Opportunity Desk. I believe it carries a great message that will inspire you either as a young person, an applicant awaiting a job interview, a manager or a mother.

Happy Reading (grab a popcorn if you can)

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent. He asked, “

Did you obtain any scholarships in school?” the youth answered “no”.

” Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”

“My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.” he replied.

” Where did your mother work?”

“My mother worked as clothes cleaner.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

” Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”

“Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, “I have a request. When you go home today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back home, he asked his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange. Happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to her son.

The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he notices that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother winced when he touched it.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes every day to enable him to pay the school fees. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his education, his school activities and his future.

After cleaning his mother’s hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mothers. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning. The youth went to the director’s office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, when he asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”

The youth answered. “I cleaned my mother’s hands, and also finishes cleaning all the remaining clothes’ “I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, O would not be who I am today. By helping my mother, only now do I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done on your own. And I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping one’s family”.

The director said, “This is what I am looking for in a manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life”

“You are hired”

This young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and worked as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop an “entitlement mentality” and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, they may be successful for a while, but eventually, they would not feel a sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying our children instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, some as the mother of the young persons. The most important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

Have a blessed life

About the Author: Grace Ihejiamaizu ia a social entrepreneur, lecturer and founder of Opportunity Desk

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Why did they do this?

It is so sad to hear that 147 students at Garissa University lost their life by gun shots, most of them are youth, the generation that needed for the country development. But the question that we can all ask is "Why did they do this?"
My heart is bleeding to see innocent youth's dreams are cut off. Most bad of it they really know nothing about politics behind this attacks, they know nothing about why and who is behind this.
Now it is a time for African to stand and say #NOMORE killing of innocent souls, we have to stand as one nation and one people to end terrorism.

My condolences goes to my fellow Kenyan, friends and families who lost their beloved one, we are in this together. Let us use this as a point to unite us all regardless our religion, tribes and country. As African we have every reason to end terrorism

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The revolution of dignity can make right history for the next generations

"But who was behind our victory? It was Tunisian people including Tunisian women who chose to be part of history... The history which had been steered towards depriving women equal opportunities and marginalizing the youth. We decided to re-write history and make it right for the next generations" "Let's Keep The Fight" 

Aya Chebbi a young Pan-African feminist activist and blogger who dedicated her life to the safe world through revolution of dignity. She is among very few African girls who stand and fight for true democracy, justice, equality and peace in the continent and world at large.

Her life has chapters of inspiration stories which you will never tired to listen and read, she is an inspirational and role model to many young African boys and girls who thriving for their destiny. She believe in youth and she is working hard to unite all African youth with the aim of having united African youth voice through African Youth Movement.

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Your story can inspire others and change the world

Did you know?

Your story is a great inspiration that can change other's life story.
Every one has dreams to accomplish in their life, but life always teach and treat us other way round.

Your steps towards achieving your life dream and the way you overcome those challenges can take someone from life trap to successful individual.

Here is the opportunity that we can both use to reach out those people who are inspired by our actions, activism, entrepreneurship activities and many more. Join us today and become someone's role model

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Best is yet to come, Keep on Moving.

Our warm congratulation to you for every steps that you take towards positive changes in the society, we really know that it is hard and challenging but you never tired. We the youth are proud of you and wish you all the best in whatever way you go and initiatives you take.

Aya's story is that of a bold and daring super girl, with a rare zeal for undiluted activism.

A Pan-African at heart, Aya Chebbi is a Tunisian blogger and activist. Her enthusiasm for blogging was birthed during the Tunisia 2011 Revolution, when she felt the urge to report events from a "Proudly Tunisian" perspective as opposed to the international journalists who were tainting her country's narratives to suit the Western media’s interests. Today, the blog she started for the simple purpose of documenting Tunisian realities, has attracted tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. Apart from her personal blogging, Ayais a Columnist at OpenDemocracy, and her articles have been published at Al-Jazeera, D+C for Development and Cooperation, Your Middle East and Foresight for Development-Africa. Her impactful work as a blogger has earned her invites to speak at multiple conferences and seminars, such as the Wheelock Global Conference in Boston on “Human Rights, Health and Education” as well the International Lecture of the National Cathedral School in Washington DC on the “Arab Uprising.” She has also blogged for global events such as the CIVICUS Youth Assembly in Canada and the World Innovation Summit of Education in Doha.

Aya is as passionate about Africa, as she is about her country. This passion led her to establish and chair the African Youth Movement -an action-oriented social movement that strives for the development, active participation and leadership of African youth in the fight for peace and social justice. In 2013, Africa also reckoned with Aya when she was honored as one of Africa's 28 Most Outstanding Women Leaders by the Moremi Initiative’s Leadership Development (MILEAD) in 2013. Making history as the first Tunisian to be so honored, She received this award in Accra from Hon. Samia Nkrumah - the daughter of the first president of Ghana and chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party. During the ceremony, Aya was opportune to meet the Nobel Peace Price Laureate Ms. Leymah Gbowee, member of Ghana Parliament Hon.Sarah Adwoa Safo, Ms.Esther Cobbah, Ms.Hendrica Okondo and Dr Juliette M. Tuakli among other inspirational African women leaders. 

Our Super Girl Aya, has travelled to over 20 African countries working with young people. She is the producer of a documentary called "Kenya's conscious transformation", a part of her  Africa Inspire Project that aims at changing the negative narrative about Africa. She has also represented Africa on diverse international platforms over the past four years. Following Tunisia’s revolution, she has widely spoken about social movements worldwide at conferences and rallies in the United States, Canada, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Africa among other countries. She is also the co-founder of the Voice of Women Initiative and youth advisor of CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation. Currently she works as a youth coordinator for the World Peace Initiative Foundation.

Aya Chebbi is passionate about volunteering, which gives her ‘a definition of whom I should be every day, serving others, uplifting others, inspiring others.’ The young Tunisian started volunteering in primary school, when she used to clean up her neighborhood on Sundays. She recalls: “I used to gather with the kids and knock the doors of all the houses to get people participate in the Sunday cleaning. I think at that early age, I didn’t see the environmental benefits of my action but I always had a sense of integrity to live in the community and make people happy around me.” She previously worked at the refugee camps during Libya’s civil war then at Bureau de Cooperation Tunisie-Denmark on youth development projects in Tunis as well as the Carter Center in Cairo monitoring 2012 Egyptian Presidential Elections. An adept mobilizer and organizer, she has mobilized a peaceful protest for the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign in Sri Lanka.

A global voice to reckon with, Aya was recently invited to New York to deliver a speech during the 59th session on the Commission on the Status of women. She spoke at the celebratory commemoration after high-powered speakers and celebrities including President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Hillary Clinton, Ban Ki Moon, Melinda Gates and Farhan Akhtar among others.

She has committed her life to reuniting North Africa with the rest of the continent based on her pan-africanist vision, fighting racism and terrorism inside the continent and promoting African values and youth agenda internationally. She has witnessed historical moments at Occupy Wall Street in New York, Occupy Gezi in Istanbul, Presidential Elections in Egypt and Al-Shabab terrorist attack in Kenya. She considers these experiences her strive to further make a difference in the world and fight for peace and social justice. Despite being blacklisted and banned from entering Egypt since March 2014, Aya remains undaunted - pressing forward with her multifaceted activism. She received the "Excellence in Leadership" Award by the African Youth Awards, earlier in the year.

Post credit to I am a Girl, I ROCK!

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