YALI RLC-SA Alumni are continuously finding new ways to contribute to their own growth and the development of their communities. 2021 was no different.
Faouz Ferdani Establish Green Mountain English Center (GMEC).
Faouz Ferdani is the founder of Green Mountain English Center (GMEC). The center provides free English lessons to young people to improve their competency in the language. Faouz says that Comoros is a French speaking country with very few people competent in teaching English. As a result, the inability to read, write and converse in English limits many young people from accessing career development programs delivered in English.
GMEC is made up of a team of dedicated volunteers who trained and facilitated the graduation of 170 students since its inception. Students include secondary school learners wishing to pursue university education outside of Comoros, English Language teachers who wish to improve their language competency and professionals working for international organisations and corporates.
The initiative is currently being replicated in four other areas by graduates of the program to accommodate the high number of young people who expressed interest. In 2022, Faouz and his team are planning to further expand into three neighboring communities to meet the growing demand.
To learn more about the Green Mountain English Center’s work and to get involved visit their Facebook page.
Former Miss World Lesotho 2013 takes on role as Ambassador for Lesotho Family Health Clinic.
Former Miss World Lesotho 2013, entrepreneur, and community development practitioner Mamahlape Matsoso is involved in numerous community development initiatives in Lesotho. Her most recent and rewarding initiative is her role as ambassador for the Lesotho Family Health Clinic. Part of her ambassadorial duties include increasing public health consciousness and mental health awareness projects. Mamahlape sees this as an opportunity to help fight the negative stigma associated with mental health by encouraging people to talk about and share their mental health experiences.
“l am excited about this opportunity because apart from raising the profile of our public health infrastructure in Lesotho, as an ambassador, I will help our society demystify the myths around mental health patients in my country. The Family Health Clinic adopted a comprehensive approach to public health by moving beyond a strictly medical diagnosis to addressing non-medical conditions that are key to the patient’s recovery and wellbeing. This is what makes them unique, and I am excited by this partnership” Mamahlape was quoted saying.
By infusing technology into its operations, the Family Health Clinic is helping to lower medical costs by making health care affordable and widely accessible to marginalised groups while maintaining high quality medical care for its clients. For Mamahlape, this is key to meeting the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, especially as they relate to affordable and high-quality health care.
Transforming Communities Through Sport.
Tawanda Kanemeyer is an entrepreneur, community leader and sports enthusiast using sport to transform communities in Zimbabwe. Before returning home in 2013, he spent a significant part of his life in the United States in Dallas, Texas where his love and passion for sport was nurtured and developed. In 2018, Tawanda established Kunda, an African sports and lifestyle clothing brand, to compete with European sporting brands such as Nike, Puma and Adidas. For Tawanda, Kunda is more than a sports clothing brand. It is a signature effort to affirm what it means to be African.
Tawanda is also a passionate community builder and leader who often implements community initiatives through his organisations Kunda, Kunda Cares and Kunda Sports Academy. His recent project, Womandla Sports tribe aims to level the playing field in sports between male and female by providing females with employment opportunities, sports equipment, training, and opportunities to play. This project is important to Tawanda because it provides a platform to tap into and harness the raw athletic skills of women and girls so they can reach their full potential. Because the project is still in its infancy, Tawanda has been using his personal funds to provide resources, sporting equipment and uniform to beneficiaries. Other initiatives include a 6-week virtual workout challenge facilitated with an inhouse workout booklet to 100 participants aged 17 –21 in April 2021. In May 2021 he hosted a 6-week stroke awareness campaign through Kunda Cares and raised $416 in cash, food, clothing, household items and walking sticks for people who are recovering from a stroke.
His long-term goal is to grow Kunda into a formidable community business to solve some of the challenges in his community through job creation and opportunities for youth. To get involved and join Tawanda on this journey visit Kunda.
In recognition of his dedication and commitment to his community, Tawanda was listed among Africa’s most influential change makers by the Guardians of AfroArab Leaders in 2020.
Fostering Collaboration Through Swimming.
Gweru is a small town in Zimbabwe with two privately owned swim clubs where swimmers are expected to pay a fee to join the club and practice. This makes it difficult for young swimmers from poor communities to join the clubs and showcase their talent. Acknowledging this gap, In February 2018 passionate swimmer and founder of Chasing Dreams foundation Mufaro Jonasi gathered a group volunteers. Together they arranged for a group of children aged 6–17 years to practice at no cost for three hours daily at the Gweru swimming pool.
After two months of intensive training using the Swimfit center manual, trainees were able to swim well over 2.5km in a three hour session. An affiliation fee of $3 per swimmer would enable Mufaro and his team to hire out the swimming pool, serve refreshments daily, buy medals and organise a season finale event. During the Gweru Swimming Season Finale gala, 58 Gweru swimmers and 28 visiting swimmers from Kwekwe Tigers club participated. Parents within the community who attended the gala event were impressed with the progress the Gweru Swimming team had made in such a short space of time and encouraged the establishment of a second club called the Gweru Bluefins.
The initiative unlocked partnerships with the Zimbabwe Youth Council and the Sports and Recreation Commission who helped Mufaro establish Chasing Dreams. An organization that provides a platform for children in rural areas to learn to swim through the Mobile Pool Swimming Initiative which was launched in August 2019.
