Happy New Month and welcome to April 2015!
We are pleased to announce that Memory Mushininga from Zimbabwe is the Opportunity Desk Young Person of the Month for April 2015. At only 23 years of age, Memory has been able to affect her community with several development initiatives. She has worked actively in Entrepreneurial Action Us (ENACTUS) and Young Women Leadership Network (YWLN) at the University of Zimbabwe.
For Memory, her inspiration are the challenges that she has endured in life while growing up. She always tries to see an opportunity in every problem she faces. She believes Jesus Christ has a purpose for everyone and all one needs to do is to align themselves with the word of God for it to be revealed.
Read more about her and be inspired.
MEMORY MUSHININGA
Memory Mushininga, 23 years, is an alumnus of the Entrepreneurial Action Us (ENACTUS) from the University of Zimbabwe. The ENACTUS is a young people’s initiative that is housed under the (BOOST) fellowship that she joined in 2011 when she was pursuing her undergraduate degree in Sociology. ENACTUS is a global community of student academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better sustainable world.
Through her participation in ENACTUS, Memory managed to get involved in various community based development initiatives that helped people with disabilities and their care-givers become self-sustained, and projects that promote women empowerment and equip youth with life skills.
On How the Journey Began
Memory started off as a Project Leader and then progressed to being the Marketing Director in 2012. In 2013, she was selected to be the Vice-President where she was responsible for directing and coordinating the presentation teams, marketing and fundraising activities. She excelled in this position and her team was selected to attend the United Nations Social Good Summit in New York in 2013. Her University of Zimbabwe ENACTUS team won the National championship which saw the team participating in the ENACTUS world cup in Cancun, Mexico. During Memory’s academic years at the University of Zimbabwe, she received an inaugural Vice Chancellors Leadership Award which is given to an exceptional student who displays outstanding leadership qualities. Furthermore, she was chosen to represent Zimbabwe at the Barclays One Young World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013.
Memory Mushininga is also an alumnus for Young Women Leadership Network (YWLN) from the University of Zimbabwe. The YWLN is a female driven organization that conducts projects on Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) among female students at institutions of higher learning in seven universities within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Under YWLN she conducted research on issues that affect female university student’s access to health facilities, their knowledge on SRH and their rights. This research’s methodology involved the use of focus group discussion, surveys and “vagina monologues” discussion with females to talk about sexually related issues. She developed poetry and theatre productions to educate young people on SRH.
During her reign as a member of the YWLN, they partnered with local women empowerment organizations to create greater impact on the lives of female students in tertiary institutions. Memory was also part of the team that launched a women’s conference called “Womanhood redefined” which has become an annual event at the University of Zimbabwe. In 2013 she was part of the team selected to represent Zimbabwe at the annual Young Women Leadership Conference held in Cape Town. The Conference was supported by the African Gender Institute (AGI) at the University of Cape Town.
She is currently in the process of establishing a foundation with a colleague (Teddy Zvirawa). The foundation termed (SOAR) Soft Skills Oriented Approaches Reforming Young People is focused on developing soft skills amongst young people especially the underprivileged like orphans and the disabled with a focus on capacitating them with knowledge to take on professional related challenges and educating them on entrepreneurship and issues to do with environmental sustainability.
Some of Memory’s Achievements
Memory successfully served in the BOOST Fellowship from June 2012 to July 2013. Following her outstanding performance,she received the Vice Chancellors Leadership Award in June 2013. Memory was then selected to represent Zimbabwe at the Barclays One Young World Summit in October 2013, but was unable to attend due to flight problems.
On What Inspires Her
For Memory, her inspiration are the challenges that she has endured in life while growing up. She always tries to see an opportunity in every problem she faces. She believes Jesus Christ has a purpose for everyone and all one needs to do is to align themselves with the word of God for it to be revealed. She says she is where she is and what she is today because of the Grace of Jesus Christ that has continually favored her and given her strength to keep going forward.
Final Words
“My final words to all the youth out there is that if we all play our part no matter how small and follow our passion and see our visions to completion we can definitely build a better world. If you want change then be that change. In as much as we have so many difficulties facing us we need to see beyond our present situation and press on even when it hurts. I am currently working as a Human Resources Officer for an organization called Tradetune Investments and I am looking forward to enhance my career in this arena.”
For more information, connect with Memory Mushininga on Facebook or email [email protected].
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