Chisenga Muyoya — emerging African female leader

This blog celebrates Chisenga Muyoya, Co-Founder of the Asikana Network, who has most recently been named a 2013 MILEAD Fellow (Moremi Initiative Leadership and Empowerment Development Fellow). This means Chisenga is one of 28 young ladies, who have been chosen as Africa’s most promising young women leaders — 25 from across Africa and three from the diaspora. According to the Moremi Initiative website, “MILEAD Fellows were chosen through a highly competitive selection process and criteria based on their outstanding leadership promise, community service accomplishments, and commitment to the advancement of women in Africa.”

This my friends, is something for us to be proud of, and we tip our hat to Chisenga for her hard work and commitment to leadership and technology in Zambia!

As a young woman striving to make a difference myself, I am drawn to success stories like Chisenga’s, and the recent story of Monica Musonda who was named a Young Global Leader Honouree. There are too many negative stories about Zambia and Africa. One of the things we strive to do at the Best of Zambia, is to share the very many positive stories there are about Zambia, the things we can all be proud of.

Chisenga follows in the footsteps of Memory Malimo, 2010 MILEAD Fellow, and Nachela Chelwa, 2010 MILEAD Fellow, the two other MILEAD Fellow from Zambia. Memory was selected through her work at People’s Process, where she helped to mobilise over 35,000 families in informal settlements across Zambia, to form up the biggest social movement called the Zambia Homeless People’s Federation. Nachela was selected for her work as an urban planning and development specialist. Her work has had an impact on the well-being of children, women and local communities.

Chisenga is currently in Accra, Ghana, as part of the one year fellowship by the Moremi Initiative. The Ghana trip is a three week leadership boot camp. Here Chisenga has the wonderful opportunity to learn more about leadership related to Africa, how to excel in leadership, and issues that impact African women. Chisenga will also have the opportunity to be mentored by experienced women leaders who are committed to supporting the next generation of African women leaders. Chisenga is thankful for a travel grant awarded to her by the Swedish Institute in order for her to attend the program.

After the boot camp, and as part of the MILEAD leadership program, Chisenga will return to Zambia, and implement a project that benefits women and girls in our community. Fellows like Chisenga are supported through career planning, management, and access to opportunities and resources. We are pleased to say that Chisenga has agreed to share her MILEAD Fellow journey with us, and will be telling us more of her story on her return from Ghana. We’re guessing that the project she undertakes in Zambia will be related to Zambian Women in tech — after-all that is what we know Chisenga best for!

Follow Chisenga Muyoya on Twitter and learn more about her passion, the Asikana Network.