CONFESSIONS OF A YOUNG BLACK WOMAN

Guest writer: Kunda Mwitwa Jr

My full names are Gilbertha Kunda Mwitwa Jr (yeah I am named after my father), born on April 1st 1999 from Gilbert Kunda Mwitwa (dad) and Judith Mukanaka (Mum). I grew up in a compound called chawama, my parents divorced when I was only 7 years old and I had to live with a single parent, my mum (strongest woman), which was really difficult for me to adapt to growing up without a father, but my mum became my father figure. And to see how my mum struggled from helping her to sell charcoal and fritters at our small home just so she could pay my school fees and make ends meet, I knew I had to work hard. Unfortunately, my mum died when I was 12 years old and I was taken under my older sisters’ care who is not only a mother to me but also my best friend.

In the year 2011 I was in grade eight (8) at Twatasha primary school where I become one of the founders of a club called “Effective Reading and Writing Club” which was later changed to “debate club” and I became president. Being president at this point required me to not only be confident but also speak out on important issues. I had my first public debate on Muvi tv where I emerged as the second best speaker of the debates and it was at that point that I realized girls too can stand up, talk about issues and actually be heard.

Fast forward I sat for my grade nine exams in which I scooped the highest at my school and later went to Kamulanga secondary school where I fully discovered myself. While at Kamulanga I was given an opportunity to undergo trainings under Young Women in Action which I would say has helped shape me to be who I am today. I also became debate club president and was the vice-chairperson of a club called peace club.

In the year 2015 while I was in grade 12 an aunt of mine told me about auditions on ZNBC for a reality show called Junior President.

Coming from an area like mine I had a lot of people that gave me reasons not to go for the auditions but even when I had a million reasons that brought me down and people who told me I couldn’t do it I decided to find one reason to push me up and I went for the auditions because I wasn’t doing it for anyone else but for myself and I needed no approval. I remember being very nervous the morning of the auditions but to my surprise I was picked to the next round of auditions Up to the time i made it to the top 20 and then top 10. I was awarded with a certificate in leadership and I had by far the best experience during the time. At this point I took keen interest in politics and female leadership. After completing my grade 12 I developed an interest in sexual Reproductive Health(SRH) and I was trained as a peer educator under CIDRZ at a youth friendly corner (Kamwala clinic). Later in 2017 I was trained as a Grassrootsoccer Coach (Peer Educator) and was admitted at the Copperbelt University where I was committee member of the debate society and now external relations secretary.

Apart from being an advocate for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, I am also an advocate for youth participation in local governance, part of a female movement called Girls Gone Political, a movement that advocates for the importance of female leadership, apart from that, I am also part of a revolution called YUZ (youth unite Zambia) and a Girls cohort called girls connect that focuses on issues affecting girls and the welfare of girls.

Despite coming from a society and background that expected less from me I never let my back be on the ground, because of advocacy I was also given an opportunity to give a speech on Zambia’s reading and writing culture at the book awards last year and i continue to use different platforms such as radio to talk about not only the importance of female participation but also the importance of gender equality.

I have also written an article of my own called “Girls with dreams, Women with vision” which talks about females and males been partners in the quest to achieve gender equality.

  I have come to realize that it’s important to define yourself before people define you. People will have a picture of who they want you to be, what you can and cannot do but it’s up to you to decide who you really are despite what people.

And “your background shouldn’t be the reason why your back should be on the ground”. I am not where I want to be but i continue to learn and grow every day because with the way I see it is, if you want to see the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.

EDITORS COMMENT

Contrary to what many people believe, there is no mystery to human greatness. Greatness is a choice; greatness is a state of mind. Your background or the circumstances surrounding your birth will only limit you if you allow them to. Desist from believing in utterances of those that assert that greatness is only for the select few, that is a lie, you too can be great – Temwani Muuchili Phiri

You are capable of achieving anything/ Everything you put your mind to. This game is all Mental- Kelly Kalupandi Kantumoya