MOSES MACHIPISA

An educator by training, Moses Machipisa is a young leader from Zimbabwe who has a strong interest in political leadership. Moses has spearheaded various youth initiatives in his country in leadership development and volunteering. Among some of his accomplishments his project on the application of social media in advancing youth civic participation was presented and selected as one of the top three innovations in democracy at the World Forum for Democracy 2016. He is currently working on an emerging idea of youth integration in governance labelled “Youthnism” which was considered for presentation at the Innocracy Forum on Democratic Innovation 2018.

“Never give up!”

Q: TELL US A FEW THINGS ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY, AND ALSO YOUR LIFE'S STORY!

I come from Zimbabwe a very beautiful country in Southern Africa. The name of our country comes from Dzimba-dzemabwe which means the house of Stone. The name was taken from the legendary Great Zimbabwe which is an ancient monument of architectural marvel located in a town called Masvingo. The name Zimbabwe has also come to define our identity as a people with resilience being one of our inherent qualities. Zimbabwe got its independence 39 years ago after a protracted war of liberation where the previously marginalised and oppressed black majority emerged victors. Zimbabwe is a country that is endowed with a lot of fauna and flora we have one of the largest herds of elephants on the continent and tourists are always dazzled by the Big Five animals found in our animal reserves. In Zimbabwe, you find the majestic Victoria falls which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Zimbabweans are known to be hardworking and friendly. My country, however, is not perfect we have had our own fair share of problems mostly on our political and economic spheres. In 2008 We had one of the worst inflation and economic meltdown. Currently, we are also facing another financial crisis. Things are tough, there is no denying that but just as our national flower the flame lily the flame of hope still burns brightly within us.

As for my story. I was born in the Capital city Harare in 1990 and my father passed away in 1996. My mother then moved to a smaller town right in the heart of the country - Gweru, the city of progress as it is known. My mother worked as a general hand at a local Christian church. It is my experience of that shaped who I am today, my values and my world view. Growing up at the church I had unfettered access to the pastor's library which was rich in diverse literature from religion, arts, economics, politics and ecology. Being the only child in my family, books were my friends and the opened me to new places. There were also instruments at the church but unfortunately, I didn't get to learn to play one, although I would occasionally bang on the drums. Every first Saturday, there would be a men's breakfast meeting at the church, since my mother would help with the cooking I would attend. I was given a seat at the table and found myself being a passive participant in deep and rich conversations. Given that the church was predominantly white, I also got an appreciation of cultural and racial diversity. My mother's job was modest and didn't pay a lot, we didn't have much but we got along. Renting a 2 roomed house, and living in a marginalised community of small apartment dwellers called the "boyskais" I can say this also made me have an appreciation of what it means to be poor. I completed my primary school in 2002 being the top student at my school. My mother couldn't afford for me to go to boarding school which was one of my dreams so I went to a local day school for my secondary school called Thornhill high school. In 2005 fate had it that my mother passed away, she had a stroke and didn't get medical attention early. My life took a turn for the worst in that period. I stayed with my uncle and his family and then the economy had started to crumble. In 2008 at the height of the collapse I completed my A level. I then later went on to teacher training majoring in mathematics and completed my studies in 2012. I, however, didn't go to teach but became part of a non-profit organisation called Higherlife Foundation, which had offered me a scholarship to complete my studies at college. I was part of the team that pioneered Zimbabwe's largest e-learning platform as the lead content developer. I have been working there ever since and I am currently leading a volunteer movement called #ThisIsMyHome.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE WORLD AS IT IS TODAY? AND HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE CONCEPT OF A BETTER WORLD?

From my lens, the world today is a world that is growing in regards to inequality. From my home country Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole there are a lot of disparities. The gap between the rich and the poor ever growing. There is also the scourge of climate change, recently Zimbabwe was struck by Cyclone IDA which caused a lot of devastation. The poor and marginalised were most affected. There is a lot of youth unemployment and the cost of living is very high. On the other side, there is also the inter-contentedness that has been brought about through the internet, there is access to information and knowledge which is also empowering our generation especially the youth giving us access to opportunities and new knowledge. This concept of a global community has also deepened civic consciousness among people exposing the citizenry to new possibilities. This has also on the negative side resulted in a crisis of unmet expectations and general disillusionment setting in motion a "protest culture" which is creating a fertile ground for radical fundamentalism in the developing world.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY CHALLENGES IN YOUR SOCIETY?

One of the most pronounced problems that we are seeing in contemporary African Society is youth exclusion in decision making. The background is that Africa is growing younger. Currently, more than 65% of Africans are under the age of 35 but we have less than 3% of youth in parliaments on the continent. This is very dangerous given the lived realities that young Africans are facing today. There are no jobs, no opportunities as a result many young Africans are drowning in the Mediterranean as they attempt to seek the greener grass of Europe. In my home country, many young Zimbabweans are crossing over to South Africa and because of the pressure of immigrants in that country the cloud of violent xenophobia continues to linger. Poverty on the continent wears the face of a youth. There is apathy in civic participation among youth and a general sense of disillusionment. Most young people are finding solace in drugs. Crime and violence are increasing and so is political extremism. If youth continue to be sidelined from the decision-making table and not being heard, in my opinion, there is a revolution simmering on the continent, a ticking time bomb as similar to what we saw in the Arab Spring.

Q: AS A YOUNG INDIVIDUAL WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE HURDLES THAT YOU HAD TO OVERCOME UP UNTIL TODAY?

Although I am optimistic about the future, the environment that I am existing in is killing my dreams as a young person. It is difficult to make it at home. There are limited role models that we can look up to for inspiration. Everyone seems to be talking about leaving the country and its often difficult to be hopeful and patriotic and have that belief that you can make it in Zimbabwe. We are a generation that has found itself deeply embroiled in a vicious cycle of political and economic chaos with no end in sight. The politics governance culture is just toxic and it's impeding on my ability as a young person to thrive and utilise my potential. In practical terms, I want to start a business but it's difficult to get capital especially in the inflationary economic situation. I want to contribute my ideas and be involved in the politics and governance of Zimbabwe but I can't do so without being labelled or threatened. I want to advance and get exposure to an international education but I can't because of the economic hardships prevalent in Zimbabwe.

Q: WHY IS THE ROLE OF A MENTOR IMPORTANT FOR YOU?

A mentor is important to me because through mentors I can get inspired to do more and to achieve my dreams. With a mentor, I am more accountable. Mentors can also provide practical support and open up networks for me to grow. Having a mentor is important because it is also a learning curve, to learn from people who have accomplished in life.

Q: DO YOU HAVE A LESSON THAT LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

The life lesson that I have is never to give up. Life can throw a lot of punches but with grit and mental toughness and most importantly hope you will make it. Never give up!

Q: NAME A PROJECT, A FOUNDATION OR A PERSON IN YOUR COUNTRY THAT YOU THINK IS DOING GREAT WORK IN HELPING IMPROVE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES!

Higherlife Foundation

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WOMEN IN YOUR COUNTRY FACE AND WHAT EFFORTS ARE MADE TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY?

In as much as youth are marginalised in Zimbabwe, it is much worse for young women. Young women are marginalised in accessing education, economic rights and access to employment.

Q: ATHENA40 IS THE FIRST EVER GLOBAL SELECTION OF THE TOP 40 WOMEN FORWARD THINKERS, COMMENTATORS, ACTIVISTS, AUTHORS, ACADEMICS, ENTREPRENEURS, EXECUTIVES, INNOVATORS. CAN YOU THINK OF A TRULY INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD-THINKING WOMAN FROM YOUR COUNTRY THAT YOU WISH TO NOMINATE FOR THE ATHENA40 GLOBAL LIST?

Tsitsi Masiyiwa

Q: SHARE WITH US A PHRASE, A POEM OR A STORY THAT YOU LOVE OR YOU FIND INTERESTING!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." – E. Burke

Q: TELL US ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED FROM YOUR MENTOR.

I have learnt to have strong determination to achieve my goals.