Theresia Mshana,

Student

University Of Dar-es-Salaam

Tanzania

I have spent past two years involving myself in TYVA; an association of young people in

Tanzania who seek to involve themselves in the governing process of the country, trying to

bring positive impact in the society by advocating for alternative solutions to what are common

problems amongst our societies. TYVA stands for Tanzania Youth Vision Association.

Over the past year I have been heading a department of training and capacity building known

commonly in the association as TCB. Major tasks are to look for and organize training

opportunities for members as per association’s areas of needs in terms of manpower. The

department is also a member in the ex-com of the association.

I enjoy writing, movies, reading, insightful conversations and enjoy family time especially with

mum. Love occasional walks with friends.

Tsike-Sossah Eyram Simon

Founder/ Leader

Abusua Foundation

Ghana

www.youthalive.net

Abusua Foundation is a registered NGO based in Cape Coast, Ghana. Our focus is on youth

development through building of capacities and capabilities.

I hold Bachelors in Social Science, majoring in Sociology and a minor in Geography from the

University of Cape Coast. I am currently working on my thesis which aims to look at youth

participation in decision-making at the community level. A modified version of the thesis is

funded by OSIWA under the project name: Youth Alive!

I have contributed to the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping and Training Centre/GTZ/WACSI resource

pack on conflict management for civilian actors. I have also written a monograph titled: “Youth

Participation in Local Governance: The Abusua Foundation experience” supported by WASCI

and OSIWA.

I have a son: Enam that I adore very much.

Muhyadin Ahmed Roble

Correspondent

AfricaNews

Somalia

muhudin01@gmail.com

Muhyadin Ahmed Roble is a Somali freelance Journalist based at Kenya who works with both

local and international news networks in reporting the crisis in the Horn of Africa. He was Editor

of local Newspaper called Xiddigta and producer of Simba FM.

He is well qualified journalist with over six years working experience in print, online and

electronic media. In those years he was working as writer, columnist, reporter, correspondent

and editor.

He has a certificate in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Institute of Commercial

Management, (ICM) in London, Britain and technical school in Nairobi.

He has also two more certificates in peace reporting, conflict reporting and also humanitarian

reporting. He writes on matters related and touching crisis in the Horn of Africa.

Mohamed Kanneh

Programmes Coordinator

West African Youth Network

Sierra Leone

Mohamed Kanneh was born in Kenema, Eastern Province of Sierra Leone. He is one of the 2007

College (Milton Margai college of Education and Technology) Representatives in National Moot

Court Competition on International Humanitarian Law for Colleges and Universities, and a

former Government Lawyer (State Counsel 1) of the Milton Margai College of Education and

Technology Student Union-Goderich Campus. He also studied Global Education: Human Rights

Dimension at the Network University in Netherlands.

He is a founding member of the National Youth Coalition Student Assembly (NYCSA) and has

worked with organizations such as National Youth Coalition- Sierra Leone (NYC-SL), Youth

Alliance for Social Action (YASA), Youth Action International Sierra Leone Chapter and Mano

River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP) Sierra Leone Chapter. He is a peace and human rights

activist.

Mercy Mugure

Program Manager

Women Challenged to Challenge’

Kenya

I am a graduate of Kenyatta University with a degree in Education. In the University I was a

student leader where I represented students with disabilities since my second year. I also

attended two months leadership training in United States in 2008. One thing I learnt on civil

right movement lead by Martin Luther is that true leadership is about sacrifice.

I have been actively involved in advocacy for equal representation and participation especially

for persons with disabilities. I have participated on the ongoing constitution review process

regarding persons with disabilities through centre for multiparty democracy.

I have also been giving back to community through voluntary services programs in the

community, am the coordinator of sun rise group that offer motivational talks and peer

counseling to students in public primary schools and secondary schools

Linda Wamalwa

YES

Kenya

lwamalwa@gmail.com

Linda Wamalwa is a 23 year old Kenyan citizen. She is currently working with YES Kenya in the

implementation of Young Solar Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship 101 Training programs,

and is an ardent proponent of youth participation in the social, economic and political sphere in

Kenya and Africa in general.

She has also established a CBO in Kibera that looks at empowering the girl-child in the locale.

She was one of the Kenyan participants in the first World Youth Meeting in Bari, Italy whose

goal was to set a common agenda of priorities for the coming years and a g-local action plan

aimed at concretely progressing towards realization of MDGs –sustainability–participation,

while involving the youth in the decision making process.

She is a very honest, innovative and hard working young change maker committed to

transforming the lives of the young people in the society that she lives in.

Lawrence Mashungu

Program Officer

Youth Agenda Trust

Zimbabwe

I was born on the 11th of November in 1977 in Masvingo province in Zimbabwe. I am a single

man staying in Harare at the moment. I went to The National University of Science and

Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe and graduated with an honours degree in chemical

engineering. Currently, in am studying towards my masters degree in renewable energy with

the University Of Zimbabwe.

I am the National Chairperson of the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe and also a

board member of the Zimbabwe Youth Council which is the regulation board for all youth

organizations operating in Zimbabwe.

During my time at the university I was a student leader which culminated in me being arrested

several times for standing for the rights of t6he students. I have a passion towards youth

development and empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable populations. I strongly believe

in the promotion of meaningful participation of young people in national processes.

Kitamirike Emmanuel

Acting Executive Secretary

Uganda Youth Network

Uganda

A project management professional who has amassed well grounded experience over the last

four years in project conception, development and implementation. Prior joining UYONET

worked as communications officer with Tetea Uganda – a media and Public Relations Company

and Assistant Program coordinator – Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program.

A bachelor’s degree in Education and postgraduate training in project planning and

management with diverse skills and abilities that enable me to successfully work on a series of

complex undertakings with zeal, commitment and precision

At Uganda Youth Network, Kitamirike is part of a team of committed young people whose

passion is to ensure that the East African Youth is active in the governance and development

landscape of the region.

Kemi Ibor

Cross River State, Nigeria

I am an assertive, highly motivated individual with a passion for humanity. Between 2004 and

2006 I worked as a "Behavior Communications Specialist" with a World Bank assisted project on

HIV/AIDS, in Cross River State (South-South Nigeria) and volunteered in several other projects. I

am currently developing skills in Service Delivery Management in Telecoms Engineering which I

feel would generally impact on the quality of services provided for the consumer as a whole.

Following my interest and passion for the voiceless Youths in my country, I have attended

several forums and trainings organized by the World Bank, IDEA etc. My passion is fueled by the

millions of Youths (including me), with stolen rights, who have no one to speak for them.

Judy Oketch

Field Program Assistance / Y-PEER Focal Point

NOPE- NPI

Judy Oketch is the field program assistant for the New Partners Initiative under NOPE in the

Limuru Site office and the Y-PEER focal point. She brings a wealth of experience in networking

among youth serving originations and SRH advocacy and policy implementation and legislation.

Prior to joining NOPE as the Y-PEER National focal point, Oketch was a SRH youth advocate with

Network for Adolescents and Youth in Africa. She also was and is a trainer for HIV/AIDS

programs. She also volunteered for IPPF- Kenya as a SRH advocate where she was mandated

with mainstreaming gender into the SRH program under NAYA. With her leadership, she saw

the formation and completion of the Liverpool VCT YAC for the one2one SMS program

constitution.

As part of exchange programs for the youth leaders within Y-PEER under NOPE, Oketch has

learnt lessons in HIV/AIDS workplace programs being implemented across the country; Kenya.

Joseph Kimani Njuguna

Program Manager

Africa Youth Trust

Mr. Kimani is a passionate advocate of social empowerment and justice working in the field of

promoting democracy, human rights, good governance, peace, and leadership. He is driven by

his firm belief that the youth indeed positive agents of peace and change who ought to be

nurtured early in life and given the chance to unleash their great potential to realize a more

peaceful, equitable and just world.

Joseph is an advocate on the African Youth Charter as a tool for Africa’s youth empowerment.

He has represented East African youth in the development of the African Union plan of action

for Youth Development and Empowerment anchored on the Decade on Youth Development in

Africa running from 2009-2018.

Joseph is also closely involved in national and international processes. He served as the first

National Convenor of the socio-economic sector of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)

for the Republic of Kenya and has represented Kenya’s youth on the National Governing Council

of the APRM for Kenya. Additionally, Joseph has participated in the NEPAD continental Civil

Society Organizations Think Tank.

Joseph’s hobbies include doing voluntary work, debating, reading, acting and traveling.

Ian Mutibwa

Project head

Information Alive Programme Uganda

I am very passionate about society and often want to give back to society when I can get the

chance to. Currently I am working on a project geared towards disseminating information about

oil and environment issues to the general public in Uganda but particularly the oil rich Albertine

region and Kampala.

I plan to do this through a simple messaging service popularly known as sms. With information

at the palm of your hands one has no excuse for ignorance and with knowledge comes power.

That is why my goal is to empower the average Ugandan with knowledge that will save Uganda

from the oil curse as well as avert possible effects that this new discovery of oil may have on

the environment.

Hope Kyarisiima

Advocacy, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer

Youth Social Work Association (YSA)

Uganda

Hope has an educational background in Information management. She helps support the YSA

team in project design, implementation and evaluation. Hope has a passion for young people as

she feels that if their talents and interests are enhanced and nurtured, they effectively

contribute to their communities’ development. Hope actively engages in and helps organize

youth actors’ interfaces with various sector leaders in so Uganda and is a great believer in youth

as a social capital.

Interests: Reading, travel to new places and making new acquaintances, listening to nice music

(soft rock and hip hop) and looking forward to Africamp 2010!

Fungisai Linda Dzikiti

Member

Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe (YIDEZ)

Zaimbabwe

I am a lady aged 22. I have been a member of YIDEZ since 2007. I have been involved in youth

centered programmes at the organization which focus on democracy and good governance

.Zimbabwe is going through a period of transition and YIDEZ is carrying out initiatives through

workshops on how Zimbabweans, especially the youth can effectively participate in the drafting

of a new constitution in which I am involved.

I am currently in my final year at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) studying a Bachelor of

Science Honors Degree in Political Science. At the university I am a member of Great India

which is engaged in civil peace services. I am a holder of Executive Certificates in Community

Development and Humanitarian Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation.

I participated in the United Nations General Assembly model at the UZ in 2009 which focused

on the theme, "Protracted Conflicts in Africa and the Middle east and their implications on

Security and Development".

Felicia Solomon Mlamba

Chief Editor

Hear/Say

Kenya

I am a third year law student at the School of Law, University of Nairobi. My magazine’s main

purpose is to promote leadership and good governance. We put up articles that explore ways in

which the youth can rise up and find ways to make the process of governing more transparent,

accountable and inclusive.

I am also a member of Students for Global Sustainability which undertakes activities centered

on environmental conservation and sustainable development. Right now, we are planting a lot

of trees in the Mau because if we don’t halt that destruction going on there, the consequences

will be catastrophic in Kenya especially with regards to the supply of water to our capital city

and its environs.

I’m also a member of the Rotaract Club, a subsidiary of the Rotary Club, for adults below the

age of thirty years old. It’s a charity organization.

And much more which you will find out when you talk to me.

Asiimwe Esther

Project Leaders

Civic Education for a better society-CEBS

Uganda

Asiimwe Esther is a second year law student at Uganda Christian University Mukono. She

strongly believes in the power of the youth to cause a fundamental change in their various

societies and in the fact that for such a change to take place, both men and women are to be

given equal opportunities. Under the facilitation of Open Society Institute Youth Initiative,

Esther is currently working on a civic education project whose aim is to impart necessary

knowledge for responsible citizenry. Students in secondary schools are exposed to the concepts

of; democracy, good governance, Human rights and several other issues affecting their

societies.

Esther has under gone several leadership and capacity building programs including; the

FOWODE (Forum for women in Democracy ) leadership building program and the first lady’s

initiative to prevent AIDS (Go getter’s camp) where she served as the camp coordinator. She is

open minded and always ready to learn. Above all, Esther believes in debate and dialogue for it

is through listening to different sides of each issue that we come up with an informed and

unprejudiced judgment.

Ebben Msuya

Student

University of Dar es Salaam

Tanzania

Ebben Msuya is a third year student at the University of Dar es Salaam BA sociology

(concentrating on society and environment). During his high school and university time he has

been involved with NGO work for over four years on issues of youth, sustainable development,

HIV/AIDS, and poverty alleviation at the national, regional and international levels. For the last

three years Ebben has been working with Tanzania Youth Vision Association and he was elected

to be the Deputy Secretary General in April last year where he assumes different leading roles

in the organization.at the moment Ebben is developing a project that aims to increase number

of young people in decision making bodies with special attention to young women who have

been left behind in the development processes.

Diana Dola

Country Coordinator

Service for Peace – Kenya chapter

dianadola@yahoo.co.uk .

Kenya

Diana Dola, is a peace activist and the country coordinator of Service for Peace – Kenya chapter,

for the past two years. Previously, she has worked with Youth Federation for World Peace

(YFWP) as a youth programmes officer, developing and implementing programmes that

encourage the society to be peace oriented, in recognition of which she received an

Ambassador for Peace Award.

She has also worked with Center for Rights, Education and Awareness, as a legal Intern as well

as The Global Peace Festival Foundation, as an events coordinator.

Today, Diana offers character education as well as conflict resolution trainings to young people.

She has also worked with various stakeholders on the Nairobi River Project, Dubbed ‘Rivers of

Peace’.

David Osiany

Student

Nairobi University

A young man in his mid 20s, David is an optimistic Kenyan who believes Africa could still have

the leadership it so much needs even amidst such a serious leadership crisis.

He is the current President of the Students’ Organization of Nairobi University SONU, which is

the hugest students’ organization in East and Central Africa. David is also a presenter with

Kenya's local station HOT 96 FM and hosts a program known as the HOT SEAT.

Apart from that, he is a goodwill environmental ambassador to the United Nations under the

Bayer Young Environmental Program. He also a reputed motivational speaker in Kenya and

even regionally.

David is a staunch Seventh Day Adventist Christian and also an ambassador of peace. He

believes that the economic, social, cultural and democratic changes in Africa entirely lie in the

hands of any gentleman or lady in the age brackets 18-40 years.

Clive Eley

Postgraduate Research Student/Winner of 2009 PAUDC

Rhodes University, South Africa

Clive Eley is currently doing a masters degree in chemistry at Rhodes University in

Grahamstown, South Africa, He was also the winner of the recent PAN-African Universities

Debating Championship (PAUDC) held in Gabarone. He offers both knowledge and experience

of various styles of competitive debating.

Prior to attending university in Grahamstown, Clive grew up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. His

parents are both qualified teachers and he was born in Orapa, Botswana while his parents were

teaching there. Apart from studying physical sciences, he has been heavily involved with

debating, representing Rhodes University at competitions in Thailand, Ireland and Botswana.

He is a past chairperson of the Rhodes University Debating Society and has served as the South

African representative on the World Universities Debating Council.

Immediately after the OSI Youth Africamp, Clive will be travelling to New York to participate in

two international debating competitions. In October 2010, he will start a DPhil in chemistry at

the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.

Anthony Ayebare

Minority Rights Advocate

Uganda

Anthony Ayebare wasn't born in a political, rich or powerful family, after spending his toddler

years in a beautiful Kacerere village, Anthony was raised in and groomed in Muko-Kabale and

now lives in Kabale town. The son of a public school teacher and product of public schools, he

studied Human resource management at Makerere University. A man of brilliance, compassion,

hard work and humor, came to public notice as a spokesman for minority rights particularly the

Batwa/pygmies of Uganda. He began his work in as an advocate for minority rights in 2005,

after working as a volunteer for Kigezi Human Rights Activists.

Inspired by, a Margaret Mead quotation “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” Anthony

has tirelessly continued to work and serve his local community in a bid to reverse an overall

human misfortune applicable to an entire social group in a bid to create some balance to the

situation

Akiteng Isabella

Executive Director

National Debate Council- Uganda

Isabella Akiteng is an energetic young woman that is looking forward to selling you a wealth of

knowledge while receiving more. She is a trainer in Public and has trained teachers, primary,

secondary and university students. She has worked under UNICEF in Karamoja finding

sustainable resettlement strategies for migrants in that sub-regioin, co-written a book on

Democracy as way of life Ugandan youth among many other things.

At the moment she leads a team of dedicated persons in organizing the debate activities in

Uganda which include a debate camp, regional tournaments and finally the annual debate

championship. She is also teaches students in secondary schools the art of leadership and

democracy using the book Animal Farm a training tool.

Prior to this position, Isabella worked with Conflict Resolution by Youth as a trainer in the fields

of Leadership, Democracy and Debate.

Abdou Jatta

The Gambia

Abdou Jatta is a renowned Gambian youth and child rights activist, with a deep sense of

commitment towards the advancement and development of young people in the continent. He

is the current Speaker Africa youth Spokesperson for Gambia and Deputy Clerk of the National

Youth Parliament of the Gambia.

He has a broad background knowledge and experience on youth related issues, such as child

rights, youth participation through the Media, illegal migration, and youth unemployment. He

was the first President of Gambia’s foremost child media organization, Young People in the

Media and is in acronym YPM. He is the current coordinator of YPM.

Abdou is an active member of UNICEF Voice of the Youth Website and The Magic Young People

Media Network. He also serves as a Honorary Member of Children for Children Organization,

Vice Chairperson of the Alliance for Democracy in Africa Youth component, Gambia Chapter.

Focal Person World Children’s Prize Gambia Senior Secondary School. Member of the Think

Tank Global Reference Advisory on the 6th

World Summit on Media for youth and Children.