Erasmus Mweene Interview
Please tell us about yourself?
My name is Erasmus Mweene, and I am the third born in a family of 8. I live in Lusaka, which is the capital city of Zambia. I am currently pursuing a major in Social Work and Development studies at the University of Africa. My work revolves around Social Entrepreneurship and activism on youth empowerment, HIV/AIDS, Gender-Based Violence and Sustainable Development. I am the founder of a youth-led and non-profit organization known as Youth Activism for Change (YAfC). I am currently serving as Zambia’s National Focal Point for the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA), and I am also an ambassador for the Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN).
In 2012, I created a project which won as the best suggested employment creation project at the Rhodes Youth Forum held on the Rhodes Island, Greece.
What is the name of the community project you involved in? And what is it all about?
The name of my community initiative is Youth Activism for Change (YAfC). Youth Activism for Change (YAfC) is a youth-led and non-profit organization envisioned to empower young people with self-support skills, resources and knowledge of protecting themselves against the risk of getting HIV.
When did it start? What motivated you to start this project?
The project started in August, 2010. I was motivated to start this initiative after I participated as a peer educator in the Reach4Life Youth Outreach project on HIV/AIDS. I was amongst some South African youth who came to carry out this project in Zambia. The impact of this project motivated me to create a platform which I was going to use to create and deliver the change I wanted to see in Zambia.
What is the purpose this project?
The purpose of the project is to empower young people with self-support skills, resources and knowledge on protecting themselves against the risk of getting HIV.
What do you want to achieve with project?
I want to bring about the realization of youth empowerment and significant stop to the spread of HIV among young people.
What were some of the challenges you faced as a young person starting your own project?
Some of the challenges I encountered when I was starting the organization were; some of my friends could discourage me that I was too young to start my own initiative. Some people could tell me that there were a lot of organizations which were already doing what I intended to do. I also faced challenges in sourcing finances to fund the initiative. Some people could tell me that starting a non-profit is a sheer waste of time because I wasn’t going to get paid for the work I was going to be doing. I also faced difficulties in finding people who could work with me because I was looking for people who shared my passion to change the world.
How has the journey being like so far?
The journey has been quite adventurous; I have seen highs and lows along the way. Every challenge I have encountered has given me the courage to keep my head up and remain focused on achieving my goals. I remember last year when I had an opportunity to converse with Monique Coleman (Girl from High School Musical movie and founder of www.GimmeMo.com). Monique changed my perception towards overcoming financial constraints in delivering change to the world. She told me that sometimes great ideas take a greater effort and that I should never let money stand in my way as my voice is the greatest asset. I took her words and yes I have used my voice to initiate change.
How has the community benefited from the project?
The community has benefited from my project in many ways but the most significant one is the establishment of a youth resource centre in one of the densely populated townships in Lusaka. The centre will go a long way in empowering young people of the community. (Sampa Youth Resource Centre SYRC aims to address youth unemployment by empowering unemployed youth with entrepreneurial skills. Through a partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), we will provide training to the young people using two (2) entrepreneurship training programmes namely; Know About Business (KAB) and Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB). We will then assist the young people to establish small businesses by providing them with small start-up loans.)
What has been some of your biggest achievements yet?
Some of my biggest achievements so far were me being selected to participate at the 6th World Youth Congress in Rio de Janiero, Brazil in June 2012. I was also selected to participate as a youth representative at a High Level Policy Dialogue on Youth Employment in Africa held in Lusaka, Zambia. I was also invited to participate at the Southern and Eastern Africa Youth Conference on HIV/AIDS held in Malawi. Before the end of 2012, UNAIDS selected me to represent Zambia at the Pan African Youth Leadership Summit held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. My biggest achievement of all time was me being selected to present my project at the Rhodes Youth Forum (Rhodes Island, Greece) where my project eventually won as the best suggested employment creation project amongst other projects from Europe, Asia and Africa.
What do you think are some of the challenges facing African youth today?
There is little or no participation of African youth in the decision-making process due to poor leadership in African governments. The youth keep seeing their roles undermined by governments and policymakers. In the end this leads to the crisis of youth unemployment, lack of access to information and government bodies.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Locally, I see myself establishing youth entrepreneurship training centres in all the 10 provinces of Zambia. With these centres, I am going to train young people into becoming young entrepreneurs. And on the international level, I see myself impacting a few million young people through influencing important policies, legislations and government investments that will strengthen the youth of today through my work and activism.
What would you like to change about Africa today?
I want to create a positive story about Africa by making people realize that people in Africa have the vision and ability as well. Right now when people think about Africa, they think about a child with a bowl in his hands. This is got to change; the right story needs to be told. As Africa, we have made measurable progress. Our prospects as Africa are brighter than they have been in many years ago.
What advice do you have for young people who want to start their own project?
My advice is that every journey no matter how short or long it is has the first step. There is always a beginning to everything. Think about what you can do in your community. Put something in action on a small and local scale but think globally. Participate as much as possible, volunteer with any organization whose mission is in line with yours. This will help you gain some experience.
Above all, there is nothing like being too young to initiate change because facts show that young people are not simply “the future” but they are already causing meaningful and significant impact by driving the wheels of change in the world today. Initiating change in the world requires you to have that passion. Passion means loving what you do and really enjoying it, looking forward to waking up the next morning and getting back down to it. Light up your own small fire; surround yourself with people who share your passion.
Finally, know that vision is thinking big and starting small. Just like what Monique Coleman told me, “Do not let money stand in your way of bringing your ideas to life, use your voice and be innovative”.
How one can get involved in the project?
Young people can become involved in this by becoming members of the initiative. As a member, one can participate in various activities that are carried out by the organization. *Membership is open to all young people in ages 15-35.
How can other youth connect with you?
Youth can connect with me on the following details:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/erasmus.the.change
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ErasmusMweene
