NGO director nominated for Mandela Award

Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
director of a non-profit making organisation Shamwari Yemwanasikana, Ms Ekenia Chifamba, has been nominated for the Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Innovations Awards for individual activist category by the CIVICUS Alliance. CIVICUS is a fellow non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world.

The nomination, announced on October 13, is in recognition of her efforts to empower and emancipate the girl-child in Zimbabwe. Ms Chifamba is part of 20 outstanding individuals and organisations across four categories that are considered to have demonstrated excellence, innovation and bravery in the pursuit of positive social change. These categories include youth activist nominees, individual activist, civil society organisations and the brave philanthropy. In an interview, Ms Chifamba – who was nominated together with four others nominees from Cameroon, Egypt, Afghanistan and Tanzania – said she was flattered by the nomination as it was the second such recognition for her efforts to make the world a better place.

“It is really an honour to be nominated amongst the greatest men and women who have sacrificed a lot by going through a lot, exposed to danger in fighting for different causes that in return make the world a better place to stay. This is my second international nomination and recognition after the Giraffe International award that I got last year. I have had other awards locally and also regionally,” said Ms Chifamba.