02/07/2026
🌟Alumni of the Month | Louisa Mulemba 🌟
Meet Louisa Manasseh , Founder of Paint a Life Initiative and a proud YALI RLC Southern Africa Hybrid Cohort 23 Alumni under the Civic Leadership Track.
Paint a Life Initiative was established in 2019 with a vision of promoting education, literacy, menstrual hygiene, and skills development among vulnerable children and young people with disabilities.
Joining YALI was a turning point in her leadership journey. She joined with a passion to serve my community, and left equipped with practical leadership skills, advocacy tools, and the ability to build systems that create lasting impact.
One lesson that continues to shape our work is that true leadership starts with the community—not charity. Today, Paint a Life Initiative listens first, conducts needs assessments, and then designs solutions that respond to the real needs of the people we serve. This approach led to the establishment of a school for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
YALI also taught her the value of stakeholder engagement, which has helped strengthen both the organization and the school through meaningful partnerships and collaboration.
Another key takeaway was the importance of sustainability. Instead of relying entirely on donor funding, we introduced skills training in basic sign language, computer literacy, and tailoring to empower young people while strengthening our organization's long-term impact.
Today, Paint a Life Initiative has positively impacted over 70 young people through its various programs and initiatives.
Louisa is truly grateful to YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa for investing in her growth as a leader. The experience has made her more thoughtful, results-oriented, and community-centered.
