YALI RLC SA - Zambia

10/03/2026

🌟 ALUM OF THE WEEK 🌟

What does it mean to turn leadership into real impact? For Cecilia Lesho (Cece), it means empowering young people, mentoring future leaders, and transforming communities.

Originally from Mpika in Muchinga Province and now based in Kasama, Cecilia is a Bachelor of Social Work Practices and Development graduate and a proud YALI Regional Leadership Center alumna (2017).

Inspired by her leadership journey, Cecilia founded Girls Leading Our World & Boys for Change (GLOWBFC), an initiative that has reached young people in over 30 schools, equipping them with life skills, financial literacy, and sexual and reproductive health education.

She currently mentors over 300 Bakashana scholarship beneficiaries while leading a team of staff and volunteers dedicated to community development.

Cecilia’s impact has earned her several recognitions including the Northern Youth of the Year Award (2021) and Most Influential Youth Advocate of the Year (2024). Her work has also been internationally recognized, including acknowledgement from former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Through humility, service, and dedication, Cecilia continues to inspire the next generation of leaders.

👏 Join us in celebrating Cecilia Lesho for her outstanding leadership and commitment to youth empowerment.


YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa

19/11/2025

📢 ALUMNI HANDBOOK VIRTUAL ROADSHOW

The Regional Leadership Center – Southern Africa (RLC-SA) invites all alumni to a virtual roadshow where the revised Alumni Engagement Handbook will be presented.

🗓 Roadshow Dates:
25 – 27 November
2 – 4 December

⏰ Time:
17:00 – 18:00 SAST

🔗 Register Here:
298bb569-8593-4917-a289-e4aa2001a57e@ca9a8b8c-3ea3-4799-a43e-5510398e7a3b" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/298bb569-8593-4917-a289-e4aa2001a57e@ca9a8b8c-3ea3-4799-a43e-5510398e7a3b

Let’s stay informed, connected, and engaged!

21/01/2025

🌟 Exciting Opportunity for YALI Alumni! 🌟

Are you ready to enhance your skills and make a difference? Join us for the Human-Centered Design (HCD) Training this May in Ndola!

This transformative training is open to YALI Alumni in Ndola and surrounding areas. Don’t miss the chance to connect, learn, and grow with like-minded changemakers!

🗓 Event Date: May 2025
📍 Location: Ndola
⏳ Registration Deadline: 28th January 2025

🔗 Register Now: https://forms.gle/ScqWAuGqdaM72GGK9

Seats are limited, so secure your spot today! Let's design solutions that truly make an impact.

Welcome to the registration form for the upcoming Human-Centered Design (HCD) Training, scheduled to take place in Ndola from May 7th to 9th, 2025. HCD is an innovative problem-solving approach that puts people at the center of the design process. It involves understanding the needs, experiences, an...

20/01/2025

Is being posted to a rural area one of the worst things that can happen to your career? I don’t think so!

My name is Mwila Mwaba, and I’m an alumnus of the YALI Regional Leadership Center (RLC), a United States government initiative that empowers young African leaders. I work as a District Health Planner in Chinsali District. But I didn’t originally want to become a health planner. My dream was to be a lawyer. However, life took an unexpected turn, and at just 24, I had to check the map to see where Isoka was. I took the job out of desperation because I was unemployed.

Seven years later, I don’t regret a single day. I started my career in Isoka District before being transferred to Chinsali. When I look back, I’m glad my career took this path because I find so much gratitude in my work as a planner. Whether it’s seeing a child receive the health services they need or witnessing how our decisions improve community well-being, there is immense satisfaction in what I do. There is a mantra I learned in high school: Bloom where you are planted. That has been my guiding principle throughout my career.

Being part of YALI has helped me understand the importance of self-leadership and resilience, which I use in my work every day. It has also taught me to appreciate the small wins and recognize that even the smallest actions can have a big impact.

Ultimately, my dream is to influence health policy and ensure that decisions made at the national level align with the realities on the ground.

To anyone who feels that being posted to a remote area is the end of the world, I’d say it’s not. It’s an opportunity to grow, discover your potential, and make a real difference. It’s gratifying to see the impact your work makes on the lives of others.

14/01/2025

Empowering Our Alumni Network!

The YALI Leadership Capacity Building Workshop, which took place in South Africa from December 2–6, 2024, was recently attended by the Zambian delegation. A crucial issue was brought to light by this workshop, which was arranged by the YALI-RLC-SA Center in partnership with USAID: although many people complete YALI programs, very few continue to be involved at the Chapter level.

As the Zambian Chapter, we are proactively addressing this issue by compiling and keeping an up-to-date database of our alumni. You will gain advantages by registering your information in addition to strengthening our community.
In order to make sure your opinions are heard within our network, we invite alumni to participate in this project with us. By working together, we can make a bigger difference and create a lively community!

06/11/2024

Exciting moments from our recent catch-up session with YALI alumni from Zambia and special guest Tyrone Havnar from Zimbabwe! This gathering was more than just reconnecting; it was an inspiring exchange of ideas focused on education and exploring new collaborative avenues. Together, we brainstormed ways to strengthen partnerships within the YALI alumni community, paving the way for impactful initiatives across Zambia and Zimbabwe. Here’s to fostering meaningful connections and making a lasting difference!

21/10/2024

Join the last Online Cohort 22 and Hybrid Cohort 27 Information Session.
Date: 24 October 2024
Time: 17:30 - 18:30
Join here: https://tinyurl.com/Cohort27InfoSession3

Make sure you don’t overlook the application deadline, which is set for October 27, 2024: https://yaliafricarecruitment.org/

For support, send an email to: [email protected]

20/10/2024

🌟 Exciting News! Meet Our New Chapter Executive Team 🌟

We are thrilled to introduce the dynamic and passionate leaders who will be guiding our chapter for the next term. Their commitment to driving change, fostering growth, and ensuring impactful engagement is unmatched. Let’s welcome them as they step into their new roles with energy and purpose! 🎉

👥 Meet the Team:

Chairperson– Victoria Mupinde

Vice-Chairperson– Marshal Mulanda

Secretary – Rapheal Mwisa

Assistant Secretary– Davison Mukelanga

Treasurer – Litia Kuluwe
Resource Mobilization Coordinator - Martin Muyuya
Communication & Networking Coordinator - Maria Kanawila
Engagement & Participant Coordinator - Thembiso Lungu.

Together, they bring diverse experiences, skills, and fresh ideas that will continue to strengthen our chapter’s mission. We are confident that their leadership will create meaningful connections and elevate our efforts to new heights! 🌱

Stay tuned for all the exciting projects and initiatives we have lined up. Let’s build an even stronger community together! 💪

11/10/2024

Applications for YALI RLC SA Online Cohort 22 and Hybrid Cohort 27 are open!

Hybrid Cohort 27: Online from February 17th - March 14th, 2025. In-person from March 17th - April 4th, 2025.
Online Cohort 22: Fully virtual from February 10th - March 28th, 2025.

Application deadline: 27 October 2024
Apply Here: https://yaliafricarecruitment.org/

USAID Southern Africa
YALI Africa
Opportunity Desk
Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL)
Unisa - The University of South Africa

08/10/2024

Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs

This three-part course will discuss practical ways entrepreneurs can develop and maximize marketing for their online businesses. It will cover such topics as personal branding, best practices for website design, keys to developing a digital marketing strategy, and ways to maximize online marketing using available tools like social media and search engines.

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