Seeing African countries portrayed as being among the poorest was something that did not sit well with Lusako Munyenyembe and further pushed her to continue in her fight for a better continent.
“When you read about countries like Malawi, for example, it’s always about it being one of the poorest countries, and that always makes me wonder why it is poor and why we have been in this state all our lives. It is when we start to question these issues that we ask ourselves to do better.”
Coming from a political family, Lusako Munyenyembe has had a keen interest in politics and social justice activism from a young age.
As Malawi was becoming independent, meetings her parents had in the family home made little sense to the then 10-year-old – but the seeds of advocacy were being planted, and the theme of human rights developed into a powerful force driving who and what she wanted to become.
It led her to OSISA, where she lived out part of her career fighting for human rights on various levels, including civil and political rights as well as women’s economic and social rights.
“I studied sociology and political science, and understanding systems intrigued me. I then went on to intern at the Malawi Human Rights Commission office of the ombudsman and Malawi parliament, which shaped my career in a well-rounded manner, from an advocacy, practice and policy point of view. I graduated in 2007 and began my human rights career at the Malawi Human Rights Commission. I have done human rights and governance work ever since then.”
She says that seeing African countries portrayed as being among the poorest was something that did not sit well with her and further pushed her to continue in her fight for a better continent.
“When you read about countries like Malawi, for example, it’s always about it being one of the poorest countries, and that always makes me wonder why it is poor and why we have been in this state all our lives. It’s when we start to question these issues that we ask ourselves to do better.”
She says it’s important for everyone to question issues of injustice as they are constantly relevant.
“Human rights is heavy work. I took time away and went to do my masters and graduated in Applied Human Rights at the University of York, UK, and then I went to work in human rights and governance. I was young and had a lot of energy and spent a considerable amount of time there. After that I was keen to move away from Malawi and become more engaged in regional and continental human rights and governance work.”
She says that when she joined OSISA, it was refreshing to see how the organisation gave her and her colleagues the space to be free thinkers.
“For me, it was one organisation that had all the intellectual prowess that I was not previously exposed to. The idea of Pan Africanism is high up there. It was also a space that allowed you to be as free as possible in building a portfolio that you would be proud of. I don’t think there will be anything like it again.”
Munyenyembe was most proud of being given the latitude to let her ideas for change come to life.
Having been part of the Media and Digital Rights programme at OSISA, Munyenyembe says that building investigative journalism in the region was among the highlights of her time with the organisation.
“When we scanned the region we saw dissemination of public broadcasters. In other countries it was dissipated to the point where it was basically state propaganda. We wanted citizens to have a place where they could get alternative views. It was pro people and pro poor. I was most proud of this work, because when we started, most countries didn’t have ways to counter pro- state narratives.”
She says that the funding they provided helped countries like Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Botswana establish centres for journalism that “exposed the state for what it really was”.
“I am most proud of this work and the organisations that continue to live beyond me and partnered with others to continue the work.”
She says that in this line of work, you need to believe that your contribution, no matter how small, will be compounded in the future.
“One thing about it, it’s a lifetime commitment. It’s something that has to be within you, and it’s something that you need to be committed to for the long haul. You can get frustrated because you don’t see the change immediately. Some fight for change and don’t see it in their lifetime. You need to believe that a big change will come.
“I didn’t have a moment of boredom. I kept building my knowledge and being more outward thinking. One way to do that is to break away and find unusual subjects and be in spaces that are unlike yours.”
Munyenyembe says that because the work can be challenging, it’s important to always remember to stay true to yourself.
“Don’t forget yourself as you do the work. You may be passionate about more than one thing, so tap into your own humanity and invest in things from your life that keep your energy going. Don’t forget yourself, and remember that the movement is bigger than you are.”
