Youth Empowerment ,Political Will and Leveling the Playing Field

During my work here at the the #134thIPU I had the privilege to meet and talk to Vinay Nayak .He was brought in as a Speaker for the Youth at The #134th IPU Young Parliamentarians Global Conference that was held at Mulungushi International Conference Center.We talked about his work here in Zambia with the UN Youth Envoy and also with the IPU.He is an Inspiration to the youth and his messages are profound.Rhodes Scholar Vinay Nayak, A Senior at Yale and an expert in using the Internet for citizen engagement, talked about his achievements.Through our talk I learnt a lot about him and what he is doing in his life right now and got inspired to strive to do work harder to be where I want to be.Though Politics is not what he intends to venture in as a career he is an advocate for the youth to venture into politics and level the playing field .

Here is a short Bio about him-

Fighting hard to overcome his shyness, Vinay Nayak plunged into debates and other activities at his high school in Oak Brook, Illinois. He also made very good use of the digital media.

“I gave myself a voice,” said the newly announced Rhodes Scholar, one of the 32 Americans bound for Oxford University next year. “And that is when I began to think of using the digital media to give voice to people who have no voice, get them to work for their rights, get them to vote.”

A senior at Yale where he majors in political science, Vinay’s academic work has focused on how the Internet can be used to enhance citizen engagement in elections, government and policy-making.

He has used this expertise in political campaigns including the Obama 2012 re-election campaign, where he managed national digital programmes and social media accounts.

He also managed the social media presence for the Sandy Hook Elementary School parents whose children lost their lives.

Vinay has won many Yale prizes, and was chosen as national oratory champion.

He plans to pursue a master’s degree in public policy at Oxford. Among other things, he hopes to learn “more on how we can use online tools to help those who are voiceless in the political process here in the US and in countries around the world. If harnessed well, the Internet can be a very transformative tool. Even in small towns across the world, people are able to connect and share information with the push of a button.”

During his time on the Obama campaign, he engaged with different groups online, including Young Americans, People with Disabilities, People of Faith, and environmentalists.

“Through that experience and others since then, including interning at the White House this past summer, I have come to believe that politics and government, at their best, can bring people together and ensure that every voice is heard,” he said. “I want to spend my life committed to this ideal.”

He graduated in 2010 as co-valedictorian from Hinsdale Central High School, and the Chicago Tribune gave him an all-state academic scholarship as selected by an independent panel.

So inspiring and motivational.Its the Youth time lets seize this opportunity that has been given to us in the 21st Century.

#YouthEmpowerment #Inspire #Leveltheplayingfield

We should Stop Perpetuating Gender Roles to Achieve Gender Parity

                                                picture cred:shutterstock

Yesterday as Yoko and I Hosted the Midday Express I learnt a very valuable lesson from a caller - An approach to take as we are raising our children if we want to achieve gender  parity by 2030.We as women spend most of the time with the children as they are growing up, we socialize them into becoming the best people as best as we can as they grow up, we nature them ,we teach them manners, right from wrong and as we're doing this the superlative thing  we can do is inculcate the lessons of equality, give the boy and girl equal chores ,encourage each one to pursue dreams equally, so that as they grow up they know  that  gender equality is pertinent to have a better world and each one can have equal opportunities . From an early age, girls learn that they are not expected by society to become scientists, engineers, innovators, or leaders. As a result, women are drastically underrepresented in leadership positions as well as the STEM (Science,Technology ,Engineering and Math) fields.We have to stop perpetuating the myth of gender roles entirely as mothers to achieve gender parity,and that means helping our children- boys  and girls to  overcome the stifling confines of societal dictations of what to do and what not to do.  I hope that girls  will  be prepared for the same roles as boys  in any industry, be it science and engineering, or nursing and teaching. And I hope that boys will be prepared for the same roles as girls in terms or career pursuance .I hope that anyone of either sex would be able to aspire to the same goal, to the same role models for gender equality to happen. Let us integrate these lessons in our kids. This is the lesson all mothers-my peers and those that are intending to be mothers should learn.We need to correct this gender imbalance that we have now by sowing into the future  that’s how we will achieve planet 50:50 by 2030.

                                             picture cred:bbc

Dear Diary.....

 Dear Diary.................

 Come to think of it there was a time when I would just sit and jot down my thoughts and everything nasty on my mind on that particular day.  Well I outgrew that at Some point and don't know when that happened.
Life has just become to serious.

 I guess thats what they call growing up.Huh?(suprised)

With relationships and work and School.Wow!!!! Its just Impossible now to sit and jot down all my feelings lest they get out because am sure that there would be a lot of swear and curse words OMG!!!!!

Dear Diary ..................

It used to be a comfort,  just the thought of writing down what had been happening during the day was somewhat of a thrill  well but not any more I'm trying to figure out why though ,crazy huh.

Dear diary  ....................

My boyfriend is a cow and  my best friend did this or that ,shes so silly, the teacher,mum ,the boy next door ,everybody made it into the diary all the enemies and the funny crazy things kekekeke

Dear Diary...........

 I Miss you so

Where have though Gone to.

All in All

Memories of My Distant Past

Today as I was coming home from work ,I had a very good chat with my work mate whom  I got a lift from,our chat consisted of banter of the things we did whilst we were young at secondary and primary school  and what happened to us along the way.

The chat started when we passed Ridgeway, Lusaka  and we saw games of volleyball and netball being played and my work mate asked me if I had ever  enjoyed any sport .My answer was, used to play volleyball and netball and discus throwing too whilst at Secondary school and at Primary school I was a long jump champion,I enjoyed swimming  and 100 meters sprint was my  forte. 

My reply  took us back to the days when we were in high school ,I in particular  was very good at volleyball and represented the school that I even reached district levels  and also  discuss throwing  almost  got me to be part of the Zambia National Athletics team but couldn't be as I was in my final year of high school  and my aunt who I  used to live with then advised that I make a decision between being an athlete or concentrating on my education and of course being me  the latter won (lol) .This was because the athletes were considered to be not serious with education and that they would never progress in life.

I focused on my education and went on to graduate with a certificate and here  I am, now pursuing my Degree in Mass communications (proud me).

Another memory apart from the sports activities that makes me proud when  I look back was the way I would read anything and everything and remember every piece of information I read ,the novels I'd read I'd  be so engulfed in and picture myself as one of the main characters.(from Harry potter- JK Rowling To  ,The other Side of Midnight-Syndey Sheldon)

For my extra curricular activities I was in social clubs like the child rights club of which I was the first female president in the Southern region of Africa , Anti-AIDS club , The Press club ,Debate club.I also joined the jets club at one point just to be part of the team who would travel out of town.Boy did the Jets club travel a lot for science fairs.


I used be the guru of writing ,I wrote stories from my head a whole lot of comprehensive writing that Id write away  ,my teacher of English would enter me into writing competitions of which Id always be in the top three .

Looking back at those days and where I'm at today its so very  different ,I ask my self where is that me that had such a brilliant mind ,active active body ,active life?My love for writing and reading actually shaped my future of being in the Media world,but I guess the  enthusiasm and zeal disappeared with all of life's responsibilities.  Not all is ever lost ,still salvaging what I once had ( Its all coming back to me now )


These were  just my thought and memories of the distant past.
do you have such thoughts? How do you get over them? what would your advice be to a young lady that is struggling between  now and past realities ? 

My last words are "Always Do Your Best. Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret. Put your head up high an concentrate on your stregnths "