Meet the 2020 Cohort of The Study of the US Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders on Civic Engagement
FIUTS is glad to welcome 20 undergraduates from Angola, Botswana, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe as part of The Study of the US Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders on Civic Engagement this January.
During the 5-week program, the group will travel to Washington DC, Memphis, and Seattle to study civic engagement and participate in volunteer activities, leadership workshops, and cultural excursions.
Program themes include civil rights, grassroots student activism, volunteerism, political leadership, citizen advocacy, and minority political engagement. Throughout the program, participants take part in intensive project planning seminars to prepare them to develop and lead projects that benefit their home communities.
FIUTS is excited to invite the community to meet these accomplished scholars at two upcoming events:
1.) Roundtable Discussions on Civic Engagement on Wednesday, January 22, 2020 between 5:30-7:30pm in Odegaard Library room 220 at the UW. RSVP here.
2.) Networking Reception with Global Student Leaders on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 between 5:30-7:30pm at Seattle Public Library - Central Library, Washington Mutual Foundation Meeting Room. RSVP here.
The Study of the US Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by Meridian International Center and FIUTS. The 2020 program will run from January 11-February 8 in Seattle, preceded by a week in Memphis, Tennessee and Washington DC.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes promote a better understanding of the people, institutions, and culture of the United States among students, teachers, and scholars. Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate leaders, educators, and scholars from around the world. Learn more about the Study of the U.S. Institutes here.
Continue on to read more about the 2020 cohort.
YVONNE VIMBAI MUNGWARI, ZIMBABWE
My name is Yvonne Vimbai Mungwari. I am an enthusiastic young lady of 21 years. I am attending Bindura University of Science Education studying Social Work. I am on attachment year at ZimRights, where I am being given a chance to engage with communities. At ZimRights I work with the programs department and I get to go to different provinces and conduct community level meetings and consultations. I also take in cases, and from that I get a chance to revisit the strategies that I have been using in my advocacy strategies. I grew up in Buhera, a community that molded me into this young lady. Fear has molded Buhera in which the elderly are worried about the future of their younger. the fear extends to elderly forcing on child marriage. I got interested in human rights when I was still a young child, the protection of the people around me have always been my number one priority and for me to do that I’lI need to be well versed in issues of human rights. I am interested in being an advocate in gender issues, youth empowerment, children rights and basic human rights. I also have great passion in democracy.
GOBAKWE RAMADI, BOTSWANA
Gobakwe Ramadi was born in Mahalapye, Botswana. She is currently pursuing Bachelor of Science in health information management at Botho University, Botswana. She is a person who have legitimate aspirations, hard worker, disciplined and dedicated to her school work, with all that she managed to achieve several academic awards for great performance in faculty of health and education.
She is a social activist which her aim is to improve the health and education sectors. She introduced several non-profit making clubs which are currently running, they include:
Health care club - the mandate of this club is to teach about the myths and facts about health issues, to raise awareness about different mental conditions such as depression, and to create gardens in health facilities based in rural areas.
For better education Club - this club donate school stationery to different primary schools in rural areas.
GBK tutorial center - its main aim is to teach students at primary level on how to read and write also to boost students confidence and self-esteem.
SUZETE DA GRAÇA ANDRÉ, MOZAMBIQUE
My name is Suzete Da Graça André, from Mozambique and I study Accounting and Finance at Eduardo Mondlane University, and I love Communication. Since the age of 13, I have been working as a volunteer. I have participated at Roda Viva program, a partnership between Television of Mozambique (TVM) and UNICEF, promoting the children rights. In April, 2019, I have awarded by Girls Impact the World Film festival, because of a film about child marriage. I’m Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Alumni and actually I’m a volunteer of YALI TV. I’m passionate about girl’s rights, I’m a dreamer and I believe that alone we can do something, but together we can do much better.
ARNALDO VICTOR PIMENTEL MUSSILI, ANGOLA
Hello my name is Arnaldo Mussili, I am from Lobito Municipality in Benguela Angola, I am 21 years old, I am a 4th year student of Chemical Engineering at ISPTEC- Luanda.
AHMED AG MOHAMED, MALI
I am Ahmed Ag Mohamed from the Timbuktu region in Mali. Student in business communication in Hetec Mali and leader of associations.
My goal is to bring positive change in my community by bringing the stone to the national building.
CHEICK ABBA TOURÉ, MALI
My name is Cheick Abba Touré I am Malian living in Bamako. I am in master 2 marketing and I am artist rapper. I love history sport and art.
HAKIM ABRAHAM N TRAORÉ, MALI
My name is Hakim Traoré, Studying Marketing Communication at the Political Science, International Relationships and Communication Institute in Bamako (Mali). I love culture, discovering new horizons and meet people from all over the world. I have a lot of ambitions, one of them is to develop the education in Mali. And as long as nobody comes from the future to stop me, I think I'm on the right track.
NIRA B KWELA, ZIMBABWE
Hey, my name is Nira Kwela, a part 2 student at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I’m studying a degree on Sports Science and Coaching.
I’m an ambitious and self driven young lady, who likes meeting new people and learning about them. I like making people feel comfortable and for this reason I look forward to developing my leadership and communication skills. I’m an outgoing individual interested in health and fitness, reading books and also human development and awareness.
EUNICA BEATRIZ RIQUIXO, MOZAMBIQUE
I am Eunica Beatriz, a young Mozambican writer, feminist student and social activist. I am finalist of the International Relations and Diplomacy course at Joaquim Chissano University. I love to read, write and in 2014 I created a blog on internet. In 2017 I released an ebook with my stories and it was amazing. I also worked in a youtube channel, project on tv and radio station thats why I love communication. I have been involved with social activism since my childhood, and I have worked in gender issues, young issues and environment. I believe in a world where women can be whatever they want.
VASCO WAMBEMBE CHITEMA, ANGOLA
My name is Vasco Wambembe Chitema (23 years old) from Angola, I'm studying E.L.T (English Language Teaching) at the University of ISCED-Huambo.
I am the founder of "INGLÊS 4 YOU" a philanthropic project aimed at teaching English Language to disadvantaged people who cannot afford an English course and through this project open new doors of job opportunity for young people who tend to lean on harmful practice to get their needs granted.
I am also an anti-pornography activist. I invest large part of time helping people to get rid of pornography addiction and spread awareness on the harms of this epidemic issue that is secretly ruining our society. For this, I created the "Lutando contra a nova droga pornography (fighting the new drug pornography)” project to best accomplish my goal. I believe pornography is one of the sources (if not the main one) of sexual abuse, women objectification and other aspects that many people are not aware of. Women are not objects to be used, they are souls to be loved. The last, but not least, project I am engaged in is called "Albino Justice", aimed at fighting for the rights of people with albinism.
And in my spare time, I love to play the guitar.
LUVO MNYOBE, SOUTH AFRICA
I am Luvo Mnyobe, a student at Rhodes University in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. I am studying towards a Bachelor of Journalism Degree with triple majors in Journalism and Media Studies, Politics and International Relations and Sociology. I have experience working in various newsrooms in the country including on a national newspaper, The Herald Newspaper, reporting on politics and general news. As student specialising in television journalism and production I have used my skills in my work as a reporter and producer on my campus at university reporting on issues such as gender-based violence. I have also worked as a production assistant on a The Big Debate South Africa which airs on the SABC, our public broadcaster, on the season that focused on the 2019 national elections. I believe that journalism and public broadcasting holds that potential of further entrenching a culture of accountability and change in our societies not just in South Africa but the rest of this word. To this end, I have committed myself to use my skills of storytelling through video to tell the stories of organisation working to roll out HIV/Aids treatment in the rural Eastern Cape.
PASEKA ELCORT GAOLA, SOUTH AFRICA
My name is Paseka Elcort Gaola, I am currently studying Bachelors of Commerce with Law at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I am working as a Junior Consultant in the Department of Business Management under the Community Engagement Unit, which aims to implement the Sustainable Development Goals to transform communities and improve humanity. At the beginning of 2018, I was part of the 7 students who were selected to attend a global mentorship conference in Australia for 10 days under an organization called the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), that aim to bridge the gap of inequality between high school learners and university students particularly for disadvantages generational groups. Furthermore, I am the founding executive of an organization that assists students in need with basic necessities to reduce household stress and improve academic success. I am very passionate about community services and helping people in need. I am interested in community engagement activities that add value to the lives of the ordinary citizen. I am so interested in politics and economics, as there two fundamental spheres that affect how to organize our lives.
I have learned that the government alone, do not have the capacity to improve lives, however, we must work together as individual, society and other institutions, to bring about the change that we want to see in the world. Let us become the agents of change, and remember I am because you are.
RIANA KINDU, ANGOLA
My name is Riana Kindu, I am a 23 year old young woman from Luanda, Angola. I am currently in my third year of university studying International Relations. Apart from being a student, I also run a small makeup business called Riana Kay. I am the oldest of three children, I live with all my siblings and two dogs. At the age of 10, I went to Canada where I did high school in French and also my first year of university. There, I lived with my aunt, her husband the seven other children. It was a great experience, I got to meet new people, make new friends and learn about a culture and language different from mine. Unfortunately I did not get to finish due to lack of finances from my parents and at the age of 19, I came back to my home country where I had to start university all over again. I am also a member of the Student Body Association in my school, working in the area of cooperation with other universities. In my free time, I enjoy reading books about history, politics, geography and foreign affairs. I also love reading maps and spending time with my family, playing games and other fun activities.
ROWENA DINAH KOLOI, BOTSWANA
I am Rowena Dinah Koloi from Botswana, 24 years of age. I am a final year student at Ba Isago University studying bachelor of commerce in Real Estate. I am also a published author of a motivational book titled A Walk To Remember which aims at changing the negative perspective that people have about disability. It also aims at giving hope to people with disabilities. This book is about a record of my life journey events as a visually impaired student and how I have conquered my disability. I am a highly motivated young lady who has made alterations to her life and live beyond the limitations that society has placed before her. I am passionate about humanity, I leave to inspire and impact others and I have proved to be a valuable member to my community by putting my life out in a book just so I could change someone 's life through my life story. I intend to Braille this book, turn into an audio book and translate it to different languages so that everyone can be abled to read it. I am also a motivational speaker, I have been part of several motivational platforms as a guest speaker. I am full of love, so much energy and I am excited to share my experiences with the rest of you guys.
SIBONGILE ZODWA CONSTANCE SOKO, ZIMBABWE
My name is Sibongile Soko a young lady aged 21 years from Harare, Zimbabwe. I am currently attached at the Female Students Network Trust and I’m pursuing a Bachelors Degree program in Peace, Conflict and Governance. I enjoy volunteering to bring change in the community and give back to the society. I am a leader driven to achieve sustainable impact in my society. I am also an ardent reader and someone who is willing to take on new challenging academic and social explorations.
XAVIER MANUEL NHAULE, MOZAMBIQUE
I'm Xavier Manuel Nhaule, I'm 22 years old. I'm from Maputo City in Mozambique. I'm Social Activist and I'm actually the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Kutenga association. I work with tuberculosis and HIV prevention and control in a program sponsored by Global Fund in partnership with Health Collaboration Center of Mozambique.
I'm undergraduate student of accounting and Auditing at Higher Institute of Accounting and Auditing of Mozambique in Maputo.
I worked in a CDC project for community engagement in all related health services.
WITNESS DITSHWEU, BOTSWANA
I am Witness Ditshweu (22 years old), a student, motivational speaker, Managing Director of Àlvaro Custom Suits, Founder and President of Inspire Botswana Organisation, a television show host and a content producer.
I am from Tonota, Botswana.
I study Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting at Ba Isago University in Gaborone, Botswana and I am so much interested in community service work that aims at growing the economy of the country. I am also into media and journalism.
OURY DIAGNE, MALI
My name is Diagne Oury. I come from Kayes, I'm living in Bamako for my university study. I'm studying Human Resources Management and English at the same time. I'm member of national junior chamber and many other organizations.
YANELISA KHULUBUSE MENZANGABOM, SOUTH AFRICA
I am Yanelisa Khulubuse Menzangabom from Kokstad in the south of KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa. Yanelisa is a passionate 22 years old, LLB student at University of Zululand north of KwaZulu Natal province. Law, Governance, Youth and Entrepreneurship are the centre of his vast span of academic and social developmental interest. He can hold conversation in a number of topics as long as they are not about Hip Hop. He has always been told that he is an outgoing, approachable, and empathetic person. Before his endeavors in the fraternity of Law, he had a taste of psychology and acquired some great listening skills. He is a caring person whom you can always open up to, as long as you will not say you love him afterwards.
ZACARIAS CHICUIO, MOZAMBIQUE
My name is Zacarias Filipe Chicuio. I am from Beira city in Mozambique. I am currently studying ELT (English Teaching Course) with the ability to translate multiple languages at Universidade Licungo - Extensão da Beira.
I am deeply interested in youth programs where I share my thoughts and ideas on how they can promote change in this modern society.
Apart from that, I am interested in literature because I write poems and shorts dramas related to daily circumstances. Furthermore, I love marriage histories and I write about it very often.