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Jennifer Mufamba

“When you help others, your own needs will also be provided; therefore, the Lord that cares for us all, will always reward you back,” says Amanda Runganawa, a writer, playwright, actress, poet, philanthropist as well as director and founder of Young Leaders in Action (YLIA), an organisation that takes care of poor and struggling youths.

The 28-year-old Mutare-based filmmaker, founded her organisation on January 10, 2021 to help less privileged youths achieve their goals and change their lives.

She draws some of her inspiration from the biblical verse in Psalm 41:1, which reads “Blessed is he that considers the poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” as well as Proverbs 19:17 which reads “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”

Through the YLIA, Ms Runganawa empowers young people from both average and less privileged families as well as those living on the streets through holding workshops, charity events, and youth activities.

The programmes help empower, develop and teach young people between the ages of 16 to 27 years how to be leaders in their communities, become self-sustaining and make a difference.

Since its formation a year ago, YLIA organisation has grown to 80 members from across Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, and China who help in teaching young people about leadership, life skills, career guidance, sexual reproductive health issues, business, entrepreneurship and community services.

“I started my organisation because I wanted to make a change in the lives of young people. Not just the lives of many young people who come from average families but those who are on the borderline of either being rich or poor. Most people reach out to orphanages and street kids and sometimes skip children from average families because they assume that since they have families therefore they have everything they need, which is not always true,” she said in an interview.

She said young children and youths were at the centre of her heart.

“They are the future and I am happy to invest in their lives in any way I can,” she said.

As part of the YLIA programmes, the organisation on Christmas eve toured Tinenyasha Family Trust Zimbabwe, an orphanage and disabled children’s home where they donated food, clothes and shoes.  It also partnered artistes in Mutare to provide entertainment to the children at the home.

YLIA also recently partnered with Chedenga Foundation Trust for their Christmas party for children living on the streets.

Ms Runganawa however, said there were a number of challenges faced in her philanthropic work, including lack of financial resources needed for travelling to different parts of the country to meet her youth members for major events and workshops.

Despite the impediments, she has managed to keep the flag of her good work flying, thanks to help from different well-wishers including her colleagues from the arts industry who have been supportive of her work.

“I have also gotten support from churches and business people to help with our charity work as YLIA,” she said, expressing appreciation to the hardworking and supportive team at YLIA.

The organisation’s 16-year-old chairperson, Craig Mandiopera said: “Right now youths are engaging in drugs, prostitution and YLIA helps in making today’s generation, not cities by teaching youth life skills and entrepreneurship.”

Outside YLIA, Ms Runganawa is an actress and played the lead role in a play entitled “The breadwinner never plays”, which was written by Chelsey Maumbe and directed by Kudzai Sevenzo.

She also wrote the multi-award-winning film called “Kushata Kwemoyo” in addition to being a producer for television programmes as well as the founder and content creator of McLara Online TV.

She said: “I have been working with Savanna Trust which had a Southern Africa Female Playwrights Masters Class workshop for female writers in Africa. I am one of the eight participants and I wrote a play called “The House of Economics.”