Name: Mantate Q. Mlotshwa
Organization: International Republican Institute
Role: Senior Programs Associate
Achievements:
1. Gumiguru 40 Under 30 Emerging Leaders of 2017
2. Umthombo iConnect 5 promising creatives
3. Alumni:
– Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa Cohort 13
– Generation Democracy South Africa and Austria 2017
– Young African Think’rs Convention Ethiopia 2017
– Women in Leadership Summer School 2016 Zimbabwe
4. Leader of Leaders Award- National Conference for Child and Youth Led Initiatives 2016
5. Panelist:
– Women Wine and Words 2018 Harare
– Inaugural Zim New Media Summit 2018
– Nkomo Youth Symposium 2017
6. Guest:
– Good Morning Zimbabwe News
– Election Talk Skyz Metro FM
– Pink n Purple
7. Features:
– All Africa News
– Sunday News
– Bulawayo24
– ilizwi263
– The Zimbabwean
– Pressreader
8. Facilitator- NDI-IRI Joint Election Observer Mission
The day everything almost fell apart:
I have since two days ago cracked my head trying to locate in my memory, an instance when everything almost fell apart but without success. This is far from saying that I’ve lived a perfect life~ I’d be bluffing, but my life has been about becoming, and solving problems, and maybe, just maybe, I see curves and obstacles as necessary than I do as a threat to the person I am and am becoming.
While the world continues to convince us that we’ve got to experience these big obstacles and survive them to know we are resilient, I live in the understanding that my life is built on a predetermined purpose, and that by virtue of me walking and drawing closer to that aspired self, I am expressing a resistance against being anything less. That progress to the person I’m becoming Is the drive and resolve I’d love to share today, in the hope that we as young people start embracing the journey, and letting it shape us, because it does.
From a very young age I’ve always believed myself an inspiration to myself~ sounds selfish right? But that’s true! I have known just one Mantate, and her journey, while reflective of those of the women before her, is unique to her. To want to build myself against the standard set by a person on TV, Facebook or Twitter or anywhere else would be accepting becoming a portion of that person, because I can never fully be them- we started from different places.
While I am no doubt a product of men and women that continuously tap into my potential, the knowledge that there is a Mantate I will be one day, one that my commitment, persistence, drive and firmness continuously pushes me to stretches my boundaries, to dare and to take risks. That has helped me through so many stages of my life I am even struggling today to identify a challenge so significant it almost toppled my life over. I keep my mind fixed on the end goal, and that’s what re-energizes me.
The people that make it in life are not those that wait, but those that make the decision to be bold and go for it. While I may not have a challenge that could convince you that I’ve had it hard too, I hope that the spirit with which I approach my growth inspires you to see beyond your limitations into what God wants to do and is doing in your life. That step forward, that higher note on your voice, your enthusiasm when things don’t go as planned and your commitment to the dream is the most essential form of resilience~ let that be your driving force.
“To measure ourselves against others, whose success society convinces us to be the standard for all, is to deny ourselves a chance to discover who we truly are. We are unique, our purposes differ, and how we get there will not often be the same. Do you, it doesn’t get any better!.”- Mantate2019
