What started as a simple idea on Anneckjiet Kapomba’s 18th birthday six years ago has grown into a powerful platform for community support.
At just 23, she has transformed her vision into Tiwafikire Organisation that tackles some of Africa’s most pressing challenges.
Anneckjiet’s impactful leadership has earned her the Future African Leaders Award by Future African Leaders Foundation founded by the Reverend Chris Oyakhilome of Loveworld Incorporate.
As many young people struggle with unemployment, she has created a safe space for solutions, empowering them through initiatives that address food insecurity, education barriers and public health threats.
“Tiwafikire was born from a reach-out birthday project in 2019. Initially, the focus was to involve youths in supporting the elderly, but over time, I scaled it to an organisation,” she explained.
Through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, it is expanding its impact, addressing poverty, poor education, unemployment and malaria.
Under Anneckjiet’s leadership, the organisation incorporates compassion, integrity and leadership into education, public health, environmental conservation and socio-economic empowerment for vulnerable communities.
“Tiwafikire means ‘meet the need’. It reflects our belief in the ability of communities, particularly the youth, to overcome obstacles and drive lasting transformation.
“We recognise that real change must come from within and by equipping people with right tools, we can tackle systemic issues that hold them back,” she emphasized.
The young humanitarian disclosed that among key challenges Tiwafikire seeks to address are lack of access to quality education, particularly for girls who drop out due to financial constraints, societal pressures, or inadequate infrastructure.
Anneckjiet added that unemployment and food insecurity is also a problem many women and youths struggle with.
“Public health threats such as malaria remain a major concern in rural areas due to limited awareness about preventive measures,” she said.
Tiwafikire is working to combat malaria through awareness and preventive measures.
Anneckjiet added the topics were chosen because they represent critical barriers to development and sustainability.
She believes by addressing these issues, they can foster long-term social and economic change,” she said.
Anneckjiet has led several successful initiatives such as Our Girl Get Back to School programme which has supported over 150 students, enabling 60 girls to re-enroll.
They established 127 village banks that have empowered over 8 000 women towards financial independence through businesses.
In addition, Tiwafikire entrepreneurship and business classes have led to the formation of agribusiness groups in Malili Village, focusing on organic manure cultivation of chili, vegetables and sugarcane.
It has also played a role in industrial innovation by creating skills development programmes that teach women how to produce soap, organic fertilisers and cooking oil.
“This not only empowers women to generate income, but also contributes to local industrial growth, reducing the country’s reliance on imports,” she said.
Anneckjiet said their No Anti-Malaria Vaccine campaign, in partnership with local health centres and community leaders, has helped distribute mosquito nets and conduct sensitisation workshops.
“These efforts have contributed to reducing malaria cases in the areas where we’ve been active,” she noted.
Despite the successes, the award winner acknowledges challenges she faces as a young leader.
“Securing funding for large-scale initiatives has been difficult and I’ve had to build credibility and prove our projects can deliver tangible results,” she said.
Convincing communities to embrace new ways of
thinking, especially in rural areas, has also required patience and persistence.
Anneckjiet said managing diverse projects and ensuring each initiative gets the attention and resources it needs is another challenge.
“However, through strategic partnerships and a committed team, we are overcoming these hurdles,” she stated.
Looking ahead, Anneckjiet envisions Tiwafikire expanding its reach across Malawi and beyond.
“In the next five-10 years, we hope to support more than 3 000 students per community, establish pilot elderly care homes, scale our village banking and agribusiness projects, and develop industrial infrastructure to produce our own goods.
“We also aim to collaborate with government and organisations to influence policy changes that will make a sustainable impact on the challenges we face,” she shared.
Anneckjiet said winning the Future African Leaders Award was an incredibly humbling and inspiring experience.
“It felt like the recognition was not only for the work I’ve done so far, but also for the work yet to come. I was thrilled to receive this recognition because it highlights the impact Tiwafikire and other initiatives have made in our communities,” she said.
For Anneckjiet, the award has opened new doors, creating opportunities to connect with other change makers and leaders across Africa and beyond.
She believes that creating opportunities for young people is key to transforming Africa.
“I grew up in Malawi, a country with both incredible beauty and immense challenges.
“From a young age, I was acutely aware of the difficulties my peers faced, especially girls who had to drop out of school due to financial pressures or societal expectations, “she said.
Her desire to drive change led her to become an accountant, believing that financial literacy and management are essential in creating sustainable solutions for communities.
A strong believer in faith-driven leadership, Anneckjiet credits her Christian background and involvement with Loveworld and Christ Embassy Church as the foundation of her advocacy work.
“Under the teachings of my pastor Oyakhilome, I have learned the power of service, love and making a positive impact in the world. I believe I am a change-maker.”
Despite the demands of her accounting career, she remains committed to her advocacy work.
“Balancing both roles has been challenging, but with careful planning and prioritisation, I have learned to manage. Accounting gives me the financial skills needed to sustain our projects, while advocacy fuels my passion for social change,” she said.
Delegation has played a key role in her ability to balance both responsibilities.
She has learned to trust her team and delegate tasks effectively, allowing her to focus on both her profession and Tiwafikire.
She earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance from DMI St. John the Baptist University in 2023.
When she is not engaged in community service or working as an accountant, Anneckjiet enjoys music, reading, trying new recipes, traveling, and exploring new adventures.
