Youth empowerment and their active participation in development is an enabler for international, regional, national and community development.
This is done in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other strategic development blueprints.
We cannot talk about effective SDGs implementation and attainment without involving the youth globally.
And this has been proved at this year’s 80th United Nations General Assembly (Unga80) session at the UN headquarters in New York City in the United States where the youth voices from across the world have been augmented for possible global action.
These significant voices included Nthanda Manduwi, a Malawian storyteller, entrepreneur, feminist and global digital transformation advocate who has left an indelible mark at the global summit.
She was invited by the UN youth office to participate in the #YouthLeadFestival.
These activities included a high-level plenary meeting to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for the Youth (WPAY30).
In an interview with EveryWoman, Nthanda said she was excited to take her advocacy work to such a big platform.
“I was delighted with the invitation which coincided with WPAY 30-year commemoration.
“For three decades, WPAY has guided global policies and programmes advancing youth participation, empowerment and intergenerational collaboration. I was delighted to have contributed further as we continue to chat ways for meaningful engagement, particularly for Africa’s gain,” she said.
She described the Unga (held from 22 to 30 September, 2025) as one of the strategic spaces where key decisions such as funding and priority areas are discussed.
“As we continue to fight for a just and equitable world, it is important to include youth voices when important decisions that affect global development are being discussed. I am excited to have participated at this global summit and represented the youth particularly from Africa and Malawi,” she said.
On September 24, Nthanda moderated the Africa Regional Youth Forum on Energy and Just Transition during the 2025 Energy Now SDG7 Action Forum on the margins of Unga80.
The forum was powered by SDG7 Youth Constituency, International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Youth Council and Green Africa Youth Organisation (Gayo).
Among others, it spotlighted African youth-driven clean energy innovations, bringing together innovators, policymakers, financiers and partners to showcase youth-led clean energy innovations from across Africa through the Youth Sustainable Energy Hub.
Nthanda said the Africa Regional Youth Forum on Energy was key in advancing an inclusive and innovative energy transition in Africa.
“It was an honour to moderate this high level panel that hosts leaders from international organisations, philanthropy, the private sector and youth enterprises,” she said.
Apart from working with international organisations such the UN Youth Office, Nthanda is founder of Ntha Foundation, Kwathu Kollective and Bien Corporation Africa Malawi which have impacted lives of over 10 000 young people from across Africa and beyond through innovation and technology.
“My work intersects education, entrepreneurship and technology, focusing on creating opportunities that bridge the gap between local talent and global markets. I will use this opportunity to further drive progress in Africa.
“I am passionate about leveraging technology to drive sustainable growth and ensuring African youth have the tools they need to thrive in the global digital economy. I believe Africa can thrive and its youths are the driving force to achieve that transformation,” she said.
Nthanda also launched her second book titled Feminine Silence on the margins of the flagship Unga80.
Her book blends memoir, feminist theory and social commentary to explore what it means to rise and its cost.
She said: “With a foreword by my mentor and adviser Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Agness Chimbiri-Molande, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the UN, this book is both personal and political — an ode to my undergraduate self and an invitation to re-imagine leadership, partnership and legacy.”
Feminine Silence examines what happens after empowerment — when women finally enter rooms of influence, only to find sharp edges still beneath their feet. And critically, it asks: what does shared power look like?
“It’s not about replacing men at the table; it’s about rewriting the table’s design so that men and women can lead together,” she said.
Nthanda is one of the Malawian young women leaders currently studying at Michigan State University (MSU) where she has also achieved the milestone as the first Malawian president for Black MBA Students Association.
“It is humbling to be elected president of the Black MBA Association. This means Malawian and African students can see themselves leading in such spaces and that diversity in leadership matters.
“It is a reminder of why I came to the university: to grow as a leader, to build meaningful systems and to create pathways for other young Africans,” she said.
She attributed her leadership and academic excellence to valuable contributions of UN Youth Office as well as Microsoft.
“I spent my summer interning at Microsoft Xbox where I worked within ID@Xbox [Independent Developers at Xbox] on global expansion strategy and developer acceleration, analyzing data from more than 140 titles across emerging markets.
According to Nthara, Microsoft also gave her corporate discipline and the data validation she needed to turn an idea into a scalable business model.
This strengthened her conviction to embark on her MBA journey.
“It is not just about academics, it’s about building Q2 as a model for Africa’s future. We are partnering with Xbox GameCamp Africa to make this a reality,” she said.
