On October 9, 34-year-old Vanessa Mwangala-Zainga was honoured at the 2026 Clooney Foundation for Justice Albies, at London’s Natural History Museum, in recognition of her work supporting vulnerable girls and advancing justice in Malawi.
Established by George and Amal Clooney, the annual awards honour those who take extraordinary risks to defend human rights and advance justice, often without recognition or protection.
Now in its fifth year, the Albies draw inspiration from Justice Albie Sachs, the South African anti-apartheid activist and judge who survived imprisonment, exile and an assassination attempt in his fight for equality.
“This year’s Albie honourees embody the values at the heart of our foundation. Through these awards, we want them and everyone advocating for justice around the globe to know that the world is watching and that they are not alone,” the Clooneys said in a statement.
This year’s honourees also include Kyrgyz journalists Bolot Temirov and Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, American photojournalist Lynsey Addario, Congolese organisation Justice Plus, and Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft and a human rights advocate.
Vanessa, the eldest of two children, says George and Amal Clooney had personally called to tell her they had been following her work and selected her as an honouree.
“They explained that the award recognises courageous human rights defenders, journalists and activists who pursue justice at great personal risk and that I would attend the gala in London. I was shocked, excited, overwhelmed and deeply grateful. Above all, I felt seen. Representing Malawi on a global stage was an immense honour. The recognition affirmed not only my work, but also the contributions of the few people who have supported me,” she says.
For Vanessa, the recognition is a reassurance that her work matters, despite the challenges.
“I have always drawn strength from Galatians 6:9: ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ This work, especially in Malawi, can be lonely, difficult and thankless. Receiving this recognition was beyond anything I had ever dreamed of,” she explains.
Her commitment to helping others began in childhood when she dreamed of building a successful career and using her resources to support orphans and vulnerable people.
In 2013, Vanessa founded Voices Awake, an initiative built on the belief that Malawian girls can change their own stories rather than wait to be rescued. Her goal was to become for other girls the person she needed while growing up.
“I lacked mentorship, safety, and healthy love and affection, so I chose to provide these for girls facing similar circumstances,” the mother of two says.
Her determination was shaped by her experiences growing up with a young mother who had her while still in secondary school and witnessing the abuse her mother endured while dependent on others.
Vanessa also saw similar struggles in dysfunctional homes around her community and experienced sexual harassment and other forms of abuse that were often normalised.
“I knew I did not want such a life for myself or for my future children, so I chose to become the change I wanted to see. As I pursued that change, I became aware that many girls were facing circumstances even more difficult than mine. I decided that I wanted to walk alongside them, too,” she said.
Vanessa observes that a culture of silence often prevents survivors of abuse from speaking out, as families prioritise their reputations or shield perpetrators from consequences.
“A girl who has been sexually abused may be told to remain quiet to protect the family’s reputation or to spare the perpetrator from consequences, while she is left to carry the effects of the abuse.
“Sharing my story helped me find healing and support, while also taking power away from those who caused harm. I want women everywhere to reclaim their power, live with dignity, and know that being female never makes them less worthy,” she says.
Voices Awake began as a programme in 2013 and became a registered organisation in 2019. It provides safe accommodation for girls to continue their education, essential school materials, and after-school feeding and tutoring for children in Standards 5 to 8 to help address learning gaps caused by overcrowded classrooms.
The organisation also supports teenage mothers with school re-enrolment, mentorship, and trauma-informed counselling. More recently, it introduced boys’ retreats to address the emotional challenges boys face.
She says: “Boys’ Retreats is a recent initiative that recognises that boys also carry emotional wounds, even when they appear to have everything under control.”
A significant milestone came around June this year when Vanessa handed over the director role to Ethel, a former beneficiary who joined Voices Awake in Standard 7 and has since earned a bachelor’s degree.
“Her journey represents the kind of transformation we hope to nurture,” she remarks.
The organisation has also contributed to wider community development in Traditional Authority Chimutu’s area in Lilongwe, helping construct a bridge for a community previously cut off from essential services during the rainy season.
The bridge has improved children’s access to education and made it easier for the wider community to reach markets and hospitals.
Voices Awake has also secured land, developed infrastructure, and partnered in establishing and operating Cornerstone Christian High School in Salima District, which now enrols more than 500 students.
Despite these achievements, Vanessa identifies limited government support, bureaucratic barriers and scarce funding as major challenges.
“While organisations must comply with policies, accessing government offices for guidance is often difficult. Voices Awake is small, yet we are expected to pay for services that would make our work safer and more effective. These barriers can leave us at risk of non-compliance when what we need most is guidance and support. Not everything should be driven by money; some matters are about protecting lives,” she says.
Limited funding and Malawi’s economic climate have forced the organisation to close some programmes to sustain those it can afford, making it difficult to expand its interventions. Meanwhile, managing community expectations with limited resources remains a challenge.
Looking ahead, Vanessa, who is married to Mayamiko Zainga, hopes to build schools she would be proud to send her own children to. She believes poverty should never justify substandard facilities for disadvantaged communities.
“When we operate in abject poverty, sometimes we build with whatever we can and feel proud simply because we now have something where there was nothing. Even our development partners sometimes contribute to this mindset. Malawi has low-quality infrastructure that some donors would never build in their own countries. I believe poor people deserve quality facilities, too, and I want to serve my nation to high standards, not settle for the bare minimum,” she explains.
Her advice to younger girls is to discover their purpose and live intentionally, prioritising education, character and personal growth over money, fame and material possessions.
Vanessa encourages them to develop their abilities and seek to be valued for who they are and what they contribute, rather than merely for their physical appearance.
Born in Zomba Distrcit, Vanessa attended Likuni Girls Secondary School before earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from African Bible College in 2012 and a master’s degree in Organisational Leadership from Eastern University in Pennsylvania, United States in 2018.
Having lived in a village, a low-income urban community and a middle-class environment, she has broadened her perspective and shaped who she is today.
From a childhood dream of helping vulnerable people, Vanessa has built an organisation that empowers girls and supports communities, and she continues to activate her belief that meaningful change begins when people choose to create the future they want to see.
